When you visit a new town where you haven't been before, you no doubt notice the skyline first - sort of a "calling card" for the city, yes? And when you look at the newspaper, what do you notice first? The headline, of course. And think of your favorite TV show - I bet you're thinking of the opening credits.
Everyone makes snap judgments about things based on this kind of first impression. Websites are no exception; what you see first on a website is the header at the top of the page.
Though it isn't usually a functional part of the site, the header of a web page is one of the most important parts. With a porfessional and engaging looking header on a web page, visitors to that site will want to stay because they will have been assured that if the header is up to a certain level of excellence, then the content they'll read there will be too.
Your header does two things which are vital for your website. One is giving visitors an idea of what sort of content you have on your site. Secondly, it provides a measure of the quality of that content. A good header, at least in the minds of web surfers, equals quality content.
The header performs two basic functions on your website. It gives the viewer of it a quick overview of what your website is about, and it also provides an idea of the quality of your site.
These are both very important, but the latter is key. Just think about how many websites there are out there, many of which may be similar to yours. A professional looking header will make yours stand out and help you get some of that traffic rather than it going to the competition.
A well designed header featuring eye catching graphics is something which may have great impact on your websites traffic patterns. You may not even realize it, but your header can work wonders for your site.
The fact that visitors stick around longer and come back more often will probably be chalked up to your content or another feature you've implemented on your site.
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