Research by a Canadian team published in the Behaviour and Information Technology Journal has found that Internet users form a lasting judgement about a website in 50 milliseconds - that’s a mere 20th of a second. That impression is long lasting due to the 'halo effect', where a positive impression influences further judgements, and means people will continue to use websites that find favour immediately.

For small firms with websites, it's therefore important to consider what impression it is making, as the halo effect can be used to influence how potential customers view the business as a whole, and may make the difference between a user getting in touch or finding a competitor.