Information Architecture
New Study, “Impatient web searchers measure web sites’ appeal in seconds”
From the story, Web users are picky and impatient, typically visiting only the first three results from a query, with one in five searchers spending 60 seconds or less on a linked Web document, according to Penn State researchers. �People make instantaneous judgments about whether to stay on a site, and if a site doesn’t the give the right impression, users will bypass it,” said Dr. Jim Jansen, assistant professor in Penn State�s Information Sciences and Technology (IST). “A page has to be well-designed, easy to load and relevant to a searcher’s needs.” Otherwise, by the time three minutes have elapsed, 40 percent of searchers will have moved on. While some may have found what they wanted, others may simply have given up and moved to a different site, said the faculty member in Penn State�s School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). Jansen’s conclusions are based on research that he and co-author Amanda Spink, Penn State associate professor of IST, conducted in February 2001. The two researchers analyzed more than 450,000 Web queries submitted to AlltheWeb.com in a 24-hour period, reviewing users’ actions in chronological order. The length of sessions, number of pages visited and relevance of results were studied. Thanks to P.W. for the news tip.

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