Have you ever heard of the coup d’oeil?

No, it isn’t a French pastry or the latest mixed martial arts-based workout.

It turns out coup d’oeil may actually be pretty damn useful in making sure your blog is set to kick ass in the coming year.

Ok, So What the Hell is Coup D’oeil?

The French term “coup d’oeil” loosely means the “power of the glance”. In the military, brilliant generals are said to possess coup d’oeil.

It basically means that in one stroke of the eye, someone can immediately understand the advantages and disadvantages of the battlefield and act accordingly – typically using their gift to quickly lay waste to their enemies.

Nice, right?

Napoleon even mentioned it in his memoirs when he said, “There is a gift of being able to see at a glance the possibilities offered by the terrain…One can call it the coup d’œil militaire and it is inborn in great generals.”

Your Blog Needs Your Coup D’oeil

You probably already know that you have limited time to make a great first impression for your new website visitor.

This is where you need to invoke your inner-Napoleon and hone your coup d’oeil.

Use the power of the glance in this quick 10-minute test to see if your website is set up in a way that the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages and you will squash your enemies.

Ok, stomping on your competition may be a bit much, but let’s say you just want to grow your audience and make sure your blog is putting its best foot forward for anyone that happens to stumble upon it.

Purpose of the Test

The purpose of this test is to use the power of the glance to quickly determine the advantages and disadvantages of the terrain associated with your blog.

The test is not intended for you to spend a long period of time analyzing your website.

It’s a quick and dirty test to gain first impressions.

Requirements of the Test

For you to conduct this test, you will need access to a computer/laptop as well as your mobile phone.

Why your phone?

Well, if you ever look at your analytics you’ll probably see a shit-ton of traffic coming your way via mobile phones.

It’s just how it is these days, embrace it.

Oh, you may also want to have a notepad standing by for you to jot down thoughts or actions you discover as you work your way through the test.

And finally, in order to reap the benefits of the test, you will need to put on your Stupid Hat.

I know you have one, we all do.

I want you to act as if you are a brand new visitor to your website.

You know nothing.

Structure of the Test

The test consists of 9 questions for you to think about as you sit there looking at your website as an uninformed visitor. (aka stupid)

You will perform the steps required on the computer/laptop first, followed by the same steps on your phone.

So, in other words, run through the 9 questions on your laptop and then do it again on your phone.

See, I remembered you had your Stupid Hat on.

Each time, take down any notes or thoughts you have on the particular question.

When using your laptop, don’t touch any buttons or try to navigate away from your blog’s landing page.

With your phone, you are allowed to click a few times due to the minimal screen size. But, really try to limit the amount of exploring you do on the phone since we are trying to test quick first impressions/actions.

One final note before we begin. If you have a banner landing page presented prior to the true homepage, you can click away from that. This test should be performed on your actual blog homepage.

Let’s Get Ready to Ruuuummmble

Let’s get to it.

Open a browser, maximize the window, and type in your blog’s URL so your blog comes up on screen. Then, don’t touch anything.

Question 1: What is this website really about?

Meaning…does it tell me exactly what value it provides? What the meaning of it is?

For example, is it a website about food? What about food? Will it provide me recipes? Reviews? Restaurant recommendations?

Can you quickly discern the value your website provides?

Question 2: What do I do first?

I should be directed to do something, or something should stand out for me to click on. What is my next action as a visitor to this site?

Is there a clear call to action?

Question 3: Can I find out more about this person/business?

Is there somewhere I can quickly go to find out who/what is behind this website? Is there an About page?

Question 4: Is there a way to contact them?

Perhaps I really like this website and what it’s about. Is there a way for me to reach out to them so we can connect?

Question 5: Is there a way to sign up for their mailing list?

I would really like to continue to get information from this site. How would I do that

Question 6: Does this website look current and trustworthy?

Is the website designed professionally and present information well? Would I trust this website or would I maybe feel a lil uncomfortable staying on the page too long?

Question 7: Is the website too cluttered and confusing?

Am I confused as to what I’m looking at or what I’m supposed to do first? Are there too many pictures or too much text pulling me in all sorts of directions?

Does my head hurt looking at it? (be honest)

Question 8: Are there a bunch of advertisements all over the place and popups as soon as I land on the homepage?

Do I see a big ad in the sidebar as well as ads over the first article? Did a popup just take over the screen only to be clicked away and followed by a slide-in from the corner?

Am I, as a new visitor to this site, being bombarded with shit I really don’t want to see? (again, be honest)

Question 9: Is it easy to navigate?

Is there a clearly defined menu? Are there content sections that let me know what I’m looking at? If I did click on something, would I feel confident that I’d be able to find my way back?

That’s it! See, it wasn’t too painful.

Make sure you jot down any results or thoughts you had during the test and also be sure to really pay attention to the mobile interface.

Results

So, how did you do?

Is your website positioned to kick your competition’s ass?

Here is a look at how Top Shelf Blogging’s homepage performed when conducting the test myself.

As you can see, Top Shelf Blogging did well!

Ok, you could also claim the test is rigged in my favor since I came up with the questions. Ha!

But, you get the general idea.

Your Takeaways

Not only do you need to make an immediate impression on your website visitors, but you also need to help equip them with the tools necessary to enjoy their visit.

Make sure you provide:

An understanding of what your blog is all about
Something they can do right away
A way to learn about you
A way to contact you
A method for them to keep in touch (subscribe)
A well-designed experience
Something that doesn’t hurt their head
Minimal disruptions
And an easy way to explore all you have to offer

If you take the time to check off these extremely important elements of your blog, you’ll be in a much better position to kill it in the year ahead.

This 10 Minute Test Could Change the Next Year For Your Blog