Embassy websites and first impressions

A foreign public’s first impressions are often formed by the embassy website - why are they so dull?

In traditional diplomacy, a foreign public’s first impressions are formed by the architecture of embassy compounds, the grandeur of ambassadorial vehicles, the candor of diplomatic representatives, or the elegance of diplomatic functions. They serve as representations of the power, culture, and influence of the sending state. In digital diplomacy, a foreign public’s first impressions are often formed by the embassy website.

First impressions are the immediate images created in an individual’s mind in response to initial stimuli. They are spontaneous, rapidly-formed, long-lasting, and can contribute to feelings of trust, friendliness, appeal, utility, and credibility. Indeed, first impressions are so powerful, intelligence analysts train to overcome their impact on assessments.

But embassy websites have been neglected by scholars. Traditionally, scholars preferred higher level sources of official government policy communication. In a hierarchy of the policy space — strategic, contextual,…