Think your website might be outdated? Maybe it is. To continue generating leads and increasing sales its important to keep up with popular trends and regularly updating the elements of your website. If you notice your conversion rates are low, your web design could be the cause. 94% of people say that first impressions matter and the design will help them decide if they want to stay on that site or leave to another source. Check out more web design statistics that will make you want to redesign your website redesign.
A Responsive Website Is A Necessity Not A Trend
As mobile devices have become so popular, websites have jumped on the trend of creating a responsive website. However, responsive isn't a trend anymore but actually a necessity that websites should invest in to stay relevant and continue to generate leads. International Business Times stated in a later article that one in five millennials no longer uses a desktop computer to go online, relying exclusively on smartphones and tablets to get on the Internet. That being said, the article also stated that 74% of Internet users 55 and older are now relying on mobile devices as well. So as most people know that the younger population has conformed to mobile, it's important to note that adults are also jumping on the same bandwagon making a responsive website vital for success.
Slow Load Times Are A Killer
We all know that attention spans run short when using the Internet and people are not very fond of waiting. With unlimited information available from various sources, if a website doesn't appeal and intrigue almost instantly, most people will move on to the next site. In fact, 40% of people will leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Furthermore, 79% of web users who experience trouble with a site's performance admit they are less likely to return to the site and around 44% of them would tell a friend if they had a poor experience purchasing online (Source). If you are experiencing slow loading times, try to find the source of the problem or consider working with a professional web design company who can offer you a redesign that is updated with the latest trends and offers quick and easy access for users.
Colors Really Do Catch The Eye
Colors are important not just to make the website more appealing but also to build your brand and enhance corporate identity. Colors increase web recognition by 80% (Source). The colors on your website should resemble who you are and appeal to your targeted audience so a considerable amount of thought should be given when deciding what will work best for your brand. Psychologists have revealed that people are susceptible on a subconscious level to color impressions and that over 60% of acceptance or rejection of a website is tied to this very fact (Source). In addition to choosing the right colors, it's also important no to clutter your website with too many colors that become overwhelmingly distracting. You should chooser a color scheme and stick to it, keeping in mind that more than 3 colors will distract and deter people from your website.
Your Content Will Make Or Break Your Website
Effective content on each website page is important for several reasons such as informing the reader, enhancing SEO for searchability and awareness as well as a way to describe why your products and services are better than your competitors. If your website is full of grammatical errors, it will seem unprofessional and may result in you losing credibility and people viewing you as a trustworthy source.
It's not only important to have well-written and informative content but also a good amount of content on each page. Creating an effective content marketing plan will help each page flourish and shine rather than push you down the rankings. According to an article by Copypress, Google’s Panda update punishes websites with thin content, or pages full of links or SEO writing. If your average article or page length is under 200 words, search engines will likely be more critical of the content, and the general rule of thumb is that articles of 300 words or more are less likely to put you at risk for infringing on “thin” content.
Simplicity Is Key For Retention
Another key element for web design is simplicity. People want a website that is easy to navigate so they can easily find the information they need. If a prospect has to dig through your website to find what they are looking for, more than likely they will leave and use another source. 50% of potential sales are lost because users can't easily find the information they are looking for and 40% of those users never return to a site when they've had a negative experience(Source). It's common to have a lot of information and components that make up a website but to be successful, you'll need to organize all those elements into a simple format.
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