Below are 13 staggering statistics about websites, and how users interact with them. These statistics will provide you with takeaway strategies on how to change your website from client-repellent to enticing, user-friendly and conversion-driven.

1. It takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether or not they like your site, and whether they’ll stay or leave.  Visitors quickly make judgements about credibility based on design. When a user has multiple choices of sites that fit their search criteria, the tolerance level for bad websites goes down.

Takeaway strategy: Improve the design of your homepage.

2.  57%  of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile.  It is so important that websites are mobile responsive. Sites that are not are poorly designed and don’t provide an optimal user experience. 

Takeaway strategy:  Ensure you have a responsive web design, which means it recognizes the device that your visitor is using and automatically generates a page that is responsive to the device the content is being viewed on. 

3.  Average smartphone conversion rates are up 64% compared to desktop conversion rates. Additionally, 88% of consumers who search for a type of business on a mobile device call or go to that business within 24 hours.

Takeaway strategy: Ensure a high quality digital presence on mobile. The mobile experience is even more powerful for local businesses, as people who are out and about and who don’t have a computer with them will use their phones to search for an idea or solution.

4.  38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive. 

Takeaway strategy: Make sure your website is well designed and well structured from start to finish.

5.  70% of small business websites lack a Call to Action (CTA) on their homepage. A call to action is an important element in a website’s design, as it prompts users to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a tour. Without a clear call to action, website visitors may leave the site without taking any desired action.

Takeaway strategy: Incorporate some sort of call to action on your homepage.  This tells users what you have to offer while making it as easy as possible to purchase a product or request a service.

6.  The average click-through rate is 4.23% across all industries.  This means that for every 100 people visiting a website, 4.23 will interact with a call to action. 

Takeaway strategy: Have well-designed and strategically-placed calls to action on your website homepage to increase the chances of conversion.

7.  The top two most visited websites are Google (85.1 billion visitors) and YouTube (33 billion visitors)

Takeaway strategy: Ensure you have a strong online presence on Google and YouTube to help increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and reach a wider audience.

8.  47% of users won’t wait longer than two seconds for a website to load. A slow website can lead to frustration and loss of potential customers.

Takeaway strategy: Prioritize website performance to ensure a positive user experience.

9.  Website users spend an average of 6.44 seconds focused on the main navigation menu.

Takeaway strategy: A clear and easily accessible navigation menu can help users quickly find what they are looking for, improving the overall efficiency of the site.

10.  Website users spend an average of 5.59 seconds looking at written content on a site. 

Takeaway strategy: Ensure content is scannable, clear, and value-packed to engage your audience and effectively communicate your message.

11.  Including videos on a website can increase the time spent on a page by 88%. Videos have the potential to captivate an audience and keep them engaged on a website longer.

Takeaway strategy: Add videos to your website to provide a more immersive experience for your users, encouraging them to spend more time exploring the site and its content.

12.  61% say that if they don’t find what they’re looking for within about five seconds, they’ll go to another site. 

Takeaway strategy: Your site should provide a clear and easy-to-use platform for users. Highly emphasize a great user experience in your design.

13.  Almost half (48%) say the number one way they decide on the credibility of a business is determined by the web design. The way a website looks can impact the first impression and overall perception of a company. Common complaints relating to design include boring design, bad use of color, excessive pop up advertisements, inadequate introductory content, small print, too much text, and an ineffective search feature.

Takeaway strategy: A modern design creates positive first impressions  Ensure your website is not too complex, busy or lacks navigation aids. 

It is obvious, when it comes to websites, that first impressions matter. Your website will quickly be judged, and this judgement carries over into the way users perceive your company as a whole. A bad website can negatively impact a company’s credibility significantly, whereas a quality website can help a company extend its sphere of influence and create leads.  Due to the great amount of people who use a mobile device to search for things, a responsive web design is critical. If a user has to pinch to zoom in and out on your website, there’s a good chance they will just leave instead.

Are you in need of a modern, responsive, well-designed website that makes a positive, lasting impression when users first interact with it?  Contact Us!