Using the latest website statistics, we reveal some of the ways your current website design could be putting off new prospects and restricting your business growth.
Whether you’re a part of a multinational corporation or an ambitious entrepreneur running a small business, one of the biggest challenges is trying to optimise your website so that it maximises credibility and client acquisition.
In this blog, we shed some light on the mysteries behind poor bounce rates, dreadful conversion rates and low traffic using the latest website statistics from 2020.This should give you a better idea of what areas of your website you need to improve and make it easier to understand when it’s time to seek help from a website design agency.
85% of adults believe a business’ website on a mobile device should look as good or better than a desktop website
As we’ve mentioned before, mobile optimisation is imperative in today’s fast-moving world. Generating leads and traffic doesn’t just happen when people are using their laptops.
There are opportunities on their commute, in the waiting room before their appointment, even while they’re doing their business on the toilet. So, when they land on your website, you need to make sure it looks great and is easy to navigate.
The solution:
For a rough indication, you can try the 3-second method. Simply bring up your website in a browser and grab the right side of the browser window with your mouse, dragging it to the left until you can’t shrink it anymore.
If any of the content, imagery or buttons are cut off, your website probably isn’t very mobile responsive. In which case, you should get in touch with a top website design agency to help optimise it.
70% of small business websites lack a call to action (CTA) on their homepage
Rule 101 of any website design is to include simple and clear points of sale. Think of it this way; if you have an urgent plumbing issue at home, you’ll probably search for a “Plumber near me” on Google.
Before giving them a buzz, you may want to look at their website to double-check that they’re a credible business. However, if they don’t give you a clear way of getting in touch on the homepage, you’re going to take your business elsewhere.
The solution:
Include CTA buttons at the top and bottom of the homepage. Don’t expect the user to read through all of the homepage content.
You should also make sure the navigation bar on your website design is clearly labelled and follows the user down the page.
47% of website visitors check out a business’ products/services page before looking at other sections of the site
For some businesses, product descriptions and service pages can be treated as an afterthought. While the homepage is of paramount importance and every other page still serves a purpose, this statistic proves that almost half of people just want to cut straight to the sale.
Before they read about your story and buy into the brand, they think it’s important to check whether you can actually offer what they want. Think of it as a restaurant. You’d usually check what type of cuisine they serve or take a look at the menu before sitting down. So, it pays to make these services or products sound tasty.
The solution:
The solution is simple; invest time and resource into getting the content right. Your services or products should be clear, concise and SEO-friendly.
51% of companies say updating old content has proven the most efficient tactic implemented
For the same reason you might be reading this blog, development and improvement is key to success. We all need to evolve ideas and enhance solutions to generate better results. Well, the same principle applies to content too.
The solution:
Conduct regular content audits using Google Analytics. See what blog posts are performing well organically and what web pages have dreadful bounce rates and user times. Content is a constant process of adapting and making the proposition more valuable or clear.
To improve your ranking on a blog or page, remove broken links and include microcontent where you use long-tail search terms. From a visual side, you should add more imagery within the content to optimise the user experience (UX) and add alt tags to enhance SEO.
It takes just 0.05 seconds for users to form an opinion about your website
The internet is a brutal place. There’s no time to beat around the bush with text-heavy storytelling and sexy graphics halfway down the page, your website needs to make an instant impression.
In less than a second, users will decide whether they want to stay on your website or not and make a snap judgment on your brand.
The solution:
You need to prioritise the design in the top fold of your website – i.e. the header and the hero block. Text headers should make it abundantly clear what you do and the design needs to be bold. This is where good branding comes in with a beautiful, coherent colour palette.
Videos and scrolling banners are also effective. However, you must ensure you don’t compromise functionality in the process. Your website needs to be responsive and quick, which leads us nicely onto our next point.
The first five seconds of page-load time have the highest impact on conversion rates. Website conversion rates drop by an average of 4.42% with each additional second of load time
Once again, speed is everything. This website statistic is particularly worrying if you sell goods online or are trying to generate sign-ups through a landing page.
The solution:
There are several reasons for slow loading websites, including unoptimised images, JavaScript issues, too much flash content (i.e. videos), no caching, unclean code, too many adverts or bad hosting.
If you’re unsure on how to check any of these, ask a top website design agency to conduct a thorough analysis.
Need a hand?
How to choose the best website design agency
It’s not easy to choose a website design agency. Conduct one simple search on Google for ‘best website design agency in the UK’ and you’ll find thousands of options.
To help make your decision easier, you should consider the following points:
• Their reputation – do they have a beautiful portfolio of work with glowing reviews?
• Their website design – do you like the look and feel of their own website? After all, a website design agency needs to practice what they preach.
• Their team – as well as experience and knowledge, you should look to work with people you get on with and value your project. Sometimes a smaller website design agency can deliver a more personalised service.
• Their processes and planning – if you want an industry-leading website, you need a plan. Does the website design agency have a clear and robust strategy in place to deliver your project on time and on budget?
• Their cost – the price of a new website design is a make or break factor for many businesses. Avoid unusually cheap quotes and expensive ones that come with a string of ‘add-ons’. A good website design agency will be transparent in their pricing and tell you exactly what’s included and required.
• Their ability to do marketing and branding – having a nice website design is one thing, but if you’ve got no digital marketing strategy and shoddy branding, you’ll generate little traffic and put off any you actually do attract. A top website design agency will be able to deliver every element required to generate leads, conversions and traffic.
• Their ability to write – copywriting is king. Just one typo can undo all the fancy visuals and your reputation as a company. If the website design agency has access to a top SEO copywriter, you’ll create a website that resonates with your audience and appears high up in search engines.
If you’re ready to optimise your current website or would like a hand building a new one from scratch, we’re here to help.
As one of the leading web design, marketing and branding agencies in Worcestershire, we can develop an effective online presence for your business. To find out more, get in touch with us today.
