Web design is like any other tech field in that it’s constantly evolving. What was the norm only a few short years ago quickly becomes outdated and keeping up with trends can be difficult.
So, we’ve put together a list of web design statistics to know in 2022 that will assist any web design company in Melbourne build engaging, innovative websites that attract better quality leads and increase conversions.
There are more than 1.9 billion active websites
As of this year, there are more than 1.9 billion active websites in the world, meaning that your competition is pretty tough.
It should come as no surprise that Google is the number 1 ranked visited website in the world, followed by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Unless you’re a social media platform, you’re unlikely to be competing with these giants but it’s still good to have an idea of what’s happening.
Over 90 percent of the world’s population uses a mobile phone to browse online
That’s a lot of smartphones! It also points to the importance of designing with the mobile device in mind, not merely as an afterthought. If 90 percent of your potential audience is viewing your website via the small screen, responsive design becomes incredibly important.
Responsive web design uses Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to adapt the design of a website depending on the device’s size, orientation, resolution, and more. Without this approach, your visitors will be zooming, scrolling, and squinting to access your information and will more than likely simply give up.
42 percent of users will leave a website if it doesn’t function well
The phrase ‘doesn’t function well’ is a little vague but does suggest that the user experience is very important. Factors that promote a positive user experience from a web design perspective include:
● Optimising page speed
● Using headings, paragraphs, and bullet points to differentiate information
● Using responsive web design
● Making appropriate use of white space
● Optimising images
● Focusing on accessibility — correct use of contrasting colours, inclusion of alt-text, a focus on clarity.
Conversion rates drop by 4.42 percent with each additional second of load time
As a business owner, your website needs to be able to convert traffic. It’s not enough for the site to simply look good — you’ll be losing out on thousands of potential sales if you don’t prioritise the user experience.
One factor that will have a significant impact is load time. Consumers these days are unfortunately not very patient and for every additional second they have to sit and wait for your page to load, you will experience a 4.42 percent drop in conversion rate.
From a web designer’s perspective, this statistic indicates that you need to be careful about overloading the page with high definition images and graphics. Developers should also be wary as to the CMS platform they are using and the cleanliness of their code.
75 percent of users judge a company’s credibility based on their website design
According to a study conducted by Stanford University, 75 percent of users will judge a company’s real-world credibility based on its online website design. This statistic points to how important it is to control your online presence. For most consumers, the digital world is the first channel through which they will have contact with your company. Small things like advertising incorrect opening hours or having a live chat feature but no one to respond can significantly alter consumer perceptions — and not in a good way.
92 percent of users search online via Google
It should come as no surprise that Google occupies the top spot when it comes to search engine market share. What this statistic actually reveals is the importance of designing your website with the actions of Google’s search engine bots in mind.
Unless your website design is optimised from an SEO perspective, all the time and effort that’s gone into building it will essentially be wasted. 92 percent of your potential audience won’t even be able to find your site. To avoid this happening, work with a trusted web design company in Melbourne to ensure that your pages are structured correctly, you’ve followed responsive design principles, and Google’s bots can crawl and index easily.
While you want your website to stand out from the crowd, it has to be for the right reasons. By making a point to stay on top of emerging trends and best practice, you give yourself the best chance of having a website that attracts customers and increases conversions.