How Much Does Poor Web Design Really Matter?
Does my business have a bad website? Is it just a little outdated, or does it lack critical components? Is my business website costing me money, and if so how much?
You’ve had those questions for a while now. They started like an itch at the back of your neck and tiptoed along the fringe of your sleep. Now, you’re considering a website redesign, but you’re not sure if it’s worth the cost.
The longer you live with a bad website, the more clients and revenue you’re losing. In today’s market, the brand that engages the most clients and dominates search results, wins. Those type of results take time to create, and every month that passes you could be falling farther behind. Let’s look at some eye-opening statistics that reveal how bad website design could be crippling your business growth.
Content Expectations Have Changed
In the past, most websites just had basic information, and that was enough. If a business website had a few photos, a simple list of services, business hours and contact information, that was enough.
When decision makers thought of updating their website, they meant swapping out photos or finally getting around to removing staff information for employees who quit three years ago.
Now, things are different because most buyers, clients, users and customers start their search online. They aren’t necessarily looking for your business to start. They’re trying to solve a problem.
They type a query into search or ask a voice assistant. They want the most up-to-date and comprehensive information available. If your business offers what they’re looking for, you have a chance at being in search results. If not, your competitor will reel them in and get their money.
The content on your website must be created with your customer in mind. It should be high quality, completely unique and include an irresistible call to action. It should also be frequently updated and “fresh.”
That outdated website with basic information won’t perform well in search engine results, so you won’t get in front of the people looking for you. It also won’t convert traffic to leads and leads into sales. A bad website has bad content that costs you money.
If you’re starting to wonder how your business website content measures up, we have a tool that can help. Find out the SEO score of any landing page or blog article using our SEO checker.
Mobile Performance Is Critical
Last year more than half of online traffic worldwide came from mobile devices. In the United States, 57 percent came from smartphones and tablets. Here are a few other mobile statistics that matter to your business:
- 51 percent of consumers say they use their smartphone to find new brands and products.
- 75 percent of Americans say they use their smartphones most often to check email.
- Consumers spend an average of five hours a day on smartphones.
- 69 percent of users say they’re more likely to buy from companies whose mobile sites answer their questions or address their concerns.
- Over 40 percent of online transactions take place on mobile.
- Mobile fast-tracks time to purchase an average of 50 percent by helping with decision making and streamlining checkout.
- 80 percent of B2B executives research products or services on a tablet in the evening, and a significant percentage of those report making purchases valued between $1,000 and $4,999.
We could go on all day, but you get the idea. People are looking for you on mobile. If your site isn’t optimized, you don’t stand a chance. Spade Design makes websites mobile responsive, so they fit whatever screen size users are looking at.
Slow Websites are Bad Websites
If your business website is slow, it could be the kiss of death for online traffic. Search engines measure your site’s load speed and factor that into rankings. We covered this extensively in our article Load Speed and Search Engine Optimization.
Plus, slow websites are bad websites because they annoy users. According to Google, 53 percent of website visits are abandoned when they take longer than three seconds to load.
The bar is high, but this can be a good thing. Astoundingly, the average mobile webpage still takes 15.3 seconds to load. Make yours fast on mobile and get a huge jump on your competition.
People Judge Bad Websites Instantly – And Mercilessly
When people click on your search result or look up your business directly, you have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression. That’s just half of one second.
Behavior and Information Technology Journal conducted three separate studies on visual first impressions. People decided at a glance whether business websites were what they were looking for. They immediately judged based on the following:
- Confusing or cluttered layouts
- Small, poor quality graphics
- Dated fonts and images
- Automatically playing music or video
- Poor or no content
- Confusing navigation or design
Your business website visitors are going to judge based on appearances. You have half a second to convince them to stay and look around. Modern design is inviting, but poor website design will cost you visitors and revenue.
Then They Keep Judging
So you make it past the first 500 milliseconds, but you only got your foot in the door. Even after that, 38 percent of consumers will bounce away if your content doesn’t give them a reason to stay.
Getting them to click on your result is important. How fast your page loads and what they see right away is critical. The amount of time they stay, their dwell time is just as vital.
We know, it’s a lot. But doing it well is our default.
Every website we design draws traffic through organic search, then it keeps your users moving through the funnel. We’ll help you draw them in, then guide them gently along the path to what they’re looking for.
First, we’ll delight them with your visual design. Color schemes and graphics will communicate your brand values. Our website design always includes navigation that’s user-friendly and intuitive.
Next, We’ll put key messages, products and services right at the top and repeat them throughout. We keep text concise so they easily find what they came for.
Also, we’ll use headings that include your keywords and invite more browsing. Your call to action will be unmistakeable and in multiple locations. Plus, we’ll update regularly so users and search engine bots have a reason to keep coming back.
A Bad Website Loses Users Forever
If your poor website design causes users to hit the back button, they might never return. Unfortunately, 88 percent of online consumers surveyed said they’re unlikely to return after a bad experience.
Let’s say you keep putting off a website redesign. The people who do find your business website click on your result and experience slow load speed, clunky graphics, hard to read font or confusing navigation. Even if you choose to update later, you might not get another chance.
People link the credibility of your business with your website. Credibility relates directly to whether or not they are willing to buy from you.
The True Cost of Poor Web Design
So how much is a bad website really costing in terms of concrete dollars and cents? Poor web design is hurting you in these ways:
- When your site doesn’t work on mobile, you lose customers.
- Missing, thin or duplicate content hurts your ranking with search engines. People can’t find you and the ones who do are disappointed with what they find.
- If your site doesn’t load in less than three seconds, half of all the people looking for you quit trying. They click on your competitor’s link.
- A bad website makes your business look bad. Customers form a negative impression. They leave and don’t come back.
If you have poor web design, at best you’re leaving money on the table. You’re probably also giving clients to your competitors.
In contrast, good web design brings customers to you. The websites we build work around the clock to draw traffic that turns into revenue for our clients.
You don’t have to live with a bad website. Get in touch, let’s talk about how we can design a website that reflects the quality of your business and pays for itself many times over.
