There’s a school of thought about website design that goes something like this: Once you’ve got a great design – don’t mess with it That idea sounds eerily like the old web designing adage: Build it and they will come. Well, unfortunately, website owners that subscribe to that thought are doomed. We’ll explore just why that is.
What’s old isn’t cool anymore
According to one opinion published a while back in the Time Magazine, a vast number of visitors (55%) will only hang around your website for about 15 seconds. With a lot more information (and website designing bells and whistles) vying for our attention online, that number (15 seconds) might seem too high today.
Today, users are likely to move on in about half that time – unless they are persuaded to stick around. So, how can you make busy, distracted visitors to stay just a bit longer? The secret lies with your web designer.
Before we uncover that big secret, here are few facts for you to consider:
- According to statistical data producing firm Statista, the percent of website traffic coming from mobile devices has increased from 31% back in 2015 to over 52% in 2018 – that’s a nearly 68% spike in just 3 years.
- If you speak with your web designing agency, they’ll tell you that most of their clients – and many of your competitors - are looking to monetise social media. With 2.77 billion users expected to be using social platforms by end of the year, you can't blame your competitors for trying to cash in.
- Your website designing agency will also tell you that mobile e-commerce is expected to grow to a $2.32 trillion-dollar pie by the end of this year, with upwards of 63% of all mobile websites grabbing a slice for themselves.
These facts serve to illustrate that web site design is moving at a breakneck speed to try and catch up with consumer demand. And if your website isn’t equipped to capitalise on these trends, then your competitors’ sites will most certainly reap the benefit.
It’s time for fresh thinking
With the new year entering its first month, now’s the time for fresh new thinking. Any savvy web design services provider will tell you that website refreshes should be at least a yearly occurrence – more frequently if you run a cyclical business. Why? Because of what the Time Magazine piece suggested so many years ago – customers demand fresh thinking. And if your web design appears stale and stagnant to your visitors, they’ll never bother to come back – ever.
The only reason that you to take a stroll around your neighbourhood mall is to see “what’s new”. And if a new store has opened, you’ll likely pop in to take a quick look. Chances are that you won’t leave empty handed either It’s the same with web site design.
If casual visitors see something new and refreshing at your site, they’re more likely to click on a link to explore in detail. But if everything they see is the same as their last visit, they’ll quickly go to your competitor’s site. And if his/her web design service provider has recently refreshed the site, your client (and prospects) will buy from there.
The big reveal
So, what’s the big secret that your web designer holds? Well, it’s his/her power to make visitors stick around for longer than 15-seconds. But your web design agency can deploy tools and techniques that will also keep your visitors coming back time and again. But there’s more.
Older websites aren’t flexible enough to capitalise on newer technological phenomenon – like “Social proofing”. What’s that, I hear you ask? It’s about strategically using influencers to promote your website, your brand or your marketing ideas.
Experienced web designing services can create web sites that are so compelling, that even first-time visitors are enamoured by them. The result – they’ll share your site within their social network. And this leads to a domino effect where other visitors then tend to do the same.
If your website designer is experienced enough, he/she can use this digital social movement as part of a website refresh to draw even more traffic to your site. And the great news is that website refreshes do not need to be extensive or radical. A significantly updated site might overwhelm some visitors. That’s why planning a gradual refresh with your website designer is important.
If you work with a professional web design agency, they can help phase in refreshes so your visitors will still “feel the love” from your old site, but will benefit from fresh content, vibrant themes and newer shopping experiences.
Additionally, if you haven’t done a web design refresh in a while, a refresh now could even dramatically improve your rankings on search engines. That’s because Google and other browsers are constantly searching for newer-looking sites to serve to their audience. Your web designer has the ability to give them just what they are looking for
