Why you need to put the WOW in your website
The old saying “ Never judge a book by its cover…” does not apply to the technoverse!
The well-known adage “never judge a book by its cover” counsels against forming opinions based on superficial appearances. It advises patience, understanding, and a willingness to delve deeper before making a judgment. While this is commendable advice in many life scenarios, when it comes to websites, the opposite tends to be true. We live in a world where people expect instant response to any question or desire they have. According to a pew research poll, more than 80% of Americans conduct their own research when deciding to where to place their trust. This includes leaning in to opinions shared by friends, family, and “social influencers” within the market space.
Why is this important?
According to † recent research, you have 50 milliseconds (0.05), before a user has decided if whether or not they like what they see. That is even more shocking when you think that the average load time for a website is 2.5 seconds for desktop and 8 seconds for mobile.
HOLY COW!
How are you supposed to capture people’s attention in the marketplace when the consumer is making decisions in a fraction of the time that it takes your page to load?
† Gitte Lindgaard, Gary Fernandes, Cathy Dudek & J. Brown (2006) Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!, Behaviour & Information Technology, 25:2, 115-126, DOI: 10.1080/01449290500330448
Design Reflects Professionalism and Credibility
A sleek, user-friendly website design not only appeals aesthetically but also engenders trust. In contrast, a cluttered, outdated, or hard-to-navigate website can make a business appear untrustworthy or out of touch. Unlike a book cover, which might not reflect the quality of its content, a website's design is often directly correlated with the quality of service or product it offers. When a potential customer lands on your website they aren’t going to wait for you to make a case as to why you are awesome. You need to impress them out of the gate!
First impressions are 94% Design related…
Quality content is definitely paramount to SEO and establishing yourself as a subject matter authority. However, even the best content can go unnoticed without an element of excitement to bring your audience to the door in the first place. Studies show that visual appeal and ease of navigation are 2 of the top drivers currently influencing positive brand impression.
If you think about it - this makes sense…
As a business owner, we aren’t just competing for web traction with other people in our neighborhoods. I will demonstrate this with a simple search for a basic keyword that relates to my business and within a proximity of my current location.
WOW! Google found over 240M possible results. Obviously, not all of these are going to be strongly related to my search - however - ENOUGH of them are going to be related that I have to be serious about creating options that stand out in the crowd. If I am competing with even a fraction of these competitors, I need to bring my A game.
So what did we learn?
It is important to invest in your website.
Today’s Internet user has infinite options about where to commit their attention. And, as the research shows, they form their opinion about your website in milliseconds. If you want to stand out and be competitive in the online market, you not only have to have quality content, you have to bring the WOW factor. This means creating a website that is both visually stimulating, and easy to navigate. By doing this you not only stand out from your competitors, you also can create positive brand perceptions that can last for years to come.
20 years ago - a website was a cool business card. Today - Your website may be the first (and possibly only) interaction someone will have with your business. If you want to stand a part from the rest of the noise in your industry, you need to think about your website with the same energy that you would think about building a physical location. Look at your website and be honest with yourself - Does it stand out from your competitors? or is it just another template in a sea of sameness?
We’re here to help if you’re considering a website upgrade/refresh.
