The average reader has about 15 seconds of attention span. That means you have a very short amount of time to instil confidence, trust, interest, credibility, and enjoyment to the users landing on your site.
And let’s face it; all websites are not created equal. Some websites are stuck in the past with broken links, ghost-town blogs, auto-play videos, flashing banner ads, an upsetting use of clipart, and a copyright on the footer that announces the year of the snake from 2001.
Less obvious signs that your site might be in need of a re-design is if it takes a long time to load (more than 1-2 seconds), there is a wall of copy, and/or it’s not optimized for mobile. Any one of these can cause your readers to bounce out of there before the page has even finished loading.
In order to stay current and take advantage of new technology and quality SEO tactics, you should plan to do a site evaluation (and re-design if necessary) every 3-5 years.
According to a study by Engaging News Project, a more modern homepage (with a modular layout) received at least 90% more unique pageviews than traditional sites. More than the technical capabilities of your site, users are engaging your page based on its look and feel.
Keeping a modern, contemporary site layout engages readers on a primal (human behaviour) level. It’s different, it’s visual (with jaw-dropping photography) and they don’t have to move around much to understand the vibe of your business. Everything is located in modular blocks, with compelling copy (not clickbait) and the colour palette and font kits used are unobtrusive and easy to read. If this is your site, users are gong to stay longer, look around, and engage.
Back in the 1990s, Head & Shoulders shampoo commercials introduced the advertising campaign motto, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” We know you have great things to tell the world about your products and services, don’t let your website design ruin your first impressions. Contact us today for a site evaluation.
