Knowing which website stats you need to consider is like finding a needle in a haystack. Not all of them apply to you, and oftentimes you have no guidance.
To save you from having to search the web for all of these stats, I’ve rounded up 50 absolutely essential website statistics that will actually help you move the money needle for your business.
Get ready to fuel your website strategy with REAL data.
Latest website statistics 2024
1. 57% of people won’t recommend a business if it has a poorly designed website on mobile. (source)
Poorly designed websites can be embarrassing to recommend, and they’re difficult to navigate. That’s why they don’t make very good word-of-mouth material — let’s face it, there’s nothing sexy about websites that look like they’ve been designed in Microsoft Paint.
2. Studies reveal that almost 40% of people are captivated by the colour scheme more than any other visual element. (source)
There’s a lot of power in the psychology of colour usage. When you’re thinking about how to display your website, try to be open with your colour palette.
For example, law firms should opt for more dark hues and blues that evoke trustworthiness, while fast food joints can use reds and yellows that stir up excitement.
3. Adding a red buy button to your eCommerce website can improve sales by up to 34. (source)
The colour red has a lot of positive connotations, from passion and energy to action and danger — all of which can influence people in making purchasing decisions.
So, if you want to increase sales on your eCommerce website, try adding a vibrant red buy button. There’s no guarantee that it will work for everyone, but it’s definitely worth experimenting with.
4. Every year, a staggering $2.6 billion in potential revenue is lost due to slow websites. (source)
In today’s rapidly-paced society, speedy results are expected everywhere—from fast food restaurants to streaming services and even customer service. Why should loading times on a website be any different?
If your website takes more than three seconds to load, you can almost certainly count on losing the sale to one of your competitors. Speed is paramount — keep up with it.
5. It only takes people a mere 0.05 seconds to form an opinion about a website. (source)
First impressions matter. Despite the world advocating for inclusivity, people are still inherently quick to judge a book by its cover. This is especially true of websites.
6. Brands that regularly publish blog posts get 55% more traffic and have 434% more pages indexed by search engines. (source)
Regularly posting content can do wonders for your website’s visibility and traffic. Not only will it drive organic search engine traffic, but it’ll also give you more opportunities to be shared on social media platforms as well (given the right content).
7. Nearly 40% of people will leave a website if its layout or content is unappealing. (source)
If you try to cram too much into the page or the design is hard on the eyes, people will leave. This is often the case with small business owners who are intimidated by modern web design.
They try to jam every bit of content they can onto their pages. But it’s more important that you provide concise copy, easy-to-understand visuals, and attractive designs so visitors remain engaged with your site.
8. 90% of all website pages have zero organic traffic; 66% of them do not have any backlinks. (source)
Many businesses, even 9-figure ones, come to me with poorly optimised websites. SEO is such an important part of building a website — you can have the best product or service in the world, but if nobody can find you, then none of that matters.
Take the time to optimise If you don’t want your time to go down the drain. Make sure to research and implement the best SEO practices, such as keyword research, content optimisation, and link building.
9. Adding reviews or testimonials to your website could lead to 58% more purchases. (source)
Social proof is a powerful motivator for people. In fact, this heavily plays into the psychological bias called The Bandwagon Effect. When you share the positive experiences of other customers, you’re providing potential buyers with evidence that it’s worth investing in.
10. The majority of people (80%) spend most of their time looking at the left side of a page. (source)
In western culture, we’re all conditioned to read from left to right instinctively. Thus, when people scan content on websites, it’s no surprise that their eyes are naturally drawn to the left side of your web page.
11. An overwhelming majority of people (70%) say that page speed affects their willingness to buy from an online retailer. (source)
Can you recall the last time you were shopping online, and the website was unbearably slow? I know I can — after waiting over 10 seconds for my cart to load, I abandoned that site. Many other people do the same and aren’t as forgiving.
12. Visually appealing photos and images are the most preferred elements of a website (40%), followed by colour usage (39%) and videos (21%). (source)
People are naturally drawn to visuals. Adding well-shot photographs, sleek illustrations and captivating videos on your website will help people understand what you’re saying easier.
Be sure to keep in mind the psychological effects of colour usage when creating graphics and images for your site. Try to tell a story with the visuals you use to engage your visitors further and increase conversions.
13. Pages in the top 10 Google search results had an average word count of 1,447 words. (source)
Content length affects how search engines rank your pages. If you want to rank for certain keywords, you need to compare the word counts of the top 10 results for them. That said, don’t write for the search engines; instead, focus on writing for your visitors.
14. Business websites have found that people prefer blues and greens the most, blue being the number one choice at 46%, followed by green at 30%. (source)
It’s no surprise that blue is the go-to hue for websites. After all, it’s often associated with trust and loyalty — two things you want potential buyers to feel when they visit your page.
Green adds a little bit of warmth and energy to any site. It’s a great choice if you’re looking to boost sales, as it’s often linked to money and wealth.
15. 34% of shoppers are more likely to make an impulse buy when presented with personalised content. (source)
There’s a common misconception that personalisation is merely adding a person’s name to an email. But there’s a lot more to it than that.
Personalisation involves understanding customers’ unique needs and providing them with content that speaks to their interests.
This could be in the form of product recommendations based on website behaviour, customised landing pages that address their specific pain points, or tailored email messages that feel 1-to-1 — anything to make shoppers feel heard.
16. 70% of small business websites do not have a Call-to-Action (CTA) on their home pages. (source)
Your website needs to lead people on a journey. Without direction, you leave them to go down their own rabbit holes, often resulting in them leaving the website. Adding a CTA (Call-to-Action) to your homepage will help guide people down the sales funnel.
17. Slow loading speeds are the #1 reason why people abandon mobile websites. (source)
It should come as no surprise that slow mobile websites can have a damaging effect on people, especially when they’re in a hurry.
The longer it takes for a page or product to load, the more frustrated people become. You want your website to be as fast and responsive as possible so people don’t abandon your site in search of faster loading times elsewhere.
18. Mobile sites that load in less than two seconds have a 15% higher conversion rate. (source)
For some industries, incredibly fast loading speeds are mandatory on mobile devices. Most of your competitors likely have slow load times, making this something worth investing in to give you a competitive edge.
19. Websites with a remarkable user experience can drive up to 400% more conversions. (source)
This just means thinking of new ways to make your users’ journey simpler. Pay attention to the small details — from adding helpful tooltips to a simple checkout process; it’s the little things that can take something from great to remarkable.
20. Pages with original photos witness a whopping 35% higher conversion rate than those that use stock images. (source)
People can generally tell whether an image looks authentic or flawed vs high-production and fake. Investing in your own photography or hiring a professional photographer to take photos for your website can help give you a dramatic edge.
21. By delaying load time by only a few seconds, shoppers are nearly 30% more likely to abandon their shopping carts. (source: Backlinko)
It seems to be a recurring theme here. No matter how great the design is or how helpful the content is, if your website takes too long to load, people are going to bail.
22. Over 60% of website traffic comes from people using mobile phones. (source)
It’s no surprise that mobile usage is on the rise, and with it, the expectations for websites. People want to be able to browse your website quickly, easily and on any device — desktop or mobile.
For this reason, it’s important to ensure your website is optimised for both devices. This means making sure pages load quickly, content is easy to read, and buttons are large enough for people to click on.
These are just a few statistics that show the importance of creating an optimised website for your business. Take the time to make sure your site meets all the criteria necessary for success, and you’ll be well on your way to having a well-oiled sales machine.
How to check your own website statistics
There are a bunch of free tools out there that can help you make informed decisions for your website. The main ones I use for my clients are Ahrefs, Google Analytics 4, Semrush, and WhatConverts.
These tools can help you find out how many visitors your website receives, where they’re coming from, what pages are performing well and not so well, and more.
You can also use these tools to compare your website’s performance against competitor sites. That way, you’ll be able to see if there’s anything that separates you from the rest.
Why website statistics keep you ahead of the curve
By regularly checking your website’s statistics, you’ll be able to make informed decisions to improve user experience and increase conversions over time. It’s a critical aspect of website design that should not be overlooked.
My advice, if you aren’t currently tracking your website stats, you should sign up for Google Analytics. It’s free, easy to install, and can be the foundational piece in tracking your website visitors.