According to a recent poll done by Webcopyplus, the aethetics of a website design has a significant effect on how long users stay on your website. Almost 25% of web users indicated “poor visual presentation” as the number one element that drives them away from websites, up from 6.6% in 2007.
When users were asked what’s most likely to drive them away from a website they said:
- 50.9% indicated “slow load times”
- 24.8% noted “weak web copy”
- 24.2% specified “poor visual presentation”
This trend seems to indicate that as the web continues to mature, simply having a web site is not enough. To compete you must have a website that stands out from the rest and focuses on what you need your visitors to do, IE: sign up for your newsletter, buy a product, fill out a contact form, etc.