Current estimates suggest there are 1.8 billion websites, although not all of them are active.

Whichever way you look at it, there are well over one billion websites, which means your site is going to face stiff competition. 

You need to ensure that you have a well-designed site, one that is easy to use, flows nicely, and one that responds quickly. 

Of course, to design the best possible website you need to understand all the latest web design industry statistics.

Fortunately, that’s what we’re here to share with you. 

You’ll be able to design a website that stands out for all the right reasons and helps your business succeed. 

You need to create a hook that captures your visitors the moment they arrive and holds them on your page.

If you don’t have that, visitors will move on within seconds.

After all, the average time on a web page is just 62 seconds.

Key Statistics

  • 43.2% of websites use WordPress 
  • 50% of consumers feel website design is an essential part of a brand
  • Visitors will decide if they like your site in just 0.05 seconds
  • 38.5% of website designers state poor design causes visitors to leave a page
  • 58.99% of internet traffic is from mobile devices
  • 32% of businesses have a mobile app
  • 46% of people favor blue on a website
  • On average, the main image will be studied for 5.94 seconds
  • 70% of small businesses don’t have a CTA on their website
  • A good user interface can increase conversion rates by 200%
  • 66% of all businesses are online
  • Slow websites result in losses of up to $2.6 billion
  • 88% of customers will not re-use a bad website
  • 54% of visitors want tailored visits
  • 88% of people will visit a page for longer if it has video
  • In 2020 there were 178,900 web designers in the US
  • 24% of businesses which don’t have a website don’t know how to create one

Top Web Design Industry Statistics & Trends in 2024

Web Design Industry Statistics

1. 43.2% Of Websites Use WordPress 

All websites need a platform.

It’s what enables you to design all the specific elements and create something that people will enjoy interacting with. 

Thankfully, you no longer need to be an expert computer programmer to create a stunning web page, you simply need the right software, a little time, and some imagination. 

That’s where WordPress steps in.

It’s incredibly easy to use, provides you with a huge array of themes and layouts, and effectively does most of the work for you. 

Best of all, WordPress is free, well-established, and has a good customer support team.

That’s why it dominates the web design industry. 

According to the latest figures 43.2% of websites are using WordPress.

That’s a good enough reason for you to try it. 

After all, if 43.2% of websites use WordPress that means there are over 750 million websites based on WordPress, even if they aren’t all active. 

(WPbeginner)

2. 50% Of Consumers feel Website Design Is An Essential Part Of A Brand

If you feel that you have a great product and are not convinced that the website design is going to make a big difference, then consider this.

50% of consumers see the website design as a crucial part of a brand. 

A professional website tells visitors that the brand takes itself seriously.

That means they are more likely to offer quality products and excellent customer service. 

Those two factors are two of the biggest reasons why people choose one brand over another.

It’s also worth noting that 61% of visitors have high opinions of companies with mobile-friendly web pages. 

It’s not just about the look of your page.

Your design should also consider load time.

Images and videos can seriously slow down your loading times. 

Research has shown that shaving just one-tenth of a second off your loading time can double your conversion rate.  

(WPbeginner)

3. Visitors Will Decide If They Like Your Site In Just 0.05 Seconds

People are generally quick to judge and first impressions often last a lifetime.

It can be extremely difficult to change someone’s opinion once they’ve decided against your site.

What may surprise you is how quickly people form opinions.

According to a recent study, visitors will, on, average, decide if they like your webpage in just 0.05 seconds.

That’s less than a tenth of a second. 

They may stay on the page for a minute, but the crucial point is that first impression. 

In most cases they won’t have time to read anything.

They will take in the color scheme and layout.

Getting that right will help to convince your visitors to stay and potentially purchase your product or service. 

(WPbeginner)

4. 38.5% Of Website Designers State Poor Design Causes Visitors To Leave A Page

Poor website design can be as simple as the page not sitting properly on the screen.

This can apply to desktop and mobile screens. 

It immediately makes the site look unprofessional, making visitors question whether the site is genuine and trustworthy. 

Poor design also covers the page not resizing for the screen, difficulty finding your way around the page, or even a lack of clear information. 

There are many things that can make a page look terrible and encourage negative reactions.

It’s important to recognize these and design your site properly. 

In a recent survey, 38.5% of web designers felt that poor site design would cause visitors to leave the page and use another site instead.

That means you’re losing the consumer to the competition. 

(WPbeginner)

5. 58.99% Of Internet Traffic Is From Mobile Devices

As mobile devices have become more powerful people have found them an easier and more convenient option when browsing the internet, looking at social media, or even creating posts. 

As of 2016 mobiles overtook desktops as the primary method of surfing the web.

Since then, there has been a steady increase in the number of people accessing the internet via mobile devices. 

While it’s unlikely that the desktop will ever be fully eliminated, current statistics show that 58.99% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices. 

In short, if you are thinking about web design it’s essential that you incorporate mobile access.

Specifically, ensuring your pages display well on mobile screens. 

(WPbeginner)

6. 32% Of Businesses Have A Mobile App

A recent survey of small businesses found that 32% of them have already invested in a mobile app.

That’s an app that can be installed on a mobile device and make accessing the site easier and faster. 

A further 42% of small businesses have plans to create a mobile app in the near future.

However, 26% of small businesses don’t intend to create a mobile app.

In general, these businesses feel that the app isn’t beneficial for their business as they already have a mobile-friendly web page. 

Unfortunately, statistics show that companies with mobile apps tend to secure more sales than those that don’t have mobile apps. 

It’s worth noting that 57% of web users state they won’t recommend a website to friends if it doesn’t have a good-quality mobile app. 

Considering how powerful word-of-mouth advertising can be, this is something all businesses should be concerned about. 

(WPbeginner)

7. 46% Of people Favor Blue On A Website

As mentioned, visitors will very quickly formulate an opinion on your website and the colors you use can make a big difference to their first impression. 

A recent survey by WPbeginner found that the most important elements in a web page were images and colors.  

40% of visitors appreciated images first and 39% appreciated color first. 

In general, people like eye-catching colors but don’t want to see anything too outlandish.

In fact, studies show 21% of visitors will leave a page if it has outlandish colors 

46% of people want to see blue on the page, just 23% want to see yellow as the primary color. 

Interestingly, just 8% of visitors noticed any white spaces, even though every page needs them to highlight and frame relevant images and information. 

To create an eye-catching and effective design, 88% of designers state you should use just two colors. 

It’s referred to as a flat design and is exceptionally popular at the moment. 

(WPbeginner)

8. On Average, The Main Image Will be Studied For 5.94 Seconds

Once a visitor has arrived on your page and formulated a split-second first impression, they will usually look at the main image. 

On average, people will look at this image for 5.94 seconds.

Considering the brain extracts information from pictures 60,000 times faster than from text, nearly 6 seconds is enough time to get a colossal amount of information from a picture. 

Again, white spaces are important to focus attention on the image.

A page that is too crowded is going to drive customers away.

Unfortunately, 84.6% of web designers feel that many small businesses make this mistake. 

It should be noted that while your color scheme and main image matter, what’s really important to a customer is how easier it is to contact you. 

51%, that’s over half of visitors, feel that contact information is one of the most important things to see on a website.

Surprisingly, many sites forget this. 

(WPbeginner)

9. 70% Of Small Businesses Don’t Have A CTA On Their Website

A Call To Action (CTA) is an essential part of every web page and document you produce.

It’s not enough to share information and hope visitors see the value of your product. 

You need to tell them what to do and make it as simple as possible.

A CTA allows you to link them directly to a purchase or another appropriate action.

All the visitor has to do is click on the CTA and follow the defined steps. 

Having a CTA is essential if you want to convert visitors and generate customers.

Yet, the latest study shows that 70% of small businesses have no CTA on their web pages. 

The good news is that there are free tutorials on WordPress that will allow you to create CTAs and use them effectively. 

(WPbeginner)

10. A Good User Interface Can Increase Conversion Rates By 200%

A Good User Interface Can Increase Conversion Rates By 200%

A user Interface (UI) is the dashboard that your visitor arrives at.

They should be able to use this interface to easily find out information on your site, locate products, and even purchase an item. 

UIs should also offer a simple link to a customer support team.

The easier your site is to use, the more likely it is that visitors will become customers. 

In fact, recent studies suggest that a good UI can increase conversion rates by an impressive 200%.

As part of this, you will also be improving the customer experience.

Studies have shown this could see a rise in conversion rates of an impressive 400%.

Alongside this, a raised user experience should lead to a good rate of return.

Estimates suggest as much as $100 for every $1 invested. 

(WPbeginner)

11. 66% Of All Businesses Are Online

Perhaps what is most surprising about this statistic is that 34% of businesses aren’t yet online.

While there are a few which may never see the benefit of a website, the majority would.

With an increasing reliance on digital technology and over 5 billion people using the internet, the only logical approach for any business is to get online. 

Current statistics show 66% of businesses are online, it’s time the other 34% caught up.

(WPbeginner)

12. Slow Websites Result In Losses Of Up To $2.6 Billion

We’ve already mentioned how bad websites are likely to cost you visitors and may even create negative reviews.

To back this up consider the information found in the latest Forbes survey.

It confirmed that visitors generally find a slow-loading page annoying.

More concerning, if the page doesn’t load quickly enough, 53% of users will leave the page and go somewhere else.

This is a particularly important factor when looking at mobile users. 

Slow speeds can be due to the design of the page, too many images or complicated pages.

It can also be a result of your hosting service.

The report analyzed the amount of sales lost due to slow-loading sites and found that $2.6 billion was lost in sales annually. 

That’s the perfect reason to examine the loading speed of your site and, if necessary, make some changes. 

(Forbes)

13. 88% Of Customers Will Not Re-Use A Bad Website

Getting the website design right means you have an attractive site that is very easy to navigate and instantly makes people feel comfortable. 

That increases the chances of visitors becoming customers. 

In contrast, a poorly designed site will create a bad experience for any visitor.

It doesn’t matter what the reason is, statistics show that 88% of people will not revisit a website after they have had a bad experience. 

The simplest way to prevent this is to pay attention to the layout of your site, simplicity and minimal colors are a good idea. 

You should also have a first-class customer support team and make sure it’s very easy to order items from the site. 

When considering customer support options it’s worth noting that 46% of customers would use live chat as a preference to email or social media. 

(SWEOR)

14. 54% Of Visitors Want Tailored Visits

The big data industry ensures there is a virtually limitless supply of data.

It can be used to find out about target customers, individuals, or even market conditions. 

An increasing number of businesses are seeing the benefits of big data and how the information, combined with existing customer knowledge, can help websites create personal visits for all visitors. 

A recent survey confirmed that 54% of individuals would prefer to have a personalized experience.

They feel it would result in better service and increase the likelihood of them remaining loyal to one firm. 

As many as 93% of businesses that have created personalized visits have seen an increase in conversion rates.

That’s a significant boost to revenue and profits. 

Don’t forget, this creates a better customer experience and, according to statistics, 73% of customers state they are more likely to purchase something if they receive a positive customer experience. 

(Global Web Index)

15. 88% Of People Will Visit A Page For Longer If It Has Video

A video can convey almost any message faster than a block of text.

The human brain is also designed to process information in visual format much faster than with words. 

That’s not to say there isn’t a place for text, it’s still the most efficient way to share information. 

However, adding a short video to the page will allow you to show the fun side of the business and draw the customer in better.

When a customer feels connected to a business they are more likely to buy something. 

A survey by Web Fx found that 88% of visitors will stay on a page longer if there is a video to watch.

Provided it’s short people generally can help but watch it to see what it has to say.

Videos have become even more popular since the pandemic when TikTok saw a huge uptake in its viewer numbers.

It’s led to over a quarter of market professionals embracing short-form videos.  

(Web FX)

16. In 2020 There Were 178,900 Web Designers In The US

In 2020 There Were 178,900 Web Designers In The US

While it’s possible to create a free web page with WordPress, to stand out from the crowd you may need something more. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of people that can help.

As of 2020, there were 178,900 web designers available in the US.

This number is increasing and is expected to hit 205,000 by 2030.

At the same time, employment options are improving.

Between 2019 and 2029 employment opportunities for web designers are expected to multiply by 8%.

That means the majority of new web designers will be able to secure a job. 

At an average annual wage of $77,200 in 2020, and with an expected increase of 5% per annum, this is a lucrative opportunity.

(Statista)

17. 24% Of businesses Which Don’t Have A Website Don’t Know How To Create One

Although there are plenty of free tools to help anyone create a website, a staggering 24% of businesses without a website have no intention to create one.

They don’t understand how to make or maintain one. 

Fortunately, this is an issue which can be easily rectified.

Sites like WordPress can guide anyone through the creation process. 

It’s also possible to get someone to create the site for you.

With an abundance of website designers, having a site created doesn’t need to cost a fortune. 

One thing is certain, and these statistics confirm it, a good website will allow you to reach a much larger audience.

It’s likely to result in increased sales and a better view of your brand. 

A few businesses don’t have websites because they feel social media offers them everything they need to be noticed online. 

Others don’t believe their customers go online or that they have enough staff to handle creating and running a website. 

Surprisingly, in this digital age, 22% of businesses still feel a website is a waste of time.

It’s unclear how this may affect their sales potential. 

Digital.com)

Summing Up

As the above web design statistics show, the web design industry is huge, worth $40 billion in the US alone. As a business you can’t afford not to have an online presence. 

That means, you need to read the above statistics, learn what to do and what not to do, then apply it to your site and reap the rewards. 

If you use this information properly you’ll be able to increase sales and your brand reputation with minimal effort!

Don’t forget, while website design can be complicated, WordPress will allow you to get started for free, and learn as you do so.

Sources

WPBeginnerTechjuryHubspot