23+ Inspiring Web Design Statistics

A website is the beating heart of your digital presence, and if you want to make it big on the internet, that’s the first thing you need. But just any website won’t do. If website traffic is your bloodstream, web design and user experience are the veins and arteries keeping your website fresh. Think of it as a make-it-or-break-it factor for the success of your online business. That’s why we came up with a list of web design statistics to help you stay in perfect digital shape.

Web Design Statistics (Editor’s Pick)

• 75% of website credibility comes from design.
• 95% of website visitors say good user experience is all that matters.
• 84% of users believe design-driven businesses outperform their competition.
• The US web design market is currently worth $40.8 billion.
• On average, professional web design can cost up to $4,000.
• Businesses are cumulatively losing over $500 billion in revenue each year because of slow-loading websites. 
• Just 22% of marketers provide a stellar-level user experience in terms of responsive design.
• 36% of small businesses don’t have professional-looking websites.

Web Design Stats Rundown

1. There are nearly 200 million active websites in the world today.

As of 2020, the WWW contains a total of 6 billion indexed websites, active and inactive. Data shows that fewer than 200 million are actually active accounting for less than 15%. The 1-billion milestone was passed in September 2014, with the number growing significantly in 2016 when it hit 1.7 billion.

(Internet Live Stats, WebsiteSetup)

2. Website design stats disclose a whopping 75% of website credibility comes from design.

Beautifully designed websites resonate with trustworthiness among potential clients. It’s no wonder then that three-quarters of visitors decide on the legitimacy of a website based on its design. And with so many poorly designed websites and scams around the web, who can blame them? So, to avoid losing your target audience’s trust, it’s a good idea to hire one of the top web design companies out there to capture your brand’s vision and personality. 

(WebFX)

3. 44% of website visitors will leave your website if they cannot find contact information.

Website first impression statistics point to the importance of easy access to contact information.  A recent study by Blue Corona found that a basic requirement for 64% of website visitors is to be able to see contact details. Then, most businesses will likely lose 44% of their visitors if there is no contact information or phone number available on their website.

(Blue Corona)

4. 95% of website visitors say good user experience is all that matters.

What makes a good website design? That would be a stellar user experience, among other things. UX statistics reveal that online consumers are not very forgiving when they are met with poor user experience—especially in the world of digital shopping—with 89% likely to betray you for your competitor and 88% never to return to your website. The good news? UX design firms have the knowledge and skills to prevent that from happening.

(ColorWhistle)

5. 47% of customers visit the products/services page before looking at any other area of a website.

Web design facts conclusively show that if you sell products or services online, you want your visitors to land on these pages first. Customers will most likely be looking for pricing information, sizes for clothing items, payment options, availability, delivery, and so on. Ensuring your products and services page is informative, concise, and easy to navigate will help increase customer retention and minimize bounce rates. 

(John Kramer Marketing)

6. Stats on web design reveal 84% of users believe design-driven businesses outperform their competition.

Users believe that there is a huge difference between businesses that don’t consider their website design to be a priority and those that do. Obviously, people prefer to browse beautiful and functional websites, and this impacts their purchasing decisions. A beautiful and fast website demonstrates a business cares about its clients’ experience. 73% of businesses are therefore already investing in design that will make their brand stand out from the crowd.

(Web Alive)

7. Users form their opinions about your website within 0.05 seconds after landing on it.

Unless they see a phone number or contact information, 44% of visitors will leave the site immediately. Then, 47% of visitors would wait a maximum of 2 seconds for your website to load. Website design data from a recent report by John Kramer Marketing further shows that design is the reason behind almost all (94%) negative feedback from website visitors. 

(John Kramer Marketing)

8. 88.5% of web designers say flat design is the latest craze. 

Stats on web design show flat design is more than just a trend but a revolution. Many web designers prefer the flat and simple patterns of minimalist designs because of the clean and fresh look they offer, and because they can be easily adapted to mobile. Web design trends also favor expressive typography (61.5%), broken grid layouts (38.5%), virtual reality video (26.9%), and of course voice user interface and search (23.1%). 

(Goodfirms)

Web Design Industry Statistics

9. Web development DIY platforms are expected to grow by 3.6% annually by the end of 2021.

Web design data indicate most businesses opt for educated and experienced professionals for their site design needs. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with going pro, not everyone can afford it. A lot of times, you need a great website on a budget. This is website builders come in. Not only do they save you some money, but they also give you the option to choose all the small visual and functional details. 

(Ask Wonder)

10. The US web design market is currently worth $40.8 billion.

With close to 16 million websites created every month, according to web development industry statistics, this number doesn’t even seem that large. The industry will be seeing a steady growth of 3.1% in 2021. 

(Ibis World)

11. Most professionals need up to 40 hours to design a website. 

Web design statistics indicate the majority of designers (60%) agree it would take them up to 40 hours to finish the designs, depending on the complexity of the site. The results are evenly split with 31% of designers saying the process takes between 11 to 20 hours, 29% saying it takes them between 21 and 40 hours, and a little over 20% saying it takes them between 40 and 61 hours or more. Just one in five web designers says they would be able to build a website in 10 hours or less.

(HubSpot)

12. On average, professional web design can cost up to $4,000.

Website design industry statistics show a little over one-third of websites cost between $1,000 and $1.500, while 24.3% cost from $2,000 to $2,500. Naturally, complex design and superior user experience are more expensive which is why a little over a third of web designers charge $3,000 to $4,000 for this purpose. Businesses meanwhile allocate $2,000-$2,500 on average for designers and web development companies.

(Finances Online)

13. 61.5% of the cost of web design is influenced by the features and functionalities.

The cost of web design and development, as web development statistics reveal, is directly linked to the amount of time required to build the site which is why 61.5% of the cost is contingent on its features and functionalities. User experience and user interface are also key price makers and participate with 46.1%. Usability and navigation add 34.6% to the cost.

(Goodfirms.co)

Responsive Web Design Statistics

14. Businesses are cumulatively losing more than $500 billion in revenue each year because of slow-loading websites. 

Slow-loading websites cost businesses $500 billion in retail revenue annually, according to the latest ecommerce stats. This huge figure represents how much people hate waiting, especially online. To make sure you don’t become part of that statistic, don’t make your potential customers wait. 

(BCC Interactive)

15. 39% of people will not engage with a website where images don’t load or take too long to load.

Responsive design stats clearly show that a website’s loading time is in negative correlation with visitor engagement. Images that are loading slowly or not loading at all are very likely to send nearly 40% of your potential customers directly into the hands of the competition. 

(SAG IPL)

16. The mobile version of a website should be as good (ideally better) than the desktop version, according to 85% of adults.

Responsive web design statistics show that 85% of consumers want the mobile web design to be of the same and even better quality than the desktop version. Users instantly form an opinion about your website, and if they have to pinch and zoom on their devices to view your site in detail, you can kiss those visitors goodbye. If you don’t have an app for your website or online store, the least you could do is create a functional mobile version. 

(Sweor, The Marketing People)

17. Statistics on web design and development confirm that cutting load speed from 8 to 2 seconds boosts conversion rates by 74%.

There is more than one benefit to making sure your website loads faster. By creating a more user-friendly environment for your visitors, not only will you boost your conversion rate significantly, but you are also likely to rank higher on Google. The search engine’s ranking algorithms rely on page load speed as one of the leading factors to determine where to rank it in search results. A higher ranking means more traffic, and more website traffic means more sales. 

(Standard Firms)

18. Just 22% of marketers provide a stellar-level user experience in terms of responsive design.

Responsive web design stats mention that providing a flawless online browsing experience through excellent web design is more difficult than it seems. A report from eMarketer revealed that 4% of marketers claim their online browsing experience is hopeless. As much as 23% said their sites are somewhat responsive, but far from what modern users expect. 29% feel their overall experience level is about average compared to the competition. 

(Hook Agency)

19. Nearly 70% of companies that optimized their website for mobile-first report increased sales.

Responsive design stats indicate that a total of 68% of companies that chose to first make their website mobile-responsive experienced a rise in sales. Companies that made their website mobile-friendly, right after they launched the desktop version boosted their sales by 62%, as mobile marketing stats show. And with Google evaluating your website’s responsiveness before ranking it, investing in a responsive website pays off big time. 

(SAG IPL)

Website Design Statistics for Small Businesses

20. 36% of small businesses don’t have professional-looking websites.

A 2018 Small Business Survey by Clutch found that 36% of small businesses are yet to level the playing field on the internet. In other words, they have the most to gain from having a professional-looking, eye-catching, and responsive website. If you happen to be a small business owner, better make your website and overall online presence a priority. 

(Design Doxa)

21. 70% of small business websites don’t have clear and concise call-to-action.

Facts about web design suggest a very clever hack you can use to boost conversions, especially if you’re a small business owner. You can’t expect your visitors to know what you want them to do if you don’t place a CTA on your landing pages or homepage. But the trick with the design is to make it as appealing as possible because a CTA is essential as it is the final step in the conversion process. Try crafting a few messages and CTAs, then test them out to see which ones work best with your particular visitors.

(FVM) 

22. Website design statistics indicate a massive 94% of small businesses have a mobile-friendly website. 

Considering over 50% of the global website traffic originates from handheld devices, having a website that is optimized for mobile is more than a solid investment, but a necessity. The good news is the majority (94%) of small businesses are keeping pace with the latest trends. The bad news is only 17% of these businesses plan to invest in SEO, therefore missing out on a big opportunity to up their profits.

(Finances Online)

23. Bad site navigation causes small businesses to lose 61.5% of website visitors.

Recent website design facts show that most small businesses get it wrong when it comes to designing their sites by following the old “they want it all, and they want it now” creed. Small business stats, however, paint a different picture. 84.6% of professionals think crowded web designs are one of the biggest mistakes small businesses make. And if you thought sliders (carousels) are your friend, think again: only 1% of visitors will ever click on them. 

(Goodfirms.co)

FAQs

How many websites are created every day? 

Every day a little over 547,200 new websites are created globally. And while the exact number of websites changes by the hour (if not by the second), Netcraft’s statistics on web design and development indicate that there were exactly 1,196,298,727 websites in 2020, compared to 2019 when a total of 1,518,207,412 websites were registered. 

What are the four basic principles of web design? 

Contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity—or what design experts affectionately call CRAP—are the four basic principles of web design. They are the pillars of every well-conceived and perfectly designed form of art, and even though many refer to them separately, they are interconnected in practice. 

How long does it take to build a website?

Building a website from scratch can take up to 14 weeks but of course, it all depends on the complexity of the client’s request and the skills of the designers/developers. For instance, WordPress development offers a lot of options and tools and can deliver outstanding results, but it is a more DIY platform. A typical web development company, on the other hand, would need around one month for the discovery process, three months for the designs and initial development, and less than a month to implement modifications before the final product is launched.

How long does a user stay on a website?

Users most often leave web pages in 10-20 seconds, with 15 seconds being the average time they stay on a website.

Final Remarks

While having quality content is important, web design statistics show that content alone won’t amount to much without a website that loads fast and renders images and videos flawlessly. A good desktop version is not enough either; as the number of mobile users continues to grow at amazing rates, businesses should focus on providing a second-to-none mobile experience. So, working on both fronts should help you get results (and customers) this year and beyond.

Sources: Internet Live Stats, WebsiteSetup, WebFX, Blue Corona, ColorWhistle, John Kramer Marketing, Web Alive, Goodfirms.co, Ask Wonder, Ibis World, HubSpot, Finances Online, BCC Interactive, SAG IPL, Sweor, The Marketing People, Standard Firms, Hook Agency, Learning Hub, Design Doxa, FVM