The amount of time adults spend online, whether they are casually browsing, working, or engaging in specific activities is growing each year. In fact, in 2022 it was found that, on average, we log 6+ hours of online time each day.
While there are certainly a lot of implications we could discuss around this much daily screen time, chances are as a small business owner, service provider, church, or nonprofit who is striving to make an online presence, you will take all the online engagement you can get!
The internet is so helpful for countless reasons. How often do you find yourself engaged in a quick Google search that would have otherwise taken you hours to find the information or complete the task you were looking for?
With that said, this much screen has had negative implications for many, which is why we have seen the rise in digital detox apps, more screen time restrictions apps, and distraction blockers.
With awareness growing around the importance of restricting our time online and digital wellness, you may be wondering, what does this mean for my business’s online presence and website?
What it means is that you need to be very intentional with the design and execution of your website so it serves your audience and customer in an efficient and effective manner. The last thing you want is for your website to be blocked by a distraction blocker for being addictive, harmful, or distracting in any way.
There are many ways to build a website that can be beneficial to both you and the audience you are trying to reach and Torrch can help you do just that by keeping these tips in mind.
How to Build an Effective Website With Fewer Distractions
Whether you are worried about the amount of time your customer is spending online or not, it is best practice to make your website as user-friendly as possible. Following these tips for “healthier” websites will not only be good for your audience but will help your website function in a more effective manner, ultimately helping you reach your individual website’s goals around engagement and sales!
Design For Mobile
It’s no secret that today there are more mobile internet users than there are desktop internet users. This trend is continuing to increase year after year. Yet, many websites are built for desktop and then simply adapted for mobile. Maybe it’s time we flip the script. One of our greatest reasons for saying this revolves around content.
Too much content is one of the reasons people may have to spend longer than they wish on your website or could be blocked from completing whatever goal or objective you have in place.
It is important to remove the fat or fluff from your website content and focus on what is necessary. The mobile design leaves much less real estate for content and can help you trim the excess. Mobile design almost always leads to a more efficient approach to your website content.
Caution on Alerts or Notification
Just like you, your customer is receiving constant alerts on their phone. New emails, news notifications, direct messages, package delivery, it’s constant.
Unfortunately, with the growing amount of negative and stressful events happening around the world, every new message has the ability to trigger an instantaneous and panicked reaction.
Psychologists have done enough research on this topic now to know that the constant barrage of notifications has our stress systems activated at all times throughout the day.
What does this mean for your website? Well, designers have used a number of tactics in web design to catch the attention of the website visitor from pop-ups, chat widgets, automatic playing videos, timers, blinking elements, you name it.
Now that we have more insight on the immediate stress reaction this can cause in website browsers, it’s time to stop using these tactics. Not only can it trigger a negative response in your viewer but it could be a flag for destruction blockers. Ultimately they just distract from why the customer has visited your website in the first place.
Minimize Clicks
If you own a website, whether you’re a business owner, church, or nonprofit, you have a goal for that website. The goal will vary based on the industry you work for, but ultimately it is an action you want your website visitor to complete before leaving your sight. Every element of your site should be designed with your website goals in mind.
The best practice will be to make this goal achievable within 3 clicks on your website. A user-friendly website will include the following to make this achievable:
- A well-organized and concise navigation
- A search bar to cut the line and go straight to what they want
- Customer service options if they need personalized help
Website Design With Torrch
At Torrch we know the increasing amount of time people are spending online could be contributing to negative consequences such as depression, decreased productivity, and increased fatigue. As a web design company, we are passionate about helping you build a website that is effective for you and healthy for your audience. We want to continue to make the digital world a better place with you!