41 Website Statistics About Traffic and User Preferences

More than one billion websites exist today. They deliver content to us across multiple devices using content management systems (CMSs). WordPress accounts for nearly half of websites, making it the most popular CMS on the market.

If you’d like to learn more about what potential visitors to your site might enjoy, keep reading. In this article, we’ll cover website design, user experience (UX), and traffic trends to help you re-assess your site according to your audience's latest expectations. 

General website statistics 

These statistics discuss the general trends in the website CMS market and how people interact with your digital front door. Go through them to quickly get an overview of website usage and performance of various website builder platforms. 

• Approximately 76% of the world’s top websites are mobile-friendly.
• WordPress powers 43.4% of all websites as of July 2023.
• Shopify, one of WordPress's main competitors, has grown its market share by 5.5% since 2014, from 0.3% to 5.8% in 2023. 
• Wix and Squarespace have also increased their market share, reaching 3.6% and 3.0%, respectively, in July 2023.

• As of May 2024, there are about 1.1 billion websites globally, although the total number fluctuates constantly. However, the one billion site milestone was first achieved in September 2014. After reaching this milestone, the number of websites dropped below 1 billion for about a year and a half.
• People form opinions about a website in just 50 milliseconds – 0.05 seconds.
• On average, websites have a bounce rate of 37% and a search engine optimization (SEO) click-through rate of 13%.
• 40% of people will leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
• The number of websites increases by approximately 252,000 every day. This growth rate translates to about 175 new websites every minute.
• Wix leads the website builder market with a 41% share, Squarespace follows with a 24% share, and GoDaddy Website Builder ranks third globally with an 11% share.
• Shopify is the leading e-commerce website builder, with a 26% market share. WooCommerce holds second place at 18%. Wix and Squarespace follow in third and fourth place at 12% and 7%, respectively.

Website traffic and visitor statistics 

Did you know users spend more than half of their time above the fold on a website? Close to two-thirds of the viewing time occurs within the first two screenfuls of content. The statistics below give more insightful facts related to website visitors and traffic.

• As of August 2024, mobile devices account for 61.95% of all website traffic. This is a significant increase from 6.1% in 2011 and 37.2% in 2015.
• Conversion rates are 1.7 times higher on desktops than on smartphones. Due to better usability, people often prefer to make purchases on desktops.
• The average conversion rate for e-commerce websites is 3.65%. This means that around 4 out of every 100 visitors do what the site’s business wants them to do, like signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
• 74% of user viewing time occurs within the first two screenfuls of content, up to 2,160 pixels down the page.
• A negative user experience, including slow loading times and difficult navigation, can deter 88% of users from returning to a website. 

Website design and user experience statistics 

First impressions matter. Your website needs to be aesthetically pleasing and intuitive right from the start. A good beginning translates into a good experience for visitors and keeps your brand on the positive side of their perspective. The statistics below tell the same story. 

• The costs of maintaining a website vary wildly, landing anywhere from $400 to $60,000 per year.
• On average, websites are redesigned every one and a half to two and a half years.
• The global web development industry was valued at $56 billion in 2021. Experts predict it will grow to $89 billion by 2027, an expected annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.03%.
• 57% of users are less likely to recommend a business with a poorly designed website.

• 27% of designers take advantage of AI for both images and copy.
• 73.1% of web designers believe that non-responsive design is a major reason visitors leave a website. With the rise of mobile-first design, it’s essential to create websites that work well on all screen sizes.
• 70% of Gen Z users expect websites to anticipate their needs intuitively.
• Testing with a single user reveals about 30% of a site’s problems, with additional users uncovering new ones. Testing it with five users can identify 85% of its issues.
• Conducting three rounds of testing with five users each is more effective than testing with 15 users at once.

Mobile website statistics 

Mobile-friendly websites are no longer “nice to have.” They have become the primary demand for many people inclined toward making purchases on their phones. These statistics narrate the full story of the increasing preference for mobile-friendly websites. 

• 30% of users choose mobile sites for first-time or one-time purchases.
• Half of smartphone users are more likely to use a brand’s mobile site when shopping because they don’t want to download an app.

• In the last quarter of 2023, mobile devices generated 58.67% of global website traffic, excluding tablets. Since 2017, mobile devices have consistently contributed close to 50% of web traffic. They surpassed that milestone in 2020..
• A good mobile experience encourages 74% of users to return to the site.
• 67% of mobile users are more likely to buy products or services from mobile-friendly sites.
• Poor mobile design hurts brand perception;36% of users feel their time is wasted on low-quality sites.
• 52% of users are less likely to engage with a company after a bad mobile experience, and 48% believe that a poorly functioning mobile site shows a lack of care from the company.
• 48% of users feel frustrated and annoyed when they visit sites that aren’t mobile-friendly.
• Faster load times increase conversion rates, with retail sites seeing an 8% growth and travel sites experiencing a 10% increase.
• Reducing mobile site load time by one-tenth of a second can improve bounce rates by 8%.

Think mobile first 

Based on people's changing preferences and the transition toward on-the-go experiences, it’s time to consider mobile-first designs. This calls for a mindset shift to see the mobile interface as the primary way to engage more prospects and customers. So, the next time you monitor website analytics, make sure to optimize for desktop and mobile. 

Learn more about how website analytics can help measure a website’s success.