Prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s true that our society spent plenty of time online—in both our personal and professional lives. However, as the pandemic began, people were forced into their homes—and asked to lockdown. Therefore, for the majority of us, our lifeline to the outside world, to our family, friends, work, school, everything, was dependent on our Internet connection. And it is because of this that the intensity of online traffic soared. If our time spent online, on a scale of 1 to 10, prior to COVID was already at a 10, then consider our time spent on the Internet during COVID a solid 20.
However, there is a different reality present now that more people have received their vaccination, that we are returning to the office and to in-person learning, that society is opening up, and that our collective lives are returning to some state of normal. Namely, people are tired of interacting virtually, they want a more genuine, human experience.
With that in mind, your company’s website must be prepared to adjust to post-pandemic life, and you need to be able to stand out more than ever before in order to remain competitive. As such, in this blog post, the website experts at Woland Web will discuss what your website must be able to accomplish now that people are returning to living their lives beyond a computer screen.
A Huge Decrease in Worldwide Online Traffic
According to Statista, “In May 2021, online traffic worldwide decreased by 24 percent compared to the index period in May 2020, and the global conversion rate also decreased by 8.1 percent.”
This is a really significant number, and what it tells us is that yes, while people are still online, they are spending less time online now that they have left their homes and re-entered their non-virtual lives. They are going back to stores, visiting businesses in-person, and once again interacting as humans.
Yes, people will still be shopping and making buying decisions online, but the fact remains is they have more options now—and aren’t limited to surfing the Web now that pandemic restrictions have lifted.
So, in order to compete online, your website must have these essentials to stand out:
- Mobile Friendliness: Is your website friendly to a mobile user who is once again out and about? Your website must be easy to navigate, scroll, and shop when a user is accessing information from a mobile device.
- Modern Design: An Internet surfer is savvy, and they know what a good website looks like. If your website doesn’t make a good first impression and looks as if it hasn’t been updated since the dial-up days, expect a visitor to bounce. Updating your website design is just like ensuring your office is refreshed, inviting, and ready to welcome back your employees after over a year of remote work.
- Speed Matters: If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that people’s attention spans have become even shorter—due to information overload, stress, and uncertainty. So, if your website is slow or clunky when loading, expect a visitor to look elsewhere. Additionally, load times impact your website’s ability to be indexed correctly and shown in Google search returns. Make sure your site loads in 2.5 seconds or less.
- Security: Since the pandemic began, website security has become even more important, especially since many hackers have cashed in on an increase in consumer shopping habits and sharing personal information when making purchases online. Therefore, a visitor has to feel safe when they visit your site, and you need to make sure your website goes through regular security updates. If a consumer feels like they can’t trust you to protect their sensitive and confidential data, they will go to a competitor who can fulfill this promise.
Time to Make Your Website Shine in a Post-Pandemic World
If you are ready to welcome post-pandemic life at your company, then make sure your website is ready to rise to the challenge and stand out as online competition becomes fiercer. The team at Woland Web is consulting with myriad companies every day on how to ensure their website can guarantee their success in a post-COVID world. And we welcome the opportunity to speak with you! Reach out to our team today and let’s talk about your company’s website goals in this brand-new world.
