You're website is important, look after it.
I see a lot of websites and am always amazed that they become an after thought for many organisations. Marketing budgets are tight, I realise, and can’t always extend as far as marketing teams would like. I’m not talking about those websites, though I would say that a website should be front and centre in any marketing budget. I’m talking about the mentality which goes something like: “My website is fine because it’s still online”. That almost guarantees it’s not working as hard as it could. Today, a website is often the first experience of your brand or business. That's actually been true for a long time but today, it is especially the case. It is the public face of a brand or organisation and it exists in a space where users, customers, target markets have very little patience for anything which doesn't conform to their high standards.
Haha, this is starting to sound like a rant. It isn’t intended to be. At Luminous Industries, we believe that your website and frankly any other digital experience of your brand/organisation should be an experience of it. Not just an information wall with a logo at the top and some colours peppered throughout. We also believe that when something isn’t working as well as it could, you lose business. Simple as that.
First impressions count
You see your website every day, so it’s easy to forget it’s often the first glance many people get of your business. The thing is, your potential clients, partners or investors aren’t visiting your site because they already know you. They’re trying to figure out who you are, and whether they can trust you to solve their problem.
And if that impression is slow, stale, or hard to use, it can silently cost you clients and credibility. They won’t tell you. They’ll just move on. No emails. No second chances. Just gone.
In 2025, and your website should feel alive, fast, flexible, and unmistakably a representation of your brand.
Mobile and up
Mobile is no longer the future. It’s the norm. Around 60% of all global web traffic now comes from mobile devices [1], and that figure keeps climbing year-on-year. Your audience isn’t just browsing from their desks anymore, they’re comparing suppliers on the train, reviewing services from the sofa, and checking your credibility while waiting in line at Pret.
That means your mobile experience needs to work just as hard as your desktop one, if not harder. Tiny buttons, messy layouts, or copy that doesn’t scale? These aren’t minor annoyances, they’re exit points.
If your site isn’t genuinely optimised for mobile, built responsively from the ground up, not just squashed into shape, then half your audience isn’t getting the best version of your brand. You wouldn’t send a key client a wrinkled print brochure. So why serve a scrappy mobile site?
Performant websites are the expectation
We're all guilty of feeling impatient when a site takes too long to load, and we should. Our time is precious and we don't want to waste it. In 2024, studies show most users will wait no more than eight seconds for a site to load [2]. And that’s being generous. If your site is competing with others it needs to be performant, not just easy on the eye.
Speed doesn’t just keep people engaged, it improves your search rankings and conversion rates too. According to Semrush, page load time is now a confirmed ranking factor [3]. That means faster websites not only perform better with people but with algorithms too.
You don’t need to shave milliseconds off obsessively. But if your homepage is bogged down with unoptimised images, outdated scripts, or unnecessary animations, it’s not just your users who’ll notice, search engines like Google do too.
Clumsy UX puts people off quickly
Here’s something most people don’t say out loud, if your site is confusing, people assume your business is too.
A poor user experience doesn’t just frustrate, it actively undermines trust. 74% of users say they won’t return to a site if the mobile experience is bad [4], and nearly 88% will abandon a site if the overall experience is clunky [5].
What does “clunky” look like? Menus that hide when you scroll. Contact forms that don’t work on mobile. Pages that take too long to load or have no clear hierarchy. These things add up, and not in your favour.
The irony is, most of these issues are fixable. But they’re not always visible to you, because you’re used to the site. That’s why outside eyes (or a few quick user tests) can make all the difference.
Quality UX actually pays off
Here’s the good news, fixing your UX doesn’t have to be the challenge it seems. The Nielsen Norman Group found that testing with just five users is enough to uncover around 85% of usability problems [6]. You don’t need months of research or a full redesign to spot what’s going wrong. Of course, often a redesign will act in your favour from the ground up. Quickly patching holes can have short term benefits at the expense of long term efficiencies.
However, simple changes, like clearer calls to action, a better site structure, or consistent visual language, can make your website easier to use and much more effective. And users notice. A smoother experience leads to more time spent on site, more pages viewed, and a higher likelihood they’ll take the next step.
UX isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about reducing friction. Removing hesitation. Making it feel easy to say yes to working with you.
Accessibility & Inclusion
This is a no brainer. Accessibility isn't simply a nice to have, it is written into law now that organisations must do everything in their power to make their web content as accessible as possible. There are levels to this, though. A public body like the government must reach a triple 'A' standard as measured and guided by WCAG 2.2, where as other organisations and businesses are expected to achieve double 'A' standard.
This sounds like a lot but we treat these things as part of the design process from the off at Luminous Industries. We believe that creating with inclusivity and accessibility are integral to the final product, and that it's the right thing to do, so we do. Guess what, Google and other search engines agree so, win, win right?
So, why should you care?
Decision-makers don’t waste time. Before they book a call, they research. Before they recommend you, they vet you online. And your website is a key part of that process, even if you never hear about it.
If your site feels dated, slow, or confusing, it reflects poorly on your brand, and it sends a message. You are website visitors are comparing you to your competitors. Your website should show you belong among the best or better yet, that you are a leader in your sector.
Whether you’re a small, agile agency or a growing brand trying to break into a bigger market, your website is your first proof of competence and trustworthiness.
What You Can Do Straight Away
Here are four things you can check or act on this week:
- Run a mobile audit
Use tools like PageSpeed Insights or Semrush to test how your site performs on mobile. If load times are poor, it’s a red flag.
- Streamline performance
Compress images, reduce plugin bloat, and use modern file types like WebP or AVIF for images [7].
- Switch to a modern platform
Webflow, for instance, lets you launch design updates without relying on developers. No code, no waiting.
- Inject personality
Don’t just “say what you do”, show who you are. Make sure your tone, visuals and messaging reflect your brand as it is now.
- Perform Accessibility audits
Ask us to perform an accessibility audit on your website. We'll be able to provide you with simple recommendations you can implement straight away
We can help you to identify quick wins for you by reviewing your website through the lens of our UX Audit. Our UX Audit process will give you insight into what isn’t working and recommendations on how you could improve. Ultimately, if your budget is better spent on a redesign and build, you’ll have real information at hand to help you to make that decision.
Final Thought
If your website is slow, hard to update, or feels generic, you’re primary marketing tool is likely to be disuading your potential customers, even if you don’t see it. It’s not about chasing trends or gimmicks. It’s about creating a space that works for your users, for your team, and for your business goals.
A refreshed site, built with a mobile and up approach, for todays sophisticated audiences, is like adding a silent salesperson who’s always on their best form.
And right now? That’s exactly the competitive edge we can help you achieve.
References:
- Global mobile web traffic (~60%)
StatCounter Global Stats – Mobile vs Desktop & Tablet – April–May 2025
https://gs.statcounter.com/ - Average wait time (~8 seconds in 2024)
How long will people wait for websites to load in 2024? – Search Engine Land (citing Forbes Advisor)
https://searchengineland.com/people-wait-website-load-2024-stat-445223 - Page speed → rankings & conversions (Semrush Site Audit)
What Is Page Speed & How to Improve It – Semrush
https://www.semrush.com/blog/page-speed/ - 74% won’t return after poor mobile UX
50+ Powerful UX Statistics To Impress Stakeholders 2025 – UXCam
https://uxcam.com/blog/ux-statistics/ - ~88% leave after bad UX
20+ Compelling UX Statistics Everyone Must Know – UXCam/Medium
https://medium.com/uxcam/20-compelling-ux-statistics-everyone-must-know-f83a249ea976 - 5-test‑user rule finds ~85% of UX issues
Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users – Nielsen Norman Group
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/ - WebP & AVIF improve page loads by 15–21%
Web Image Formats: Assessment of Their Real-World Usage and Performance – arXiv (Oct 2023)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.00788
