Make sure your sites are "pretty"!

[Shane]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/tec...-the-prettiest-always-win-20110712-1hc7v.html

 

[djuqa]

Been saying that for years.
All the supposed SEO experts say looks don't matter, but users say otherwise.

 

[paz]

Been saying that for years.
All the supposed SEO experts say looks don't matter, but users say otherwise.

lol.

 

[sp@rky13]

Why lol Paz? Google doesn't care about looks but the truth is the end user does. If I go to a website that's number 1 on google but has a shocking design I'll click the back button very quickly.

 

[Snooks]

If I go to a website that's number 1 on google but has a shocking design I'll click the back button very quickly.

And thats what i believe is one of the major features in the new Google Algo, "Framers Update" or "Panda". I believe bounce rate and time spent on the page are a huge part of this.

Hence, if ugly and people bounce, it will weaken serps. If a page of garbage, but looks pretty and delays the bounce, then it strenthens serps.

Only my opinion and looking at lots of the garbage ranking hish in the serps for certain phrases, seems to support my thoughts.

Perhaps some of the real SEO Boys can enlighten us with their thoughts?

 

[djuqa]

Why lol Paz? Google doesn't care about looks but the truth is the end user does. If I go to a website that's number 1 on google but has a shocking design I'll click the back button very quickly.

Exactly correct.
What a lot of SEO experts forget is the whole and sole reason you use SEO techniques is to increase the number of users visiting and USING your website.
If the user does not stay to use the site (i.e. Click ads, Buy product, read content, find information, leave their details) it is of NO benefit regardless of any impressive Page RANK, SERP or Traffic Numbers.

 

[joe]

So what happened to "ugly sells"?

The internet has [become] 20 per cent prettier in the last five years,

But the increase in website appeal had led to a 30 per cent drop in site loyalty over the last five years.

I'm not suggesting there's no merit to the research but those statistics sound about 73.8% bollocks to me.

 

[paz]

Why lol Paz? Google doesn't care about looks but the truth is the end user does. If I go to a website that's number 1 on google but has a shocking design I'll click the back button very quickly.

I agree.

 

[James]

Doesn't matter if you have a pretty design because you may never be found.

I agree you need a clean design, I need to invest more time into cleaning up my designs, but she is talking more ecommerce sites.

If you run sites that target CPA and CPC you dont need to worry too much.

 

[sp@rky13]

But at the same time James if it looks and is unusable because of the design, you will earn nothing but still have a high SE ranking.

 

[zhenjie]

An old theory back in the day was bad designs = more people willing to click on Adverts to get out of the site. So bad designs not always bad

 

[sp@rky13]

An old theory back in the day was bad designs = more people willing to click on Adverts to get out of the site. So bad designs not always bad

Haha good point

 

[prawn]

I can speak from direct experience about that zhenjie. Had a site (that I won't disclose here) making money from AdSense. Very plain. Redesigned it to be far more attractive, keeping ads in similar positions. Click through and revenue halved. Sat it out for a week in case it was just a coincidence of timing but the income stayed low.

So, I reverted to the 'ugly' design and the revenue doubled to its original position.