Website Performance Trends from 2024 That Your Business Should Know [Traffic & Conversion Data from 150K+ Companies]

We saw a lot of the economy reopen as businesses pushed toward the tail-end of the global pandemic.

Unfortunately, rising costs of inflation and continued economic uncertainty made it difficult for companies across various industries to determine what’s best for their business and what they should do next to navigate current and future roadblocks.

At this point, many business owners are wondering, “How does my business stack up against others in my industry?”

To help, we’ve collected data from more than 150,000 businesses to see how web traffic, conversions, and inbound leads were trending throughout 2022. We’ve now compiled those findings into the following report, which breaks down website performance data and compares it to the previous year.

This report will provide you with more detailed insight into how websites performed in 2022 and lay out what the future of web content looks like in the coming year.

Website Performance Data

In 2022, websites continued to be a key tool for marketers despite seeing declines in overall web traffic when compared to the previous year. While traffic was down 6%, web conversions increased by 11%, demonstrating the importance of having web-based conversion paths for your online audience.

Additionally, the total number of Inbound leads increased in 2022 by 7%. While not every lead is attributed to a web-based conversion, websites with conversion elements like forms, CTA’s, and lead flows make it much easier to gather user information and turn visitors into qualified leads. In fact, websites are still the second-most-used marketing channel with social media remaining marketers’ top choice.  

Read on for more website trends that are specific to various industries. If you’re looking for more 2022 business data, check out our ultimate guide here.

Website Trends for Industries

The insights below summarize the performance of the following industries in 2022: Construction, Education & Health Services, Financial Activities, Leisure & Hospitality, Manufacturing, Professional & Business Services, Technology Information & Media, Trade Transportation & Utilities.

Web Traffic

While web traffic was down across the board for nearly every industry observed, Leisure and Hospitality did see an increase in traffic by just over 6%. Construction, Professional & Business Services, and Trade, Transportation & Utilities experienced the largest dips in traffic, each falling about 7-8%.

Website Conversion Rates

Website conversion rates increased last year as most industries saw at least a small bump in conversions on their websites. Industries like Education & Health Services, Professional & Business Services, and Leisure & Hospitality had the largest gains in 2022, each seeing increases of over 11%.

Two industries that did not increase website conversion rates were Construction and Financial Activities. Each industry decreased about 1% last year after experiencing increases in 2021.

Inbound Leads

Total Inbound leads increased last year, but the industry that saw the largest increase in leads was Leisure & Hospitality. When compared to the other industries, this one saw tremendous year-over-year growth at over 18%. The next strongest performance was Education & Health Services which increased by about 11% this year.

While results across industries varied more for Inbound leads, two industries that saw the largest dip in Inbound lead generation were Construction and Trade, Transportation & Utilities. Construction experienced the largest drop at just under 4% and Trade decreased by about 2%.

Key Takeaways for Website Performance in 2022

1. Web traffic is down, but that doesn’t mean your website isn’t important.

Sure, folks may not be surfing the web like they did in 2021, but that doesn’t mean your customers aren’t online. Web traffic is down because we experienced massive growth last year, but now brick-and-mortar locations are re-opened at nearly full capacity.

That doesn’t mean your website is useless. It just means people have less time to browse online, but they do have a better idea of what they’re searching for when they’re on your website.

With conversion rates and Inbound leads on the rise, it’s clear customers are still using websites to engage with businesses. This makes your site a key conversion point for people who are considering buying from or working with your company.

So, just because your website didn’t generate record-breaking traffic last year doesn’t mean it’s not a valuable tool for your business. Invest in your website’s design, optimize your content for SEO, and keep your pages stacked with the most engaging text, media, and videos that your team can offer.

2. Websites are effective tools for generating Inbound leads.

Websites generate Inbound leads because they make it easy for visitors to engage with your business online. Forms and lead flows create natural conversion paths for web visitors who are looking for specific information, products, and services on your website. The more you engage with these users, the more conversions and leads you’ll generate for your business.

For example, if we look at 2022 data, the industries that decreased year-over-year in conversion rates also decreased in total Inbound leads as well. This presents a real opportunity for businesses that are looking to generate more leads online and demonstrates the importance of having an engaging, user-friendly website.

3. Websites keep your customers happy.

Even if your website isn’t the focal point of your marketing and sales operations, it’s still a valuable tool that you should be leveraging for your customer service strategy. In 2022, the total number of service tickets created increased by a whopping 62% while the overall ticket close rate increased by only 2%. This suggests that the demand for customer service is on the rise, and businesses are feeling more pressure to meet their customers’ needs.

With resources like live chat, chatbots, service workflows, and more at your disposal, your website can quickly become an asset for your company’s customer service strategy. These features reduce the total number of tickets your service team has to field and they create a better user experience on your website. For instance, simple inquiries are quickly resolved with the help of a chatbot rather than visitors turning to the phone or email, creating longer wait times.

What’s next for websites in 2023?

Websites will continue to be important conversion tools for businesses in the coming year. Although traffic numbers may not exceed the heights we experienced in 2020 and 2021, marketers still need to leverage web content to convert more Inbound leads for their sales teams in 2023.

To accomplish this, businesses should enhance their website’s look, feel, and usability, optimize web pages for SEO, and create engaging online content that compels visitors to convert on forms and lead flows.

You also have to give back to your audience as well. Invest in online customer service tools. Install a chatbot on your website. Create an intuitive service offer that seamlessly completes the customer experience for your visitors.

All of these web elements will put your website and business in a better position to succeed in 2023.