Here are several ways that you can update your website design to appeal to Millennials:
1. Make your website mobile-friendly.
Millennials are notorious for being glued to their phones, so it only makes sense that your website needs to be mobile-friendly.
If you need additional incentive to make your website mobile-friendly, Google now gives preference in search rankings to websites that have been optimized for mobile viewing. In fact, Google is testing the idea of moving to mobile-first indexing, which will look at the mobile version of your website first when ranking content. Responsive website design offers the optimal user experience regardless if the website is accessed using a mobile device or desktop computer.
2. Use your website to show that your business stands for a cause.
Millennials want to make a difference in the world, and using your website to showcase a philanthropy that your business is passionate about will resonate with this demographic.
TOMS shoes is a great example of a brand that uses philanthropy well to connect with Millennials. As soon as visitors arrive to the TOMS website, they are told how each purchase made will help a person in need. For Millennials, social impact has come to be associated with cool.
3. Don’t feel the need to be so formal with your content.
If you want to use your website to connect with a Millennial audience, don’t be overly rigid and formal with your content. Find ways to communicate your message in a way that displays your brand’s unique personality.
The airline industry as a whole is a great example of how website design has evolved from formal and stuffy to casual and fun. JetBlue has a page on its website called SoFly where travelers can share images of their own experiences with the airline. This user-generated content includes images of anything from in-flight cocktails to bucket list destinations.
4. Keep it simple.
Millennials live an on-the-go lifestyle and don’t have time to jump through a lot of hoops to find what they’re looking for on your website. For this reason, the more simple your website design is, the better. Make use of whitespace to make your website easier for users to navigate.
In summary, while Millennials are often given the stereotypes of being selfish and lazy, businesses can’t ignore their growing buying power. Use these four tactics to update your website design to better appeal to the Millennial generation.