Capture the attention of Millennials and Gen Z on your website

Millennials and Gen Z are the DIY generations that are taking several markets by storm.

But unlike their generational predecessors, they consume information in a very different way.

What does this mean for your organisation?

If your website isn’t positioned to effectively capture the attention of these demographics or deliver a suitable experience for a Millennial and Gen Z audience, then you’re failing to market to at least 40% of the UK population.

This blog post looks to identify the principles of website design and explore features that will excite and engage your Millennial and Gen Z audience.

What makes a Millennial or Gen Z’er?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the terminology, anyone born between 1981 and 1996 is defined as a millennial.

Gen Z are categorised as anyone born between 1997 and 2012.

There are common misconceptions about both.

Supposedly, millennials are lazy, they hop from job to job and they’re bad communicators.

And Gen Z’ers are naive, care more about their phones than working hard and prefer a digital lifestyle to personal possessions.

But both statements couldn’t be more wrong!

Ultimately, both generations can be almost defined by the phrase, ‘work smarter, not harder’.

Growing up in a world where technology is always evolving to become more efficient, it’s in their nature to look for shortcuts and access information quickly.

But how can your website cater to those needs?

How to engage your Millennial and Gen Z audience with your enterprise website

Cater to short-attention spans

We’ve often spoken about the 7-Second Rule of Websites.

A website has 7 seconds to define:

• Who you are
• What you do
• Who you are targeting
• Why your product/service should be considered
• How you can be contacted

This rule was derivative from studies that showed consumers’ attention spans, or lack of, were changing.

Paired with a Millennial and Gen Z’s penchant for short-form content, such as Instagram reels or TikTok videos, comes the realisation that long laborious content pieces just won’t work for this audience.

Use video-rich content to capture attention and promote engagement.

Why?

Well, according to Hubspot Blogs research, 66% of consumers have watched video content to learn about a brand or product.

So whether that be product demos, video reviews, FAQs etc, be sure to include short, easily digestible videos on your enterprise website.

But why is video so effective?

Largely, because it gives consumers’ a window into how a product or service works in the most quick and efficient way.

For example, Smyths Toys have tonnes of video content on their Youtube channel, including SHORTS, that are generally less than 30 seconds long and include explainer videos, product showcases and awareness campaigns.

Video-rich content can also be used to give your brand a personality and promote authenticity as discussed in our next point.

Authenticity is important

These tech-savvy generations are fed content via the likes of influencers, sponsored posts and celebrity endorsements, multiple times daily through their social media platforms.

So it’s no wonder that now more than ever, they are craving authenticity from the brands that they choose to interact with.

A study by Social Media Today has surmised that 86% of people say authenticity is important (90% of the millennials surveyed), when deciding what brands they like and support.

These figures support the idea that this generation of consumers prefer real and organic, over perfect and packaged.

So how can authenticity be communicated on your enterprise website?

With 40% of millennials and 86% of Gen Z seeking out reviews before making a purchase; product reviews, testimonials and case studies can all be utilised to promote authenticity and appeal to these demographics.

And to ‘kill two birds with one stone’, harness the power of video-media to present this information.

Likewise, having short snippets of reviews or testimonials throughout the site, displayed prominently can catch-the-eye and break up heavy content pieces for a more aesthetically pleasing experience.

Invest in a high-quality, modern design

An overwhelming 73% of Millennials and 62% of your Gen Z audience will not even give your brand a chance if your website is poorly designed.

Hardly unsurprising for 2 generations raised in the pinnacle of the digital age.

These demographics will not trust a website that looks outdated, or has features that are ‘buggy’ or don’t work.

Additionally, statistics say that Gen Z users have an average attention span of just 8 seconds versus millennials’ 12 seconds.

They want content quickly, without having to scroll through droves of unnecessary information.

So a simple, intuitive design with a clear navigation structure and eye-catching CTAs are key here to satisfy their hunger for information.

Rather unsurprisingly, a mobile-optimised site is also integral to capture these audiences.

Almost all online Millennials and 98% of Gen Z own a smartphone, and they are spending almost as long online via mobile as all other devices combined.

Therefore if your website design isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re risking losing these users to your competitors.

Performance should be optimal

We keep alluding to the fact that these audience groups have short attention spans, want information quickly etc.

So it’s one thing to have a beautiful looking website, but does it perform well?

A slow website will lose you visibility, loyalty and sales!

Google’s recommended mobile page load time is 2-3 seconds and that is what users have come to accept as the norm.

And this is supported by stats with 83% of people surveyed expecting websites to load in 3 seconds or less!

Ultimately, the faster the better, especially for these 2 demographics who have nearly always had a world of information available to them at the touch of a button.

Page load speeds can be improved by:

• Optimising images
• Serving video content via Youtube, Vimeo or similar
• Regularly reviewing and optimising your website’s code
• Implementing a website cache or content delivery network

Remember a website shouldn’t only ‘look the part’ it should ‘act the part’ too.

Social media is a powerful marketing tool

78% of Gen Z users and 67% of Millennial users utilise social media to discover and learn more about brands.

This really stems from the need to have authentic, user-generated content.

Whilst it needs no explanation that your social media profiles need to exude the same confidence and brand tone of voice as your website, there are ways to ‘marry the two together.

Why not consider a social wall like Ferrari to create a visual feed, powered by your social media channels on your website, to really harness the power of dynamic content that keeps your site looking fresh.

Alternatively, MAC uses the social media posts of their customers on their product pages to showcase their products, and promote authenticity by offering a glimpse into real people rather than flashy marketing campaigns.

Our takeaways

It goes without saying that these ‘digital demographics’ are incredibly different to their counterparts when it comes to their tech-savvy nature and online behaviours.

And whilst it’s important to cater to these demographics, your website should be encompassing of all users irrespective of age.

It’s about finding that balance between creating content that is clear and succinct, and providing a website experience that is easy, intuitive and trouble-free.

More importantly too, is about understanding that your audience groups and their behaviours are constantly evolving, so your website should too.

This is why we love developing with WordPress, because it’s scalable and versatile, and can be updated little and often, to ensure that the experience is always as fresh as it can be.