What Turns Off Website Visitors: Small Businesses Beware

Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBiz Media, summarizes a survey by Web.com which polled consumers on their opinions of business websites. Below are some of the consumers’  biggest complaints, listed in her article “7 Mistakes Your Business Website May Be Making.”

What Turns Off Website Visitors:

1. An outdated site

Of the consumers who responded, 43% complained about stale design, old content and sometimes obsolete information on small business websites.

Tip: Make sure whatever web service you use to build your site is available for periodic maintenance, or that you have the ability to go in and make changes as needed.

2. Anybody home?

Small businesses are generally operating with a small staff, and managing social media or the website doesn’t seem as pressing as other “real” day-to-day problems.

Frustration builds in consumers who are trying to access your company through your website or social media accounts—27 % of the respondents said that small businesses are slow to respond to their feedback or questions posed online.

Tip: Responding within 24 hours is standard, but sooner is even better.

3. No contact info

This one is puzzling, since a main objective of having a website is to provide a way for customers to find you.

Many companies don’t provide a way to reach them or if they do, the information is partial or partially incorrect—26 % of users surveyed complained that it bothers them when there is insufficient contact information provided.

4. Not user-friendly

Allowing your site to be awkward and clunky to navigate sends an inhospitable message to your visitors. 26% of the respondents said that they are repelled by confusing, badly organized sites.

5. Too aloof

Instead of just putting your phone number, which may intimidate some, offer an email address, live chat, some way to be accessible immediately through the website. 24% of users cited inaccessibility as a deterrent.

6. Impersonal

You need to come across as approachable, friendly and customer-centric, like you do in person. 10% of respondents complained about small business websites being cold and lacking personality. Build a good “About us” page with photos, employee profiles and even a personal note from the owner.

7. Technical difficulties

Last but not least, about one-fourth of the users are dissatisfied with technical issues such as: slow page loads, crashing and freezing, and not being optimized for mobile usage.

If you’re building a new website, examine it from the user’s point of view. Business is all about pleasing consumers, winning loyalty and creating a positive experience. Your website is often their first point of contact—so make it a great experience.

To read the original article in its entirety, please visit Fox Business.