Why Your Website Is Driving Away Your Customers
First impressions are everything nowadays and with the estimated 7 seconds that you have to capture a user’s attention, you only have one shot at impressing your potential customer. Needless to say, the functionality of your website really matters so if your website isn’t designed very well and isn’t easy to navigate, then you may be giving a bad first impression and turning away potential customers. In this article, we will take a look at some of the reasons why users might be leaving your website too quickly.
Your Navigation is confusing
Only the most important pages should be included in you main navigation and everything else should fall into submenus. Also make sure that there are no more than 2 additional levels to your menu. No one wants to spend 10 minutes looking for a link. The home navigation should be located at the top or side of every page and this menu location needs to stay the same throughout your website.
Autoplaying Music or Video
This is actually the biggest turn off for me, leading me to quickly exit a website. It would be one thing to give your visitors the option of playing video or music, but to force it on the visitor is a big NO. I will never forget the time that I was browsing a website while in a class and totally forgot that my speakers were tuned to the loudest setting until I had some Jill Scott from someone’s website blaring in the quiet classroom. How embarrassing! I’ve never returned to that website.
Pop-Up Ads
I’m not totally against those ads that pop up in the middle of the screen when you visit a website because most of the time you can just click on the x to close it. It is those pop ups that refuse to go away until you have entered in your information (e.g. email address). Users will quickly exit your website without leaving their information.
No Mobile Responsiveness
Not having a mobile website is just as bad as not having a website at all. Have a poor mobile website is also just as bad as not having a website leading customers to possibly leave your website because it isn’t mobile friendly. With the growing mobile market, not having a responsive website is like saying you do not care about your customers. Plus, Google even penalizes non-responsive websites.
Lack of Social Media Links
I low key am very disappointed when I notice a website that I really like doesn’t have any social media links posted. It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have a facebook or instagram account, but if I can’t find the link at the top, sidebar or bottom of the website then I normally stop looking. Social media links also show that you are interested in interacting with your customers and people love the opportunity to be able to share your posts or products.
Poor Website Design
Another factor that may be driving users away may be that your website isn’t pleasing to look at. A terrible color scheme, text that is hard to read or a cluttered website will turn your customers away. After all, nothing says I don’t care loud enough than a terrible layout.
If you don’t care about the image that your business presents then why should the person viewing your website care to stick around? Make sure that your website layout is clean and pleasing to the eye.
No Contact Information
Even if a customer doesn’t exactly intend on contacting you, having your contact information offers a sense of professionalism and legitimacy. People want to know that if they did want to contact you then they will be able to and they can be confident in being able to reach you.
No Call to Action
Users often exit a website only because the have no idea what you’re instructing them to do from your homepage. Potential customers should be able to follow through your homepage with cues as to what you want them to do next. Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? If so, add a form on your home page. Do you want them to call you? Then tell them that using call to actions.
Do any of these sound familiar? Are you driving away your customers in any of these ways? You don’t have to! Get in touch with us today and lets talk about fixing your problem.
