5 Reasons Your Website is Driving Customers Away

After working as a website designer and developer for a number of years, I can tell you in a few seconds if your existing website needs updating. I can also let you know what is turning potential customers away. 
Want a few tips?

 
Here are five of the top reasons I see regularly that drive customers away from your website.

1. Your website is about you

People search Google to find a product or service that provides a solution to their problem. If you don’t give them what they are looking for, they will leave quickly and find a website that does give them what they are looking for.

Here is an example of how it works. Jane needs to book a restaurant for an upcoming large family birthday celebration. She needs to know that the restaurant caters for all food tastes including vegetarians. As some of the relatives are elderly, they need a lunchtime booking.

The first website she looks at has lots of photos of the owner and award winning chef. The details of his awards are all over the homepage but she cannot find any details on what food they serve. No links to menus or opening hours can be found on the homepage so she closes the site and goes back to Google. The award winning chef just lost her business. And the business of her 30 relatives.

Solution: People aren’t as interested in you (on your website) as you think they are. Harsh but true. They need to trust you but not in the way that you think.

Potential customers need to see that you offer solutions to their problems. If you do this correctly, this helps to build trust.

Think about what your customers would be looking for when they visit your website. What questions do they need answered? Are you providing the details to answer their questions?

Give them what they need and get to the point. Make your website about your customers.

2. Your website isn’t mobile friendly

In 2015 Google advised that in ten countries (including the US and Japan) more people used Google on their smartphone than those on a computer.

Why wouldn’t you want their business?

Solution: Easy – call me. I can provide you with a new website that looks great and works perfectly on all devices – including smartphones.

3. Your contact number and email are not easy to find

If you are serious about new business, you must display your phone number and email address clearly on your website.

Modern design usually dictates that your contact details are displayed in your footer so that your potential client can see your details on all your website pages.

Solution: It sounds simple but is often overlooked. Add your phone number at the top of your homepage or in the footer so that it appears on every page.

4. The look and feel of your site are wrong

Many people try to save money and employ a cheap designer to build their website. Many more try to do it for free (or almost free) and do it themselves. Need I say more?

We all use Google more than ever and understand how a good quality website should work. Sharp headings, good quality images, clear and relevant content and links on homepage that take us to where we need to go and so on. For a professional designer it’s second nature.

I wouldn’t try to teach a classroom of students without training and experience. What makes you think that you can build a professional and successful website without training and experience? What do you know about html or custom css? SEO?

I am yet to see a “do it yourself” website that looks as good and functions as well as a professional website. Today you must have SEO elements built into your website if you want to win new business.

You think you saved money? Did you factor in the lost sales because of what your website is missing?

Solution: Pay a professional the correct rate for a professional job. Your business will benefit more from a site that includes SEO and professional design and functionality. If you rank well in Google, you will have people calling and emailing you in a steady stream. You can’t do that yourself nor can a cheap designer.

5. Your website is outdated

Many websites look a bit outdated but that’s not exactly what I am talking about here. You can have an outdated looking sites that ranks really well in Google. How? Google is interested in your content and how effectively you answer the questions that your customers may have. Most customers are only interested in this as well.

Here are a few examples where an outdated website can turn people away:

– A website where the most recent blog article is very old. Sometimes years old. This can make people wonder what other information on your website is outdated.

– Old phone numbers that are no longer relevant/do not work

– Out of date information relating to products or services

– Location details that are not up to date

Solution: Pay a designer to update the information. If the website is full of out of date information it is better to pay for a new website.

Want a website that attracts the right customer to increase your sales? Call Simone now on 0490 140 079 or get in touch here via the contact form.