There are many things in life that annoy us, make us cringe and wish we could turn back time, but for online customers looking for their next car, a new home or simply a retail bargain, there’s none more angst-inducing than a website that doesn’t perform the way expect.
For business owners, a fast online presence is essential for a continued healthy bottom line, increased brand familiarity, trust, and greater visibility to generate new leads.
We live in a fast moving and fickle world where consumers expect a business’ website to walk the walk and talk the talk…every time.
Does yours?
Let’s look at some common reasons why potential sales are boarding the express train to your competitor.
What Do Customers Want? – Device Compatibility
When do we want it? Now.
Actually, yesterday. While this may seem like a given for some website designers, and those going it alone, it is sometimes still ignored.
Frustration sets in quickly when information doesn’t fit the screen and scrolling across a screen becomes a career. Apart from that, it just looks unprofessional. The opposite of what every business is trying to achieve.
If you don’t know how to do this simple but effective way of not losing customers within two seconds, talk to a web hosting company that knows how to do It right.
Make Customer Contact Easy
If there is no simple way for customers to make contact, you are taking a risk that may put your business in the “untouchable” zone.
How do you avoid that?
Understanding people is the key to better communication. Some like email contact, while others prefer to take the old-fashioned phone call route.
New technology means chatbots have become a simple solution for quick questions, or product availability info, and show that you are interested in hearing from potential new buyers and future advocates. Just make sure visitors have an easy and accessible option to talk to a human, or you might frustrate your customer and cause them to leave and never come back.
Kill the Pop Ups
Overuse of flashy ads is a personal bugbear for many online shoppers. Just as a loud brightly dressed sales assistant jumping in your face every five minutes in-store would make you do an abrupt about face, the online equivalent is a massive turn off.
Keep it simple. Keep it classy. Keep it unintrusive.
Update the Updatable
Continuous improvement is a mindset that is essential for a great website. Every change should make it better.
Make product images, enticing, clear, beautiful and in your face….and have plenty of them. The more information, visual and written, the more tempting you will be.
Adding a simple Call to Action creates interest and can increase conversions by guiding people in the right direction and shows you want customers to contact them. It really is a must-have. Sometimes customers don’t know what they should do when they are interested. It might seem counter intuitive to make something so obvious more prominent, but it works and it is helpful.
Ensure you have real-time delivery fee calculations and remember to take down products that are unavailable. It’s a bit misleading. If you wish to keep the product visible, have a Back in Stock Soon banner or indicator. It will create less resentment.
You’d be surprised to know what can turn people to your competitors’ open arms.
“How Can We Improve?”
If you care about customer satisfaction and retention you will need to hear from them. Have a way for customers to share. Listening to experiences can only make you better. It may seem like you are throwing yourself into the consumer equivalent of a viper’s nest but having a way for people to provide feedback can help any business learn from mistakes, but also bask in the glory of a thumbs up.
What’s that old saying?
Oh yeah!
“That which doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.”
There just might be something in that.
There are many things that can deter people from travelling through a traditional sales funnel. These are just a few, but if an open mind is your goal, then none of these things should scare or surprise you.
Simplify and beautify your customer’s online experience.
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