Is Your Website Driving Customers Away?

Your website is the single most important marketing tool you have these days. With more than 77% of adults going to the web to do research before making buying decisions, your website could mean the difference between winning a customer and losing one.

Recently, a Facebook friend asked her followers their opinions about 2 companies she was considering. She didn’t say what she was considering them for, she just asked, “what is your opinion of Company A vs. Company B?” I’d never heard of either company. But I was curious so I checked them both out.

Is Your Landing Page Clear?

I Googled Company A. The landing page featured a big popup box that said “New product video click here”. I clicked ‘here’ and the box vanished, leaving the background screen with some fancy schmancy flash animations, the company logo, a tagline, “Bringing the world closer together”, and a list of all 7 continents. So, after choosing “North America”… and then a country, I’m finally brought to a page featuring 4 large boxes labeled with what I can only guess are products/services. But the names are vague and I STILL don’t get what the heck they do exactly.

Don’t Make Your Visitors Feel Stupid!

At this point I’m feeling really stupid. I clicked “Company” hoping to learn a little bit more about what the company does and who they serve. NOPE. I learned when they were founded, I learned that they are multi-national (yeah, the landing page making me choose a continent already told me that), they are privately held, and they are “internet focused”. Useless. Ok, back to the home page. Here I am more than a minute (which is centuries in internet search time) and 4 clicks into the site, I still have no idea what they do and how or why I might use them. So I click on one of the 4 products/services boxes. Nothing happens. I click on box #2. Nothing happens. I click on boxes 3 and 4. Nothing. Omg I am getting so frustrated. What the heck does this company do???

Below the boxes is another box about 1/5 the size that’s labeled “new products”. I click on it and alas! I learn that one of their services is the “most dynamic, comprehensive and state-of-the-art video communication platform available anywhere”. Ok, now we’re getting somewhere…

TEN clicks. It took me well over a couple of minutes and TEN clicks to figure out what these guys do. – And actually, the first time I visited the site, I gave up in frustration. I only revisited the site and went through all these steps so I could write this blog.

What’s the moral of this story?

Your site should quickly, clearly, and concisely tell the viewer what you can do for them. Yes, it should be geared primarily to your target market, but it should also tell anyone who visits (who may be a future customer, a referral source, or a strategic partner) exactly what you do, who you serve, and what problem you solve.
Visit your site. Pretend you have no idea what you do. (Or better yet, have a few friends/family members do it) Read your content; navigate through the site as a new visitor would. Does it flow well? Do all the boxes and links work? Does the content tell the viewer how you will solve their problem? Or is it all about you? I care more about how you can solve my problem and make my life easier than how long you’ve been in business or whether or not you conduct business in Africa.
The fewer clicks the better. We’re busy – and there are tons of businesses out there that do what you do. If it takes me too long to figure you out, I won’t; I’ll move on to the next one in a heartbeat. The purpose of your site should be to engage and draw people in – not to drive them away.

Do you have a few to add to this list?

Leave your comments here.