What if I told you that improving your website could result in up to 46 percent more customers?
It’s a staggering number, but that’s one way of looking at the results of a survey done last year in the UK by 1&1 Internet. They interviewed 2000 adults, and found that 46 percent of consumers cancelled plans to spend with a business after finding a poor quality website.
37 percent of consumers walked away completely – did not spend any money at all with the company in question. An additional 9 percent chose to spend less.
All because the website was perceived as being of poor quality.
Oliver Mauss, the CEO of 1&1 Internet Ltd. explained that “… keeping an ugly or badly functioning website online can comprise a risk to sales revenue. Consumers have ever higher expectations, and it is essential that every company website inspires confidence.”
34 percent of consumers felt that, in general, the small business websites they see are “tired” and “unimpressive.” 41 percent of consumers find errors such as typos or broken links.
Nearly half of consumers – 49 percent – felt that having a bad website made a worse impression on them than not having a website at all.
(What makes a bad website? Well, if you have to ask, it probably needs at least some improvement. Request a free Web Assessment and I’ll give you some insight.)
If your site is more than a few years old, or if it was cheaply done, there’s a good chance that it’s costing you money. (However, price is no guarantee of performance; I’ve redesigned $10,000 sites that looked “cool” but didn’t get the phone to ring.)
Mauss concluded that “Businesses that invest carefully in their web experience will see higher levels of customer spend, retention and referral.”
Economizing on your website is a false economy, since the risk of driving away prospective customers is so large. A quality website leads to more sales, and some web designers will work with you on pricing or payment to make it easier to fit the initial investment into your budget.
I’d be delighted to talk with you about a site redesign; please contact me, no obligation!