Can Your Business Afford Online Turnoffs?
June 30, 2006
Many companies make the mistake of spending massive amounts of money up front to create attractive, attention-grabbing websites that eventually disappoint consumers with outdated information and statistics. Nothing is more aggravating than to navigate your way to a site only to find that it is “not available” or that the information hasn’t been updated in months or even years.
The staggering growth of the internet has pushed web site development to a whole new level. Many large companies spend millions of dollars to develop their sites and servers. They spare no expense when creating their online storefront, but they fail to maintain the basic structure of their store.
New websites are carefully monitored by companies, advertising agencies and marketing departments. “Everyone takes notice when a new home page causes a dip in sales, or a marketing campaign delivers lower-than-expected results. This leads to fast, pain-relieving course corrections,” Harley Manning, vice president of research at Forrester research recently told NewsFactor. Unfortunately, web sites don’t get the same amount of scrutiny on an ongoing basis.
Once websites have been up and running for a while, companies typically don’t invest the time and money to keep the information fresh and pertinent. That is the one of the most expensive mistakes a company can make. Today’s savvy internet users will not tolerate site visits that are delayed by slow servers or that aren’t easy to navigate. And they certainly won’t tolerate more than one visit to a site that is “offline” for whatever reason. When the quality of a site is poor, customers associate your company with poor quality as well. After all, your name and your logo are all over the site. The fact that you don’t keep your site current is perceived as mediocrity by customers.
Because of this, many companies are awakening to the acute need for superior web site hosting to ensure that websites are continually improving and are positively reflecting the company’s image. Usability testing is now a regular part of e-commerce development in retail, banking and financial services and is gaining ground in other sectors. Unfortunately, some industries have been slow to get the message.
Customer experience is a bottom-line issue which is driving universal acceptance of usability as a legitimate business metric from the CFO downward. Web managers who underestimate the importance of good web usability will suffer the consequences because competitor sites are within easy reach of every web user.
Studies show that there seems to be a disconnect between what customers expect and what websites provide. According to a recent report, 89 percent of business people aren’t impressed with the web sites they visit. And 66 percent rarely return to sites where they have had a bad experience. Therefore “a bad experience” on your website is not something you can afford if you want your business to grow and thrive. Ninety percent of those surveyed said they expect companies to respond to questions submitted via their websites within 24 hours or less.
As companies tighten their belts and marketing departments shrink, checking links and updating content can fall by wayside. Do not make the expensive mistake of believing that a website that was cutting-edge a year ago will still attract and keep customers today. We’ve all been spoiled by the wonders of cyberspace and we are conditioned to expect sites that are eye-catching, entertaining, thought provoking, interactive and easy to use.
Studies confirm that adherence to usability standards and guidelines can dramatically improve the revenue potential of a web site. Customer conversion rates can increase between 20 to 50 percent following a usability ‘intervention.” The best web hosting companies know and understand the importance of keeping sites user-friendly and will host customer focus groups from time to time to affirm that a site is easy to use and to navigate.
To know how well your website is doing you need to have access to detailed statistics about your visitors. With good visitor statistics you will learn how your visitors find your website and what they do once they get there. With this knowledge it will be easier to see strengths and weaknesses in your website and marketing efforts.
If managed correctly, your website can be the most valuable tool in your company’s success. The right web hosting company can insure that your website is always up to date and always available. Most web hosting companies use multiple servers to minimize the potential of downtime.
People have begun to associate reliable businesses with the Internet, with research indicating that businesses with a website have grown 46% faster than those without. Customer service is improving. When customers have access to product details and technical support solutions, they become satisfied clients.
There is no future without an Internet presence for businesses in the new millennium. Communications will get smarter and faster and web hosting companies will offer a broader range of services to keep the sites sparkling and fresh. There will be a substantial difference between businesses with a Web presence and those without.
Online Turnoffs That Annoy Customers
Following are some “pet peeves” listed by consumers. You may damage your site’s potential if it:
- Has a link that doesn’t work
- Is sometimes unavailable
- Has a typographical error
- Is rarely updated
- Is difficult to navigate
- Links to sites that are not credible
Copyright 2006 © Website Source, Inc.
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