Could Customers Make These Complaints About Your Website?

The internet and the business world are now one and the same. Without a steady web presence, you can be sure you won’t reach success. You need to get your head around various social media platforms, as well as producing a website.

Make no mistake, though, that your website is still the most important thing you’ll do online. Despite the focus on Twitter accounts, nothing will sell you more than a personal site. While social media peaks people’s interest, a website will seal the deal. Or not, depending on how much thought you put into it.

Either way, you can be sure that a website which fails to hit the mark will soon lead to you losing hits, and losing customers. But, how can you tell whether your site is up to scratch? For the most part, dedicating time and effort to the cause should do the trick. It’s also worth listening to feedback you get from customers. Though this can be hard at times, it’s the surest way to gain an accurate understanding of quality. With a bit of luck, feedback will be positive, and you can keep on doing what you’re doing. But, we’re going to look at four common website complaints you never want to hear.

1. I couldn’t find what I needed

In this internet-based business world, convenience is everything. Make no mistake about it; you need to provide fast and easy to access to anything if you want to seal a sale. Hence, you never want to hear a customer say they couldn’t find what they needed. This is bad news of the highest degree, as it’s a sign that your site is difficult to navigate. And, if that’s the case, there’s a distinct chance you’re losing a lot of custom because of it. People don’t want to have to go above and beyond to find a product. And, if they do, they’re likely to head to a more straightforward competitor.

The good news is, if this complaint has been made, you can take action. For the most part, simplifying is all it takes. Remove all unnecessary information. If there’s a lot of text on each page, get rid. Simple and concise is best in this situation. It’s also always worth adding a navigation bar for ease of access. Group each product/service into clear subheadings, and display them in an obvious place.

2. It was slow loading

Given the convenience theme, it should be no surprise that a slow loading site is also a no-go. There’s no getting around the fact that a site which takes longer than three seconds to load is going to lose you customers. What’s worse, slow loading times can also see you dropping rankings on search engines such as Google. No one likes a slowpoke, after all. In fact, a study by Kissmetrics found that users are 40% more likely to abandon a page which takes more than ten seconds to load. And, that’s obviously not what you want.

But, how can you make sure your site wins the race? There are a few different factors. Most notably, you may be operating from a bad host. Every webpage out there has a host, such as WordPress. Your page will be no different. But, in the interest of saving money when you were starting out, you might have opted for a cheaper host. But, you’ll soon pay for the decision with slow loading times. For this reason, it’s always worth paying out for the more reputable hosts on the market.

Bear in mind, too, that your content itself can have an impact on loading time. The more images or videos you use, the longer the page is going to take to load. After all, these are high bandwidth items. To avoid this issue, strip things back as much as possible. Make sure, too, to compress all such files that you do deem necessary.

3. There was no one available to talk to

This one may seem less obvious, but you could argue that it’s more important than the above points. While online interactions are preferable for many, you should still provide a physical presence. Every website should offer a live chat option for those who want immediate help. This will provide a personal touch, as well as ensuring customers don’t have to wait for replies. If you hadn’t guessed by now; waiting isn’t a good thing. Setting up chats like these is easy enough. And, by developing a rota, and relying on a NeverDown internet system as offered by companies like Truewater, you can ensure this works for you. Set up the chat to run for set daily hours. Make sure, too, to provide a contact form for those browsing when live chat isn’t available. And, make sure to reply to these queries as quick as possible.

4. There were too many popups

If you know anything about the world of the web, you should know that pop-ups are an evil business. No one appreciates these little gems the moment they click onto a site. Advertisement pop-ups should be a no-go, as they’ll turn customers away from the off. But, these aren’t the only pop-ups you need to worry about. Many companies also opt to provide pop-ups about email subscription lists, special offers, and much more. In some ways, this is the best way to catch a customer’s attention. But, there are downsides. For one, it’s annoying being bombarded the moment you click on a site. Plus, many popup windows can slow loading time. See above to remind yourself how bad that can be.

So, how can you find a balance here? For the most part, it pays to limit the windows you include drastically. One pop up is more than enough. Think, too, about when this window will appear. Do this too soon, and customers will click away before getting stuck in. Instead, leave it a minute or so, to ensure they’re hooked by the time this happens!