Why Having A Bad Website Hurts Your Business (Even If Your Company Is Referral Based)

Your website is the most visible marketing asset for your business. It can be accessed from anywhere in the world at any time. Because of this, customers use your company’s website to make numerous assumptions about your brand.

Understanding design and customer interaction is a key part of a successful website. A professionally designed website influences a customers perception of your brand and products.

If you allow your website to become an insignificant part of your marketing efforts it will have an adverse effect on your company’s success. Here are 8 ways having a bad website can hurt your business:

• Customers compare products before purchasing.

81% of shoppers conduct online research before making big purchases. (Source: Hubspot). If your website does not clearly display your brand’s product or services customers will simply look elsewhere to make their purchase.

• Customers interact with brands they trust.

94% of people cited web design as the reason they mistrusted or rejected a website (Source: Ironpaper). If your web design is unappealing, customers are less likely to trust your brand with their money.

• Customers want to believe your content.

48% of people cited a website’s design as the number one factor in deciding the credibility of a business (Source:Ironpaper). If your website gives the impression that your business is outdated they assume the website content is also.

• Customers prefer visually appealing content.

59% of consumers globally would rather engage with content that’s beautifully designed as opposed to simply designed — even when short on time. (Source: Adobe). Customers spend a lot of time looking at photos and videos daily. If your website does not include dynamic visuals it will not retain the viewers attention.

• Customers won’t spend time searching for content.

38% of people will leave a website if it has unattractive layout and content (Source: Currati). If your website’s layout is too hard to navigate, or is not visually dynamic, customers will not spend time raking through the information to find what they were seeking.

• Customers buy from brands that they know.

Colors increased web recognition by 80% (Source: Kissmetrics). If your brand colors are not a prominent part of your design customers will be less likely to create a mental connection between your brand and your website.

• Customers make decisions quickly.

Once your page loads, users form an opinion in .05 seconds (Source: Kinesis Inc.) If your website does not immediately appeal to the viewer it is harder to convert the viewer into a customer.

• Customers want to feel that their experience matters.

48% of users say that if they arrive on a business site that isn’t working well on mobile, they take it as an indication of the business simply not caring (Source: MarginMedia). If your website is not responsive it will result in a negative experience for customers on the go.

In Conclusion

Your website can be your best asset or your biggest downfall. Web design is an intricate process. Although companies have made it easier to develop your own website, successfully executing design trends will strengthen your website’s conversion rate.

Updating your website often helps customers believe that you value the interactions and experiences they have with your brand. Branding agencies like ours specialize in redesigning websites for established businesses. Redesign processes improve user experience to convert viewers into customers.

If you haven’t updated your website in a while. Now may be the time. View some of the website redesign’s we’ve done at www.tc-creatives.com/work/