Guide · 5 min read · by Somers Design
How to tell that your website is costing you customers
Most business owners never find out how many customers their website has driven away. Because anyone who leaves a site doesn't call to complain – they simply go to the next provider. From more than 60 projects we know: it is almost always the same five problems. Here you can find out which ones they are and how to check in a few minutes whether your site is affected.
1. Your site loads too slowly
Studies have shown the same picture for years: just a few seconds of loading time are enough for a large share of visitors to leave – before they have even seen what you offer. On a smartphone with mobile internet in particular, a “slightly sluggish” site quickly becomes an unusable one.
2. It looks broken on a phone
More than half of all website visits now come from smartphones – often considerably more for local businesses, because anyone looking for a tradesperson or a restaurant on the go does so from their phone. If your site shows tiny text there, cuts off menus or forces sideways scrolling, the visitor is gone.
3. Visitors don't immediately understand what you offer
You have about three seconds to answer two questions: What does this business offer – and is it what I'm looking for? Instead, many websites begin with “Welcome to our homepage” and a photo that could mean anything.
4. There is no clear next step
A visitor who is convinced needs an obvious way to reach you. If your phone number is hidden in the footer and the contact form only appears after three clicks, you are making things unnecessarily hard for your customers. Every extra click measurably costs enquiries.
5. The design looks outdated – and it rubs off on your business
It is unfair, but real: visitors judge the state of your business by the state of your website. A site that looks like 2012 makes even an excellent trade business seem old-fashioned. Your competitor with the more modern site seems more professional – even if they do worse work.
Conclusion: small causes, big effects
None of these problems is exotic – and that is exactly the good news. If you sort out loading time, mobile display, a clear message, simple ways to get in touch and a contemporary design, you play in a different league from most of your local competition. Usually the effort involved is considerably smaller than business owners fear.