If you’re getting traffic to your website, but users aren’t staying long or aren’t converting, it could be the design factor. A new survey from the UK’s BaseKit finds that UK consumers are distrustful of badly designed websites.
According to the survey, which was carried out between January 4 – 10, 2011, 70% of consumers don’t trust websites with bad designs. Also of interest, 66% of respondents believe that the ‘look’ of a website is more important than the company’s physical location in engaging consumers.
“It has never been more important to present your company professionally online. In the digital age, consumers expect a company to have a well thought-out online presence. This is supported by the fact that two-thirds of businesses believe that a website has more impact on its success than location,” said Chris Winstanley, Head of Marketing with BaseKit.
The question, of course, is what is a badly designed website? Primarily, the navigation and usability of the site. Sites which are easy to navigate, which don’t freeze at the shopping cart or check-out phase, and sites which are well-presented are more engaging to consumers – they appear more ‘legitimate’, according to one expert.
“A website must not only look good, but it must also function correctly and be user friendly. You want to be sure to give the user relevant information pertaining to your niche/market so that they will see you as a credible source and keep coming back for more information, eventually leading to a sale or new customer. Design is key to your credibility factor…As my drill sargeant once said, “look like, act like, become.”
“These days, if your site takes full advantage of design, functionality, and user friendliness, you are already a step above your competitors,” said Chad Whitermore, Owner of Tampa Website Design Company, THG Web Solutions. “Use this website formula, and win every time!”
