It can often be hard enough to drive traffic to a website (enter Search Engine Optimisation), so it’s super important that once a user lands on your website that you keep them there as long as possible.
Generally speaking, the longer a user stays on a website site, the more engaged they are, which means that they are also more likely to convert into a lead or customer. Sounds simple right?
Well, first of all you need to remember that you have only a couple of seconds to capture a user’s attention. Fail to do this and your competitors will thank you because that’s where those users are most liked are headed!
If you do manage to capture the user’s attention, the next step is to engage them with relevant content and a positive user experience (UX).
The essence of keeping users on your website is relatively straightforward, however, there are many reasons why websites miss the mark and lose out on potential business.
To help out, we’ve shortlisted 5 key reasons that are likely to make users leave your website.
1. Your Website Isn’t Mobile Responsive
In 2021, this really isn’t an option. With mobile search now accounting for approximately 60% of all searches made online, your website MUST be responsive (mobile friendly) in order to capitalise on web traffic.
In fact, back in May 2016, Google updated its algorithm so that it gives mobile responsive websites a higher preference in the mobile search results, while pushing those that aren’t mobile responsive down the mobile results pages.
Not only is responsive design incredibly important for driving web traffic, but it will ensure that your website users are engaged as possible with your site. We’ve all visited websites on our mobile devices that weren’t mobile responsive and to be frank – it’s a pain!
So why not take the next step and make sure your site is fully responsive and know that every user on any device can access and interpret your information in the best possible way.
There are a number of ways that you can check to see if your site is mobile responsive, such as:
1. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Tester
2. Resizing your browser window on your desktop.
3. Take a look at your website on your own mobile and tablet
4. Contact DigitUX
2. No Clear Call to Action with Confusing Navigation
There’s no two-ways about it, content needs to be easily accessible. If you’re visiting a website, all you’ll want to do is find the exact information you’re looking for as quickly as possible.
Generally, a good guide is about 3 clicks but any longer than this might see that visitor ending up on your competitors’ site instead.
These days, information is so readily available you cannot afford to waste people’s short attention spans. Instead, ensure your website has a clear and intuitive navigation where they can always understand where they should be clicking next. A clear call to action will also assist your visitors flow through the site.
Behavioural Analytics tracking shows how your website users interact with your website and can help increase leads and conversions. A DigitUX heatmap report will demonstrate exactly this by using sophisticated tracking software. Ask us for a heatmap demo!
3. Poor Design
This can be a difficult one to determine, especially if you have created your website personally and have a close emotional attachment to the site. If you can see past this, it’s highly beneficial to identify if your website is too ‘busy’ for visitors. This might include too many images, large chunks of information, small fonts, too many colour choices and so on.
The best websites with the highest conversion rates are simple, well organised and show credibility of your business. Be sure that your website reflects your business exactly, as it serves as an online office or storefront which can lead to a very lasting impression – good or bad.
Our DigitUX design team are specialists in UX design, so you know that your website will not only look great, but will be designed to create higher conversions. Plus, we carefully integrate your branding requirements so that your site remains relevant to the business. Just get in contact with us and we can discuss your design needs and goals.
4. Your Website Speed is too Slow
In 2021, this is a big one! If your website hasn’t loaded within a couple of seconds, more than 50% of your visitors will most likely be leaving. On top of that, speed is a Google ranking factor, so the slower your site, the less likely you are to be appearing at the top of the search results.
The bad news is that the most common website features that lead to a slow website include images, videos, scripts and usually anything that makes your site look visually appealing. The good news is, it’s really easy to fix these so that your website’s speed doesn’t have to suffer.
First of all, make sure you’re compressing all of your images and videos. A good target for images is below the 500KB mark.
As for website scripts, the best recommendation is to talk with your developer to make sure your code is cleaned and compressed as much as it can be.
At DigitUX, our Website Speed Optimisation Services are carried out by our experienced Developers who can address any technical and coding elements that might be slowing your website down. When looking into this type of ‘back-end’ speed optimisation, it does pay to hire a professional or you could end up breaking your website.
There are some free tools out there for you to check your website speed, such as Pingdom, Google’s Page Speed Insights or you can talk to DigitUX and get your very own page speed report, complete with recommendations.
5. Content Issues
While design plays a critical role in keeping visitors on your website, it goes hand in hand with content. There’s no point in having a fantastically designed website if the information that you provide to visitors is either out of date, poorly written or just plain irrelevant.
A website that is updated regularly with fresh, unique and relevant content is not only more engaging for visitors, but it also shows to Google that your website is active and credible which is vital for performing well with SEO.
Is your website driving potential customers away?
DigitUX can help, so give us a call on (07) 3535 0633 or send us an email.