7 Reasons People Hate Your Website

Getting prospects to find your website is one thing, but getting them to stick around is another. First impressions matter online as much as they do in person. Web visitors take a mere five seconds to form an opinion about your site, according to Kinesis Inc. Since our attention spans are shorter than ever, you need to communicate your company’s unique value in seconds.

You work hard to attract leads to your website. Don’t let your efforts go to waste by enraging your visitors. If any of these seven website elements ring true for your business, you’re due for a website upgrade.

1. Lack of Purpose

Does your website make your company’s purpose 100% clear?

You’re battling for your audience’s attention on the internet. In fact, we now have a shorter attention span than goldfish—only eight seconds! This means your website has to work hard and fast to grab your visitors’ interest before they become distracted or disengaged.

Strong websites highlight what the company is, what it offers, and how visitors can benefit. Make your homepage clear, simple, and powerful. Compel your audience to stay on your website by showcasing your unique value.

If your visitors can’t easily figure out what you’re offering, they’ll move right along to your competition. Make your visitors feel welcome and confident that they’ve come to the right place to solve their problems and find the solutions they need.

2. Confusing Navigation

People won’t have the patience to scour your website for the information they need. If key information is buried, visitors won’t bother digging for it.

A straightforward main navigation is perhaps the most essential aspect of your website. Without it, your visitors are left in the dark. The way you phrase and order your navigation options will depend on your type of organization. But ultimately, you want to ensure your visitors don’t have to burn very many mental calories while exploring your site. Use language your customer would use, and make sure to put the most important items at the beginning of the navigation.

Organize your website by grouping similar content together and including bold headings to guide your visitors. Include compelling calls to action that prompt visitors to take the next step—you won’t be able to improve conversion rates if you don’t invite your visitors to take action.

3. A Rambling About Page

Does your About page explain what you do in a way your visitors can easily relate to? Or do you indulge in corporate jargon?

Strong About pages tell a story and humanize your brand. Avoid using clichés and including irrelevant information here. Stick to explaining what your business does and how you can help your audience. Don’t just talk about what you do—talk about why you’re in business. What drove you to start your company? Why should your customers care?

While establishing your brand identity, make your About page as much about the visitor as your company.

4. Lack of Contact Information

A Contact Us form shouldn’t be the only way visitors can get in touch with you. While the form results will allow you to create a contact list, this isn’t a valuable method of lead generation. If a visitor fills out the form, he or she most likely just has a one-time problem.

If your visitors have questions, they should be able to reach you right away. Give your visitors options for how to get in touch with you by sharing your email, phone number, and social media information.

5. Not Mobile Optimized

Mobile and tablet internet usage worldwide has exceeded desktop for the first time in 2016, according to Stat Counter.

If you’re not reaching your audiences on their smartphones and tablets, it’ll be a lot harder to increase website traffic. People are more likely to find your website while on the go. If you don’t want visitors to hate your website, you need to improve their browsing experience.

Mobile optimization has become even more important now that Google favours mobile-friendly websites. If your site isn’t mobile optimized, your search engine results rankings will suffer.

Whether your visitors come across annoying pop-ups that won’t go away, or content that doesn’t fit on the screen, they’ll likely just abandon your website. And people won’t tolerate a slow loading speed—they expect web pages to load in two seconds or less.

Your company simply can’t afford to neglect mobile optimization.

6. Too Much Text

The average user today will only read 20 percent of the words on a given web page, according to Nielson Norman Group. People don’t read websites the same way they read novels or newspapers. They scan to find quick answers.

There’s already an information overload on the internet—you don’t want to further overwhelm your visitors.

One of the fundamental principles of gestalt psychology is the law of pr?gnanz, which can be applied to web design. We prefer things that are simple, clear, and ordered. Even if your business is complex, keep your homepage simple so visitors can quickly understand your company.

Many designers agree that white space is the fundamental building block of good design. It increases content legibility, highlights calls to action, and draws attention to specific areas of your site to slow down the visitor.

7. Cheesy Stock Images

Yes, visuals are important marketing tools, but the wrong visuals will turn your website into a joke. In fact, you’re better off not using any images than using cheesy stock images.

Generic stock images don’t set your company apart or demonstrate your authority. They make your company look disingenuous and, frankly, laughable.

Show real pictures of your team or your customers when possible, or use stock images that aren’t so ridiculous. Opt for images that appear natural and authentic—not just business people high-fiving each other.

Have any questions? Please share your questions, expertise, opinions, or tips in the comment section below!