What makes someone leave a website? That a great question, and one you need to ask in order to optimize your own website. The goal is to drive more traffic to your site, not scaring potential customers away because they had difficulty finding what they were looking for or you had no new content to offer them.
The great folks over at KISSmetrics have created the valuable infographic below that covers the eight reasons why traffic may be leaving your website and how you can fix it.
Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Here are some examples of what not to do when designing your website:
Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. This internet marketing mistake is a big no-no because complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry - certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling! Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive, and easy to understand.
Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. If you're going to display ads on your website, make sure it's discreet and doesn't interfere with the visitor experience.
Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. Try grouping similar content in a clear, concise manner and use headings so your website visitors can find what they're looking for with ease.
Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. Give users the option of viewing video or audio content - don't force them.
It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. If a visitor must register in order for them to interact with your site, try giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or demo.
A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. This is why good website design is so important. Try enhancing visitor interaction through the use of blogs, forums and regularly updated special features.
Bad typography choices, abrasive colours, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility - and ultimately a poor user experience. If you can fit it into your budget, hire a designer to create the tone for your website.
You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction - those are all good things. But you also need to keep your site fresh with new content. This will boost the interest in your sire and increase your search engine rankings. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update visitors with news and events.