Web Site Pet Peeves

Hi there,

This time, I’m coming to you with some hard research on one of the things that we preach to our clients and prospects all the time—your Web site, whether retail or B2B, needs to deliver a positive user experience that truly represents your brand… or else!

Think about it – we all know that before doing business with a given company, customers generally check them out online first (this is especially true with B2B companies). It’s THERE that we generally form our initial opinions about a brand, including whether or not we’ll buy. And, if that first impression isn’t up to snuff, consumers are quick to cast your brand aside in favor of one of your competitors.

Here’s some market research highlights that provide some hard numbers:

Consumers Unhappy With Web Site Simply Go Away

A new survey reports that more than 70% of consumers said that they're unlikely to purchase from, or even return to, a web site after encountering a pet peeve. And, because only 25% of consumers say they'll complain to the companies about their pet peeves, the use of features that annoy consumers may be having a negative impact that's difficult to trace or measure.

The Internet has matured to the point where consumers demand an easy online experience. Consumers are beginning to warn companies, “I’ll go elsewhere if your Web site experience is annoying.” The survey lists some more specific reactions below.

Pet peeves, according to the survey:

• 93% of consumers say pop-up ads are annoying or extremely annoying
• 89% are annoyed at the need to install extra software
• 86% said dead links are annoying or extremely annoying
• 84% said confusing navigation is annoying or extremely annoying
• 83% express annoyance with registration log-on pages that block access to online content
• 83% said slow-loading pages are annoying or extremely annoying
• 80% said ineffective site-search tools are annoying or extremely annoying

Comparatively fewer consumers ranked aesthetic characteristics of web sites annoying:

• 59% of consumers think moving text is annoying or extremely annoying
• 55% feel strongly that poor appearance in regard to color, fonts and format are annoying or extremely annoying.

Finally, the survey measured the likelihood of consumer responses when encountering their top pet peeves:

• 74% are extremely or somewhat likely to unsubscribe from the company's promotions or messages
• 71% are extremely or somewhat likely to view the company in a negative way
• 55% are extremely or somewhat likely to complain about the web site to friends/associates

These results clearly show that consumers will make a behavioral change if they encounter a web site that annoys them. And those numbers are staggering if you ask me—which is why I can’t for the life of me understand why many marketing directors still won’t give the Web the slice of the marketing budget it deserves. I’ve dealt with companies that have no problem spending $10,000 for a brochure that sits on a shelf or gets thrown by many prospects in the garbage, but they’re not willing to put a portion of that money into permanently improving the online experience. ARGH!!!

It just frustrates me beyond belief sometimes. Give it some thought and as always, let me know if you have any comments or insights. I always love to hear what you’re thinking.

Garret K. Ohm