A recent survey confirms that websites that are not user-friendly negatively affect business. A few key points from the survey:

• 75% of those questioned would not return to websites that took longer than four seconds to load.
• One third of those questioned abandon sites that take time to load, are hard to navigate or take too long to handle the checkout process.
• The four-second threshold is half of what is was before, suggesting that people are getting more impatient with websites.
• The experience shoppers have on a retail site colours their entire view of the company behind it.
• About 30% of those responding said they formed a “negative perception” of a company with a badly put-together site or would tell their family and friends about their experiences.

What does that mean for website designers and business owners?

1. Heavy graphics and animation can have a negative impact
   Even if your design looks great, if it uses many graphics and animation, people may leave your site before they see the whole picture; you will have lost potential customers. To avoid this, make sure your site is light on graphics (use text links rather than graphic “buttons”, for example) and that your hosting provider is reliable.
2. Simple and user-friendly websites keep their visitors
   By making things easy for your visitors, you have a much better chance to effectively communicate your message. Make sure your navigation structure (”menu”) is simple and that each step of a transaction is clear; that way, your visitors are less likely to quit before accomplishing their task.
3. Your website really does have an impact on your business
   People consider that websites are a reflection of the companies behind it; if they have a negative experience, that will affect their attitude regarding the company and they will tell their friends!

If this survey proves anything, it’s that a usability evaluation can save your company from repelling potential clients!

For more information:
BBC News “Websites face four-second cut-off”