ADVERTISEMENT Feature
Could your website be letting you down?
Richard Stevenson, at 1 & 1 Internet, says that research shows consumers walk away from bad websites.
T
he majority of UK businesses now recognise that a web presence is essential for effective sales, marketing
and customer communication. Whilst estate agents will always be most concerned with the standard of their work and service, no firm these days can afford to neglect their business development. In fact, thanks to the surge in the popularity of smartphones, a growing number of Britons are now browsing the web whilst on the move. It is, nowadays, easy to instantly research an estate agent online just from spotting their signboard on the street. However, the latest research shows that too many small business websites are falling behind the times. A recent study by 1&1 Internet finds that a
total of 46 per cent of consumers have cancelled plans to spend with a small business after finding a poor quality website. 1&1’s ‘2011 Digital High Street Audit’ – a study of nearly 2000 UK adults, reveals that 37 per cent have walked away completely whilst a further 9 per cent have opted to spend less as a direct result. The data shows worryingly low levels of consumer satisfaction with the small business websites available to them. The risk to firms from providing a bad online experience is clear – 49 per cent of consumers believe that a bad website makes a worse impact than a business having no website at all.
It is clear that many small business websites
have not evolved as they should have in recent years – and these likely contain a number of estate and letting agencies. One third of consumers surveyed (34 per cent) believe that in general, the small business websites they use are “tired” and “unimpressive”, and 41 per cent frequently find errors such as typos or broken URLs. Many consumers feel that many small business websites today are unattractive and often do not perform well. How well does your own website measure up? It is thus, unsurprising that a further study of
480 UK small firms with a website finds that 50 per cent have never asked their customers for feedback about their website. However, many owners are aware that they have website
problems. 66 per cent of firms surveyed admit that they struggle to maintain an attractive website, with the most common pain-point being the sourcing of fresh content (38 per cent). 30 per cent have been ‘reluctant’ or ‘embarrassed’ to recommend their website to their customers, at least once, because they knew of faults. Significantly, many British consumers are keen to help business owners create a more satisfying online experience. Given the facility for providing feedback, 33 per cent of website users would provide a review or recommendation for improving a small business website. Hence, all types of company, whether they are a shop or an estate agent, should add a feedback form to their website, or set up an email address for collecting valuable user-comments. UK businesses can be reassured that investments made to improve their websites can positively impact their bottom line. The research shows that keeping an ugly or badly functioning website online can comprise a risk to your revenue and development. Consumers have ever higher expectations, and it is essential that every company website inspires confidence.
TOOLS TO GIVE A HEAD START Today there are website packages aimed
specifically at helping small businesses launch a compelling and effective website in minutes. In particular, there are packages from around £10/month that provide a choice of industry- specific templates and content, such as those for estate agents. The packages are designed to be used by any level of computer user and include everything an agent needs to launch online. An industry-specific website package will come with a property-themed template, related pre- filled texts and images. Within such packages, there will be tools for social media and mobile functionality, and features like feedback forms, relevant image library and location, news and weather content, as well as shop functionality. No enterprise can afford the loss of image
and sales revenue that a poorly presented or broken website can lead to. Every agency would be wise to ensure that their website improves even modestly every month. Most often, it is not the ‘wow factor’ that wins out, it is the consistent and effective who are rewarded on today’s Web. Richard Stevenson, 1&1 Internet Ltd,
www.1and1.co.uk
PROPERTYdrum FEBRUARY 2012 25
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