Many people indulge in the illusion that just because they built a website, others will find it and interact with it. Wake up! That’s not how it works! This silly thought is like you holding a party and not inviting anyone, but still assuming that people will come. Even if they come, one more thing happens. Your party has no food, no drinks, no friends to talk to, and no entertainment activities, you still believe that a sucking party can grab their attention and keep them staying. How can? It goes the same with your website!
The 5 Reasons Why Visitors Leave Your Website
Have you ever wondered what makes people leave your website so quickly? Why do visitors keep clicking away although you put a lot of effort into creating the site? Below are five major reasons people may click on the red “X”
1. Loading…wait…still loading!
According to Hosting Facts, “A single second delay in your website loading time can result in a 7% loss in conversion, and 40% of web users will abandon a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load”.
Nobody likes waiting for so long! It’s quite obvious that attracting potential customers is hard enough, grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. There are tons of other options available out there, why would they waste their time waiting for your page to load? If they really need to visit your website then they might be a little patient, but if they’re just curious or have clicked a link on impulse then they’re more likely to leave right away.
2. Anywhere they go, ads follow them down
Do not scare off prospective customers by overwhelming them with too many ads. I know advertisements can make your money grow but this doesn’t mean you can put it anywhere you like or prioritize it over the content.
What you need to do is not only limit the number of ads but also determine the place where they should be displayed. Remember, do not show ads as the first thing visitors see, especially do not let them take up more of your site’s real estate than the content.
Recommended reading: 30 Web Design Trends and Tips to Make Your Own Trend
3. Auto-play – Thanks, but who needs that?
I don’t know about you, but nothing drives me nuts more than a video or audio that auto-plays when I access a page. Visitors always want to be the ones who decide when and if they want to watch a video or listen to audio. Therefore, when they are instantly bombarded with an unwanted cacophony of sounds and images without their consent, they tend to leave immediately.
So if you’ve set your videos to autoplay, please turn them off. Your visitors will thank you for it!
Recommended reading: 5 Best Benefits of Responsive Web Design for Your Business
4. Your site looks like it is from…the stone age
Believe it or not, still, people do judge a book by its cover and simultaneously a website by its appearance. When visitors access your page, the first thing that catches their eye is your website’s design. Just like a saying that goes: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”, the first impression always matters, make sure it’s a good one!
Every design decision you make – from the fonts you use to the colors of your text and background – will affect the user experience for better or for worse. And, be careful – most visitors have a low tolerance for cluttered and confusing websites
5. Not a responsive website? Hello, it’s 2016 now!
People spend a lot of their time on mobile devices nowadays doing business, checking email, shopping, or even playing games. It’s a must for any type of website to be optimized for mobile.
It’s incredibly frustrating to try to zoom in and out, up and down, left and right on a smaller device to read the content. That’s obviously the last thing a customer wants when they are on the move and need to find out about your business. Remember, people want convenience, not a challenge. Responsive design can help visitors relieve this stress. So, if your site is not accommodating this change, visitors will hit the “Back” button without regret.
Conclusion
So, there you have some of the major factors that make people leave a website before they’ve really visited it. By addressing that, I hope that you can find out your own issues and improve your website’s performance.
Your turn! What turns you off? Can you think of other reasons people are leaving a website? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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