8 Common Website Issues That Drive Customers Away

Most customers leave websites because of these 8 common issues:

1. Slow Loading Speed: 40% of users leave if a site takes over 3 seconds to load.
   Fix: Optimize images, enable caching, and use a CDN.

2. Poor Mobile Experience: 57% of users won’t recommend a business with a bad mobile site.
   Fix: Use responsive design, larger buttons, and faster load times.

3. Confusing Navigation: 50% of sales are lost because users can’t find what they need.
   Fix: Simplify menus, add a search bar, and follow the "three-click rule."

4. Outdated Design: 38% of users leave if a site looks old or unattractive.
   Fix: Update fonts, add white space, and use modern layouts.

5. Broken Elements: Broken links or features increase bounce rates by 88%.
   Fix: Regularly audit links and fix errors with tools like Google Search Console.

6. Lack of Accessibility: 71% of users with disabilities leave inaccessible websites.
   Fix: Add alt text, improve contrast, and ensure keyboard navigation works.

7. Weak Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Poorly designed CTAs hurt conversions.
   Fix: Use clear, bold buttons with action-driven text like "Get Started Now."

8. Missing Essential Information: Visitors abandon sites missing contact details or key info.
   Fix: Include clear contact options, FAQs, and easy-to-find details.

Quick Summary Table

Fixing these problems can increase conversions, improve user experience, and keep customers coming back.

9 Website Mistakes That Cost You Customers (And How to Fix Them)

1. Slow Loading Speed

A slow-loading website isn't just frustrating - it can seriously hurt your business. Studies show that 47% of users expect a website to load within 2 seconds, and 40% will leave if it takes longer than 3 seconds [1]. That’s a lot of potential customers lost in just a few seconds.

How to Check Site Speed

Before you can fix your site’s speed, you need to understand how it’s performing. These two tools can give you the insights you need:

• Google PageSpeed Insights: Analyze both mobile and desktop performance at pagespeed.web.dev. It provides:

  • A performance score

  • Core Web Vitals metrics

  • Specific recommendations to speed things up

• GTmetrix: Dive deeper with:

  • PageSpeed and YSlow scores

  • Waterfall charts to see how elements load

  • Practical suggestions for improvement

How to Fix a Slow Website

Speeding up your site involves a few key steps:

• Optimize Images: Compress images with tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce file size without sacrificing quality. Use JPEG for photos and PNG for transparent images. Lazy loading can also delay the loading of off-screen images until they’re needed.

• Technical Tweaks:

  • Enable browser caching to store static files locally

  • Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML to remove unnecessary code

  • Use GZIP compression to shrink file sizes

  • Combine files to cut down on HTTP requests

• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN distributes your site’s content across multiple servers worldwide, reducing load times by up to 50% [8]. This is especially helpful if you have visitors from different regions.

Keep monitoring your site’s performance. Remember, 53% of mobile users leave if a site takes more than 3 seconds to load [4]. Once your site is fast, make sure it works well on mobile - more on that next.

2. Poor Mobile Display

With 55% of global website traffic coming from mobile devices [1], a poorly designed mobile site doesn't just frustrate users - it drives them away. Research shows that 61% of users won't return to a mobile site if they had trouble using it, and 40% will head straight to a competitor's site instead [2].

Mobile Design Basics

The quality of your mobile design can directly affect your revenue. Take Etsy as an example: in June 2023, they improved their mobile site speed by 30% and saw a 15% boost in mobile conversions, adding $25M in quarterly revenue.

Here are some key elements of effective mobile design:

Making Sites Mobile-Ready

Turning your site into a mobile-friendly experience takes a focused approach. Here's what effective mobile optimization involves:

• Responsive Layouts: Ensure your site automatically adjusts to different screen sizes while staying easy to read.

• Thumb-Friendly Navigation: Design interactive elements with thumb-sized spacing and ensure buttons are easy to tap.

• Content Tweaks: Format text for mobile by breaking it into shorter paragraphs and using clear headings.

Tools like Google's Mobile-Friendly Test and PageSpeed Insights can help you spot and fix mobile-specific problems.

Keep in mind, mobile optimization isn't a one-and-done task. Regular testing on various devices and ongoing updates are essential to keep up with user expectations. Once your site runs smoothly on mobile, you can shift your focus to creating intuitive navigation - something we'll dive into next.

3. Hard-to-Use Navigation

Bad navigation isn’t just frustrating - it can cost your business big time. Studies show that 94% of users prioritize easy navigation as the most important feature of a website [1]. Even worse, 50% of potential sales are lost because visitors can’t find what they need [1].

Signs Your Navigation Needs Help

Research from the Nielsen Norman Group found that 37% of users leave websites due to navigation issues [1]. Here are some common problems and their impact:

How to Fix Your Navigation

Since better navigation can increase conversion rates by up to 200% [2], here’s how you can improve it:

• Simplify Menus: Stick to the "three-click rule", which means users should find what they need in three clicks or less. Amazon’s mega-menu structure is a great example, with products grouped into clear, logical categories.

• Make Search Easy: About 30% of visitors rely on the search bar [14], so place it at the top of the page and include autocomplete to save users time.

• Think Mobile-First: Many users browse on mobile devices, so your navigation must work seamlessly across screens.

Walmart saw an 18.5% boost in conversion rates after revamping their navigation with simpler categories and better search functionality [10].

Now that we’ve tackled navigation, let’s dive into how outdated design can drive visitors away.

4. Old-Looking Design

Even if your site is easy to navigate, an outdated look can drive visitors away. In fact, 38% of users will leave immediately if your website seems unattractive or old-fashioned [1].

Signs Your Design Needs an Update

Web design trends have moved forward, and some features scream "outdated" to users. Here are a few design flaws that can make visitors uncomfortable:

For example, Moz revamped its website in 2022 under the direction of Emily Grossman, their user experience expert. The redesign boosted returning visitors by 22% and improved conversion rates within just six months.

How to Refresh Your Design

Focusing on a few impactful updates can make a big difference:

Even if you’re working with a tight budget, tools like templates and website builders can help you achieve a modern, polished look. Clean layouts, proper use of white space, and consistent branding can go a long way in meeting user expectations.

Next, we’ll explore how broken elements can erode trust and harm your site's credibility.

5. Broken Site Elements

Broken elements on a website can harm both trust and user experience. Research from Ahrefs reveals that 88.3% of broken links happen when websites remove or move content without setting up proper redirects [1]. This isn't just a minor inconvenience - studies show that sites with broken elements can see bounce rates increase by as much as 88% [9].

Why Links Break

There are a few common reasons why site elements break, and each comes with its own challenges:

For example, fixing broken elements on just 17% of product pages led to a 23% increase in conversions within three months [5].

Finding and Fixing Errors

The best way to keep your website running smoothly is to have a clear plan for spotting and fixing broken elements.

Here's how top companies tackle this issue:

For instance, Moz managed to cut user-reported errors by 68% in just three months [2].

Using tools like Pingdom for monthly checks can prevent up to 80% of potential issues [6]. Fixing these problems not only improves functionality but also supports accessibility, which we’ll dive into next.

6. Poor Accessibility

Inaccessible websites do more than frustrate - they actively drive away users. In fact, 71% of users with disabilities leave a website if it lacks accessibility features [12].

Basic Accessibility Rules

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outline key standards every website should meet. These principles are the backbone of accessible design:

A landmark case involving Domino's Pizza highlighted the importance of accessibility. In 2019, the Supreme Court let stand a ruling against the company after a blind user couldn’t order food using screen-reading software. This solidified the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act to digital platforms.

Making Sites Accessible

Here are some tools and strategies to improve accessibility:

97.4% of home pages had detectable WCAG 2 failures, with low contrast text being the most common issue, affecting 86.3% of pages [4]. To address these challenges:

• Use semantic HTML and organize headings logically.

• Clearly label form fields and fix screen-reader errors.

• Ensure all elements are navigable via keyboard.

Accessible forms can boost completion rates by 10-40% [8]. Meanwhile, the number of web accessibility lawsuits in the U.S. rose by 14% in 2021, totaling 2,895 cases [15]. This trend reflects growing consumer demand for inclusive online experiences.

While accessibility ensures users can interact with your site, poorly designed CTAs can stop them from taking the next step. We'll dive into this issue in the following section.

7. Weak Call-to-Action Buttons

Weak CTAs can seriously hurt your conversions and customer retention. Just like slow loading times or confusing navigation, poorly designed CTAs drive potential customers away. Here's a powerful stat: 90% of visitors who read your headline also check out your CTA copy[7]. Even better, personalized CTAs convert 202% more than generic ones[13].

What Makes CTAs Effective

The secret to a strong CTA lies in its design. Small tweaks can make a big difference:

For example, when Performable changed their CTA button color from green to red, they saw a 21% increase in conversions[6]. The trick? Make your buttons pop without being overwhelming.

Where to Place CTAs

Placement is just as important as design. The Nielsen Norman Group discovered that placing primary CTAs above the fold significantly improves visibility[5].

Neil Patel saw a 46% boost in conversions just by using exit-intent CTAs[8].

Don't forget about mobile users. With 57% of people unwilling to recommend businesses with poor mobile experiences[8], optimizing mobile CTAs is non-negotiable. Here's how:

• Make buttons large enough for easy tapping.

While crafting strong CTAs can drive conversions, they won't fix everything. Addressing broader site issues is essential to keep users engaged and loyal.

Conclusion: Fix These Issues Now

Website problems can hurt both your conversions and customer retention. Issues like slow loading times or hard-to-find CTAs can frustrate visitors and drive them away.

The numbers don't lie: 40% of users leave a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load [4]. Even one unresolved issue can have a noticeable impact on your business.

Maintaining your website isn’t something you do once and forget. It needs regular updates and fixes to stay effective and keep up with the competition.

Each day these problems remain unfixed, you risk losing more customers to your competitors. Address these challenges now to turn your website into a tool for growth instead of a roadblock.

FAQs

What are the problems with the website?

These recurring issues have a direct impact on the customer retention strategies mentioned earlier in this article:

Key Categories:

• Technical Issues

• Design Problems

• User Experience Challenges

Technical Issues

• Broken links and non-functional site elements

• Poor performance on mobile devices

• Security risks and vulnerabilities

Design Problems

• Outdated or unattractive visuals

• Overcrowded layouts

• Designs tailored only for desktop users

• Poor color contrast, making text hard to read

User Experience Challenges

• Complicated or unclear navigation

• Ineffective or poorly placed call-to-action buttons

• Missing essential details like contact information

• Lack of features for accessibility

Use these diagnostic insights alongside the solutions provided earlier in the article.

Fixing Priority Guide:

Follow this guide to address the issues in a timely manner while applying the solutions discussed previously.

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• How Page Website Speed Impacts User Retention

• 5 Ways to Increase Website Conversion Rates for Services

• How to Measure Digital Marketing ROI for Services