If you’re wondering why your website visitors are not converting, it is probably because of friction. Quicksprout defines friction as “any variable, website quality, or user behavior trend that is slowing down (or entirely halting) the progression of your company’s sales cycle.” You may have the best product on the market, but website friction will only turn off prospects and burn your chance of a sale.
How Friction Hurts Your Company
According to a blog published on SuperOffice, 55% of customers said that a poor website experience negatively impacts their opinion of a brand. Today’s customers won’t tolerate inferior websites, and any friction in your design or content could keep them from doing business with you.
Your company’s reputation can also suffer because friction is seen as bad customer service. To them, it reflects the kind of company you are and the level of quality you will provide.
To get people to buy from you, you need to think like a customer and eliminate friction from your website!
Below are some of the most common areas where friction occurs, and how to fix them:
Time
Time friction refers to any delay in the website experience. If it takes too long to complete an action such as filling out a form or watching a video, visitors will leave your website. This can also happen when images load too slowly or when your content is simply hard to read.
Whether through website improvement or a redesign, you must work to reduce the number of steps your visitors need to take. They will appreciate a seamless website experience and will reward you with their trust and business.
Attention
A cluttered or ugly website makes it’s difficult for visitors to identify your key message. They become distracted and less attentive, so turning their interest into action becomes difficult.
Make sure all the elements of your website work together to guide their attention towards your most important content. Use visual hierarchy (color, typography, and placement) combined with well-thought-out messaging to not only grab their attention, but also to move them forward in their Buyer’s Journey.
Frustration
Frustration arises when your website doesn’t function as expected, sometimes provoking an angry response. For example, search bars that don’t work, downloads that have too many steps, broken links, or broken forms all cause irritation. This can cause uncertainty, fear, and doubt in your visitor’s mind, and lead them to question your capabilities.
A website audit can identify areas on your site that cause frustration, including its overall usability. To ease frustration, we recommend doing two things: first, anticipate user expectations and, second, meet those expectations when they visit your website.
Wording
Your web copy can also be a source of friction. Web conversion copywriter Joanna Wiebe said that friction words are common in calls to action.
To optimize the user experience, avoid using high-friction words such as Buy, Sign Up, Submit, Give, Invest, Donate, and Complete. These words imply that visitors need to give up something. Instead, use words that have been shown to reduce friction such as Get, Check This Out, Discover, Reveal, and Earn.
Website friction prevents visitors from building a relationship with you. To gain their trust and engage in a conversation that will continue, learn where your friction points are, improve the overall user experience, and always invest in customer satisfaction. The result will be a website that can effectively drives sales for your business!
The Blender Marketing is an experienced B2B Marketing Agency specializing in website design and redesign. If you’d like us to help you identify and eliminate friction on your website, CLICK HERE to sign up for a free website audit.
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