Good website design: Are you losing sales from poorly executed web design?

In a recent article, SmartCompany focuses in on a massive opportunity for small online retailers to snap up customers. According to research published this week by FedEx Express, this opportunity hangs on whether a business has a responsive and easy-to-use website, an often neglected fact.

According to the 9,000 individuals that made up the study, 11% of Australian consumers would choose to purchase from a small independent online retailer before a larger or international brand. However, of the respondents who expressed a low desire to purchase from a niche e-retailer, around half said their reluctance was due to poor website design.

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It’s not just good website design, competitive shipping speeds and product tracking were the most influential factors in influencing a customer’s decision – with more than 40% of respondents saying a long delivery period would discourage them from buying from an SME’s website.

41% of consumers said their purchasing behaviour is influenced by a lack of recognition or reputation of an SME retailer.

SmartCompany spoke to Paul Greenberg, chief executive of the National Online Retailers Association, who told them there’s been “quite a lot of buzz” over the past few years around independent commerce businesses. “The good news is there’s a good opportunity for Australian niche retailers, locally, domestically as well as globally,” Greenberg says.

“Some would argue that we have almost had a return to a bespoke, artisan-style kind of retail as maybe a pushback against mass consumption. I’m a bit agnostic either way but there are a lot of arguments and data to support the view that there is a lot of interest in those niche retailers – and why wouldn’t Australia lead the charge?”

Greenberg goes on telling Smartcompany, that it’s important online retailers have websites that are fast-loading, mobile-optimised and are easy to navigate. “Not only the product that you sell but the whole user experience needs to honour and reflect that brand,” he says.

“So retail is detail. And the challenge on us as SMEs is – even though it’s a hard road to walk – not to drop the ball on that end-to-end experience. A great design, fast and simple functionality are a part of that.”

Around 80% of Australians purchased at least one item online last year.

Read original article here