10 Reasons People Hate Your Website
There are a variety of reasons why a website does not behave how it should and oftentimes website owners are not really aware of all of the possibilities that could slow down the growth of their website over time.
Here are my top 10 reasons people hate your website:
1. Too many Google Ads: Trying to monetize your site is perfectly fine, but covering the entire homepage with Google ads is not going to make you successful.
2. Poor Load Time: You don’t want your audience to sit there for a minute because the load time of your website is very slow. They will leave.
3. Poor Graphics: Your graphics need to appeal to your audience and if yours do not you might get people leaving your website fairly quickly.
4. Confusing Layout: Your website needs to lead your traffic down a path and a confusing layout might turn them off or really confuse them.
5. Poor Navigation: Your website navigation should be laid out thoroughly and in a fashion that is not confusing to your audience.
6. Too Much SEO: Nobody wants to view a website that has more links than content so make sure that it is first readable by your audience before you SEO it to death.
7. No Blog: Believe it or not there are certain people that will not engage with your website if it doesn’t have a blog.
8. Lack of Contact Info: Visible contact info is something that allows website visitors to feel warm and fuzzy in order to make further contact with your company.
9. Broken Links: Always make sure that the links on your website are working and not broken. People really don’t like clicking on links that lead them to nowhere.
10. Lack of Information: Your website should have the proper information to answer any of your website visitor’s questions. A lack of information could cause them to go elsewhere.
Make sure that you go through your website with a fine toothed comb and clean up any of these Website Building 101 concerns that sometimes plague website owners from growing their business well into the future. Make sure that people do not HATE your website!
25 Responses to “10 Reasons People Hate Your Website”
The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Journal is Written by SEO Expert:
Nick Stamoulis
Tel - 781-999-1222
nick@brickmarketing.com
Brick Marketing - SEO Company
I’ve gotten accustomed to seeing too many google ads I think. I find them annoying but if the site has good info, I will put up with them.
Load time is my number 1 reason to jump ship (or site in this case).
All in all, I agree with your top ten with one exception. I never considered the importance of a blog. But I am willing to admit that it’s probably an age thing. Late 30s vs mid 20s.
Thanks for the tips,
Robert
Nice list! Here are some more…
11. Pop-ups that get in my way as I’m trying to read a page.
12. A home page that talks about the company instead of what I’m looking for. (I really don’t give a crap about your “vision” when I need a solution to my problem.)
13. A design that doesn’t look good in MY browser (text mashed together, images cut off, etc.). (Sites should be tested in all browsers.)
Yes the user experience is often neglected in favour of “SEO magic” which is often not really SEO, nor magic!
I recently wrote a blog on this asking “is your website roadworthy?”. We want traffic and yet often business websites fail the most basic elements, including these that you outline above.
Of course many business owners have no idea how to review their own site so a list can be useful to get them understanding the issues that can make or break their website being found online… and more importantly, converting that traffic to enquiry for sales.
10/10!
The best written advices (without any unnecessary words the very essence of things)
great piece. we will fix some of these issues asap!
thanks for sharing.
saverio manzo
You forgot…get rid of the *%^#@* Flash. I’m looking for information, not wanting to be entertained with crap your web designer thought was cool while I do it.
For innkeepers we have even more to think about.
We can add our own turn offs, here are some that jump out right off the bat for me:
Specials from Valentine’s day and it is now APRIL.
Christmas photos – year round
Music mandatory (not if you choose to listen)
Dancing icons like angels, elves, etc
Clean clear photos of B&B stuff
Big giant photos that take forever to load
Poor images, closed shots that show no room detail (which makes us feel like it is on purpose to hide something)
Prices ON the rooms pages with the rooms info
Stinkin’ badges – inn’s that think having badges all over the home page are attractive, ick
Lack of a clear map to show WHERE you are located and in perspective to major cities (so not a close up of your street or town only)
Lack of Innkeeper information – at least have a welcome page with a small photo of smiling host(s) NOT just a photo of a couple of mutts. This is a turn off, the dogs ARE not the innkeepers, people!
Too much on each page – please do yourself a favor and break it into multiple pages, add a site map, don’t STUFF every page. Keep the page length managable and viewable, if we have to page down more than once it is too much
Phone, contact, address on every page
Where/how to book on every page
Here are some of our turn offs for B&B websites, some that jump out right off the bat for me:
1) Specials from Valentine’s day and it is now APRIL.
Lack of Prices ON the rooms pages with the rooms info
2) Christmas photos – year round
3) Music mandatory (not if you choose to listen)
4) Dancing icons like angels, elves, etc
5) Lack of Clean clear photos of B&B stuff
6) Big giant photos that take forever to load
7) Poor images, close-in shots that show no room detail (which makes us feel like it is on purpose to hide something)
9) Stinkin’ badges – inn’s that think having badges all over the home page are attractive, ick
10) Lack of a clear map to show WHERE you are located and in perspective to major cities (so not a close up of your street or town only)
11) Lack of simple Innkeeper information – at least have a welcome page with a small photo of smiling host(s) NOT just a photo of a couple of mutts. This is a turn off, the dogs ARE not the innkeepers, people!
12) Too much on each page – please do yourself a favor and break it into multiple pages, add a site map, don’t STUFF every page. Keep the page length managable and viewable, if we have to page down more than once it is too much
13) Lack of Phone, contact, address on every page – making us hunt for the info, we will move on to another website
14) Lack of Where/how to book on every page
Just a few IN ADDITION to your list.
Great list, Nick! As a marketing copywriter I feel obliged to point out that if your sales copy is not focused, relevant and concise then your click-throughs, conversions and sales will drop. People are busy and impatient and you will lose them fast unless you get to the point quickly, stay on track, and speak to the prospect’s self interest.
Guilty on three counts, if not more. The three things that discourage me from coming back to a site is the first reason, “Too many Google Ads”. There’s no problem monetizing the site, just don’t over do it.
As for “Broken Links”, nothing is worse than getting an error message when you actually want to check out what is behind the “curtain”.
Currently, I am trying to wrap my brain around what it is I want to provide people when they arrive at my site, so I understand the “Lack of Information” since right now, that’s what I have!
For automotive dealers, having updated incentives is key! Keep your message from traditional media consistent with your online message.
Your point on graphics is correct but misses some crucial information. Users are initially attracted to text on a webpage, not the graphics. Graphics should be relevant and provide value to the visitor rather than just serving as decoration.
Loading speed is critical for many users and images are often the largest source of slowdown, so gratuitous graphics are not appreciated. Having said that, relevant graphics that convey useful information to the user can be very valuable.
Thanks Brendon for reading and adding the additional key point!
Take Care,
Nick
@nick I am totally agree with your points what you told in the blog. One thing I wanna to add more if lack of good grammar and lots of spelling mistake in content also creates bad impression on visitor.
Your site information is not updated is also another factor for loosing a visitor
This is great information, and I also got some chuckles out of the comments. (Thanks Shellie Anne!)
My question is how do I share this information with my website clients without getting push back? So often they don’t want to hear it.
These are the top items I try to delicately share with website clients when helping to reorganize their site:
- You need a Home page link so people can return to the main page from anywhere on your site.
- Put your phone number right on the home/index page, even if you have a Contact Us page. Don’t make them do extra work.
- Put your vision and mission on your About Us page. Make your home page about the visitor.
- Create a clear sensible organization to guide visitors to the information they need.
- Have a very clear call to action.
This is typically met with resistance. Sigh!
Jayna
I’m interested to know why some people won’t read a website that has no blog. I do have a blog, just wondering what the connection is. Thanks.
Hi,
i hate too long time to load page; pop-up; to many google adv; very old news.. This is another importance thing in my opinion…
bye bye!
I also hate sites where the cursor is programmed to leave a trail of words, snowflakes, etc. Distracting and annoying!!
My pet hates are flash and who thought that yellow or white text on a light grey background was a good idea ?
Thanks Nick! This is great advice and a reminder to test my links frequently.
yes, I also hate the site too many links, pop up, adv..too long respond and no update news.
Right on Sarah Dolk. I was getting hassled to redesign my site because it looks boring. I can’t tell you how many people compliment me on my site because I think they’re sick to death of crappy images that take up the entire front page.
My most popular products are on the first page so people can click once and get what they need – what’s so bad about that web “designers”?
Thanks everyone for reading and for sharing your thoughts!
Take Care!
Nick
I agree with whom added # 11 above.
POP-ups = bounce for me.
No different then a pushy sales person all of a sudden showing up in-your-face.
Look at it from a users point-of-view. If we want help we know where to go if your site is usable.
Also the screens that do not let one leave ! Very annoying. A smart site will utilize metrics to come back with an opt-in offer.
Thanks for top 10. Nick.
Mark
Excellent list. Thankyou Nick!