Flashy web sites shouldn’t cost customers

Web site redesigns often provoke criticism from even the most devoted users. People don’t always like change, although they eventually warm to new online features in most cases. But when web site redesigns also include usability and performance issues, the user backlash can get serious for businesses who have come to rely on online sales.

Companies often redesign their web sites to enhance web-based routes to market in a bid to keep pace with competitors. But opting to invest in a flashy, visually engaging web site without investing in the back-end IT performance can prove costly. People shop online for convenience; outages, slow response times or web site errors negate the reasons they chose to shop online in the first place. This can result in lost business, as the competition is only a few clicks away.

Usability and performance problems can also result in embarrassment. Waitrose is one recent example. The grocery shop’s online redesign went live in March to a slew of complaints and criticism. On its web site forums, users vented complaints about slow reaction times, navigating difficulties and an overall poor experience. The complaints spread to Twitter and Facebook before being picked up by the national media. Online issues don’t always remain online.

Waitrose is fortunate enough to have a dedicated user base, but, for many businesses operating in other sectors, loss of sales due to outages and performance issues can and does have devastating consequences.

The web represents a signi­ficant source of income for many businesses. And for
companies relying on online banking or trading, service platforms and even cloud applications, launching new online services only to let down customers with usability issues can be damaging.

The underlying IT of a web site is the engine room, and it needs to be running smoothly and be constantly monitored. Issues with speed of access and navigation of a web site will not only cause customers to abandon processes, but might affect their decision to do business with the company at all.

Businesses who want to maximise online opportunities and serve users with the latest web site functions must have effective tools in place to monitor and manage back-office applications. These applications enable sites to function and ensure that the web site works effectively to convert sales and keep customers happy.

Companies that are not managing customer interactions thoroughly, from the web front-end to integration with back-end systems, risk a negative effect on customer experience and, ultimately, revenue generation. What is the point of a great-looking web site if customers can’t use it?