There is a reason that people say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The opinion that people have of you is usually formed within a matter of seconds, and the first three seconds that someone spends on your website can usually make or break their purchase. It could be anything from load times to information or colour schemes. Lucky for us, a tech company named HubShout conducted an exhaustive survey to find out what customers want out of a website.

93%

More than 9 out of 10 respondents said that they used a smart phone. While the popularity of these pocket-sized computing marvels has never been in doubt, 93% is still an incredibly high percentage. This means that you need to make sure that your website is mobile friendly and makes use of the staples of mobile surfing that we have covered in the past, namely drop down menus, infinite scroll, and click-to-call capabilities. Keep it simple. A smooth, clear, simplistic interface with clear navigation that allows seamless movement around the site is paramount.

61%

Out of all respondents, nearly 61% said that they use their phones to look up businesses frequently. This means that nearly two out of every three are using their smart phone to try and find you. Mobile SEO is continuing to blend further and further with general SEO, and this means you need to get yourself up to speed on the latest techniques.

What they want to see

Out of everything possible listed on the survey, the bulk of people said that they wanted just a few things displayed prominently on your web page

  • Business Hours – 88%
  • Phone number – 85%
  • Contact info and address – 82%
  • Prices – 70%
  • Menu – 67%
  • Photos – 39%

Despite mobile technology being so advanced, people have remained the same. They want the essential information on your business – not fluff.  A long spiel about being the best is just going to inconvenience them. Wow them with your display, and then put the basic info up. That’s what they want.

Don’t

Pretend that you are a customer on your mobile site, and are struggling to find something on the go. Do you want to be searching around for the phone number, address, or photos while time is at a premium? Most people said that they wanted to see the necessities, and the biggest annoyance was when they couldn’t find them. Other than that, some of the pet peeves of the respondents were:

  • Tiny text that needs to be pinched or zoomed – 32%
  • Poor fit – 28%
  • No click-to-call – 25%

Packing too much information and too many pages is also a no-no. Keep it simple.

Although there is much ado about building mobile sites and finding new ways to attract customers, this survey from HubShout proves that people are still out for the basic things about your web page. While it is important to know the latest techniques in marketing, SEO and mobile design, when it comes to things that should be front and center on your page, the basics like hours, photos, and numbers still come first. Now that you know what customers want to see on your mobile site, go fix yours up and get in the game.