COMMENTARY--An alarmingly high percentage of business people rarely return to Web sites where they've had a bad experience, suggesting that companies are missing opportunities with customers they didn't even know they had. In fact, we now know that 89 percent of business people aren't that impressed with the corporate sites they visit, and 66 percent rarely, if ever, return to sites that have let them down.
These are key results from a recent national study of business people, which Enterpulse conducted to see just how Web sites were measuring up in meeting customer expectations. The results confirm the suspicions of many, yet offer some surprising conclusions too. Among them are the fact that neither business nor consumer sites are fully meeting expectations, and that corporations have even less of a window to impress visitors than previously thought.
Failing to attract and keep online visitors
The business professionals surveyed indicated clear gaps between what they expected from Web sites and how they felt sites were delivering especially in regards to easy navigation and tools that help them make decisions and remember who they are. Today's Internet savvy business professionals have no patience for sites that fail to deliver customer-friendly features, responses and outcomes. In fact, 66 percent say they rarely -- if ever -- return to a site once they've had a bad experience. And if that isn't enough of a wake up call, 90 percent of those surveyed said they expect companies to respond to questions submitted via their Web sites within 24 hours. And 58 percent wanted that response even quicker -- in less than eight hours.
What should companies do with this information? Ignoring it is an option, but not a smart one. As more and more business people come online who grew up with the Internet, and as more and more employees grow dependent upon corporate intranets to provide information relative to their jobs, current problems will only be magnified. Instead, a careful analysis of what people are looking for, combined with putting in place a basic Web strategy that addresses those requirements, is ultimately a better approach.
Making sure a site measures up
While most sites today provide adequate basics, like current, timely information, they aren't thinking ahead of the curve and are failing to establish and grow long-term customer relationships as a result. But there are some things companies can do now to boost the satisfaction quotient of their sites.
Have the must haves
There are certain basic features that every site should have. Not surprisingly, according to the survey, the features business people were most adamant about include:
* Up-to-Date Site: Information must be up to date and timely. People are likely to go elsewhere if they can't find the information they need instantly or the information isn't accurate.
* Easy Navigation: Think about a site from the audience inward, not the corporation outward. Think like a visitor thinks, know what's important to them, don't assume they know the company's structure and design the site's navigation accordingly. Make sure the site is easy to maneuver and that it has quick routes to the most-needed information.
* Complete Information: Make sure all the information that each of the company's audience -- customers, employees and suppliers -- is looking for is available on the site. Don't forget obvious information like a number to call an office or store directly if a visitor needed to reach someone live.
* Quick Loading: Today, users have little patience for slow-loading graphics and logos. Make it easier for them to click off to a faster site, they undoubtedly will.
And then go beyond
Once all the basic site requirements are covered, companies should begin designing a long-term strategy that could push a company ahead of the curve, appealing to the evolving interests and expectations of current users, and those users soon to come online. These include:
* Letting People Update Information and Complete Transactions: Web visitors no longer simply want to read the text on a site. They expect and demand new ways to interact with a company. Fine-tune the site to enable visitors to update personal information on their own, and to transact in a way that is easy and intuitive for them.
* Being Visually Appealing: People are looking for a clean, uncluttered, view of a company that enhances site navigation. Good design doesn't require heavy graphics that hamper the load time of Web site changes.
* Remembering Users: People tend to be more loyal to the sites that remember them. Available technology lets companies capture and leverage vital information, which will ultimately be used to enhance an online experience. A personalized response to a customer's individual information and preferences, remembering can simplify processes and save people valuable time, which builds site loyalty.
* Offering Interactive Tools: Gone are the days when visitors were looking for a company backgrounder and latest press release. While this content is still important, extend the value of a site by providing interactive tools that help users weigh their options, make decisions, even generate reports on topics of interest.
* Proactively Helping Them Find What They Need: Providing the expected is one way to meet expectations. But to exceed expectations, companies need to do more. Give people information they didn't ask for, but which relevant to their needs and areas of interest. This will help set a site apart as a valuable resource on the Web.
The wake-up call
How many people are turning away from sites not that impressed with the company in general that they don't even know about? By taking steps now to hone and refine Web strategies, elevating it to the c-suite so that a company-wide vision of activity is strong, an organization can distinguish itself, and earn lasting rewards from customers, suppliers, employees—all that interact with the company.
More detailed information on this survey, including a downloadable copy of the white paper highlighting its findings and the implications for businesses, is online at www.enterpulse.com.
Michael Reene, Chairman & CEO of Enterpulse, was formally the general manager of IBM's global telecommunications business as well as a managing partner at Accenture.
