Good Article On Client Loyalty

I was cruising round the internet earlier and came across an article written by a leading Devon Design Agency that I wanted to share with you, and that resonated a high degree of truth in these trying times.

If you’re an optimist you will look at recessions as necessary, think about it for a moment – they weed out the cowboys in pretty much all industries be it online marketing, creative, property or even designer fashion. This one’s been with us 2 years now and a record number of businesses have hit the wall… some deservedly and others unfortunately.

The heart of the article I read was around improving your website for the benefit of an ever growing nation of demanding and fussy web users. It mentioned that a staggering 80% of potential customers will visit your website before they do business with you.
So why are people still not taking their online exposure seriously? Is it because they simply don’t understand it, or perhaps don’t want to understand it?

The vast majority of businesses today have a website, but I’d suggest 1 in every 4 is a shocker to be fair – I simply don’t know how these businesses survive! They carry very little in the way of messaging, are confusing to the eye and therefore miss the trick. Surely these little things should have been ironed out over 5 years ago when Social Media raised its beautiful head?

The crazy thing is that it’s not just small businesses, multinationals are just as guilty if not more so. They have no excuses – they have the budgets.
Remember also that it’s not about just having a decent looking website – USABILITY is absolutely key and if you haven’t got a handle on this then there’s no time like the present.

So… how to build greater client loyalty? As an agency… get in the know about all the factors that make a website succeed and advise your clients well – they’ll reward you with their loyalty. As a client… find someone with a good track record of online success, not just a ‘pretty’ designer!

Anyway, I’ll get off my soap box now and leave you in peace, but do please check out the article if you get 5 mins – it’s an interesting perspective.