The 15 second rule: Four reasons why users might be leaving your website

Did you know that fifteen seconds on average is all it takes for someone to decide whether to leave or stay on your website? Exploring the reasons behind why they leave will help you create a better and more engaging site for improved conversion!

  1. Page loading speed

Is your page slow to load? Customers and prospects who land on your site might be turned off if your website is taking too long to load for them. Not only that, search engines like Google will also rank websites with longer page load times further down when customers search for relevant keywords, hence decreasing the chances of them making a purchase from your site.

  1. Unoptimised website layout

More often than not, visitors don’t read a webpage, they merely skim through the contents. Having an engaging visual and clear layout will guide them to go about “exploring” your website, while driving one or a few key messages across effectively will influence them to make the decision you want them to, be it clicking a link, filling up a form or making a purchase. Thus the need to make sure your website contents are well-organised and that key elements are driven across “at a glance” during their stay.

  1. Difficult to read content

You might have your content researched and perfectly expressed, but might your choice typeface and text colour contrast (or lack thereof) be stopping customers from picking up your messages? In general, do stick to high-contrast colours which facilitate reading and use fonts that are free of ornaments for best results.

  1. A misleading landing page promise

It is important to not just focus on getting people to your site. If your landing page has made a promise to draw searchers or target groups of audiences, then the web page should also have the same relevant content, so users will not feel ‘cheated’ when they do not find what they expect. Make sure you’re not just using clickbait terms, but be prepared to deliver the quality information they are looking for!