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Causes of Customer Frustration and Anxiety!

This is the short list!

These are just some of the reasons why building a website as a technical exercise is done entirely at your own risk ...

And ALWAYS remember - once a visitor is in your site they are ALWAYS just ONE click away from leaving!
Slow loading pages. Total frustration and anger! It's called Internet Rage, and happens after a 20 sec wait-time! Imagine what a customer is feeling after a 2 minute wait!
Large, complex, or non-message- carrying images. They slow page loads, are usually totally un-necessary, and take valuable space. Many website images have no message relevant or necessary to the site function, and take ink and page area to print!
Poor site navigation. One of the major reasons for click-off from your site!
Lack of relevant and full information. Really bugging!
Using technology which the visitor doesn't already have loaded to their computer. This is OK if either (a) it's support software is fast to download (even at 56 Kbps) or, (b) if it's necessary to obtain full site function once they are a committed trader.
Horizontal scrolling! Almost always this is combined with the inability to print a whole page width. Great way to lose a customer! (Vertical scrolling is expected and perfectly ok.)
Background printing. Or even worse negative contrast print. Looks great. Is deadly to comprehension and printing! Requires a full background print to occur to read text and rapidly empties your customer's Bubble Jet Ink Cartridge which has just cost the $50 to replace! Great for Customer Relations!
Illegible text size and/or colour contrast. Great for teens. Devastating for anyone over 20!
Expressions which use language in contrast to your target customer's expressive style or culture. Just reinforces their decision to deal elsewhere!
Animated images or text. OK in very small doses. Total distraction to most visitors!
Presentation of information in such a way that you have to be an "expert" to understand. If your target market is wider than experts then you have serious problems!
Variances in your target behaviour. Great way to generate confusion and frustration!
Absence of difficulty in finding FULL details about you, your company, and your contact details. Would you want to place your trust in someone who didn't want to be identified?
Absence of a Privacy Statement. Why give personal details to someone if you don't know how they will be used?
The absence of clear and REAL security if your site requires more than just name and contact details. This one's just common sense!
Broken or not-working navigation paths. When a customer clicks a link they expect things to happen - in the way they expect. Don't you?
It is ESSENTIAL to remember that the technology being used by your average customer will be nothing like that used by your web designer or - very probably - by you! What you customer sees and experiences in your site is VERY likely to be very different from that seen by you.

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