The best reason for investing properly in your website: a really bad one can seriously hinder your chance of getting repeat custom.

A dodgy website could do significant damage to a company’s reputation: according to a survey by brand consultants Wolff Olins, 74% of consumers say they’d never return to a poorly performing website, and that rises to 84% if they happen to be a first-time visitor.



And it's not just those customers that retailers are likely to lose. The survey, of 2,000 consumers, found that two-thirds of shoppers share their experiences of online shopping with friends - whether good or bad. Being able to return an item without too many complications was the most important factor to consumers, and six in 10 said they’d be put off buying from a retailer again if their product arrived too slowly. On the other hand, just a quarter said that accurate product descriptions were the most important factor for them. 



In fact, Wolff Olins reckons online retailers may actually be missing a trick. While on the high street, slick branding and expensive interiors come at a price, online, you can get a professional look without forking out huge sums.

And apparently, 48% of consumers don’t believe that shopping on the high street offers a better experience than shopping online, which means e-tailers have a ‘tremendous opportunity to create loyal repeat customers’. In other words: go that extra mile and give your customers a little bit extra, and they’ll prioritise your website over rivals sites - and high street stores - any day of the week.