It’s rare to find a business these days that doesn’t have a website, even if that site constitutes a couple of simple pages thrown together on a basic DIY site builder service.
But these businesses are out there, stubbornly refusing to admit the internet applies to them and resisting the overtures of designers & search marketeers to help them grow their business by tapping into the local, online audience which exists around them.
‘We’ (aka web designers, SEOs, inbound marketers etc…) in the search marketing industry spend a disproportionate amount of time in front of our computers, analysing websites and seeking to understand what’s driving their success or holding them back. A lot of the focus is on search engine performance and lining up the local & organic signals to ensure a site is optimized for search success.
Search optimization done well is a data-driven process which applies the latest techniques to the decisions we make and try to apply the latest techniques we’ve learned to deliver a ‘best practice’
With all the data, research, insights & information available to us we can lose sight of the people we’re making these changes for.
No not our clients.
Their customers, or potential customers rather.
We design, build & optimize sites in order for them to be found by more potential customers on the web and to get those customers to contact our clients.
What do local consumers want most from local business websites?
In February we popped ‘the bubble’* and surveyed our local consumer panel to learn about how websites influence their attitudes & actions towards a business.
We asked 4 questions relating to the design & content of local business websites. We received 811 responses from the panel, with all respondents based in the US & Canada. We had a wide range of age groups respond and a near-even split between Men (46%) & Women (54%).
The following results are very interesting and we hope they prove useful to web-designers, SEOs and business owners when they make decisions about site design and what to focus on.
*’The Bubble’ – the comforting online world where information flows like sweet wine and we don’t actually have to speak to people to learn about their experiences, insights & advice.
4 Questions about local business website design
- Q1. When considering which local business to use, which of these statements about ‘local business websites’ applies most to you?
- Q2. What information is most important on a local business website? (Select up to 3)
- Q3. Which factors make you want to use a local business the most?
- Q4. Which factors are most likely to stop you from using a local business?
Please note: All charts have been made available in PDF format at the following link – Local Business Websites – PDF Charts
Q1. When considering which local business to use, which of these statements about ‘local business websites’ applies most to you?
All Respondents:
Key Findings:
- 36% of respondents say that a clear & smart website gives a local business more credibility
- only 5% of respondents said that an bad or ugly website would put them using a local business
Gender breakdown:
Key Findings:
- Men are more design influenced and give more credibility to a ‘clear & smart’ website
- Female respondents said they more likely to contact a local business if they have a website
Age group breakdown:
Key Findings:
- Older consumers (55+) give more credibility to a business which has a ‘clear & smart’ website
- Consumers aged 18-34 are twice as likely than those aged 55+ to contact a local business if they have a website
- Younger consumers more influenced by website aesthetics
Analysis:
Of those surveyed, 68% said that having a website – ideally one that is well designed – is a key factor in the opinion they hold about a business and directly influences their decision to use a local business. Only 27% were not bothered about whether a local business has a website or not, and wouldn’t judge them if they didn’t.
Additionally, if a local business has a bad or ugly website then it won’t put of most customers from contacting you. Perhaps people expect that larger, national & multi-national brands to have more impressive websites, but for a local business this takes on less importance.
The results show that older consumers give more credit to a business that has a clean, smart presence. However younger consumers are more design-orientated and less likely to use a business that has a clunky site; so if you target a youth audience then design should be a key focus.
Younger consumers are much more likely to contact a local business that has a website. This is because younger consumers are much more connected than older groups and so the internet is their primary (only?) research tool. Therefore if you don’t have a website you have no skin in the game when it comes to younger consumers. Mos def bro!
Looking at gender, men are more design orientated while women are more pragmatic about the choices they make regarding local businesses.
Q2. What information is most important on a local business website?
All Respondents:
Key Findings:
- Product, Price, Place, Phone number – “the four P’s” for local business website success
- Customers want basic information they need to determine if a businesses fits their needs
Least important factors:
Key Findings:
- Factors such as customer testimonials, website speed, accreditations & mobile sites are of lesser importance
- These factors may be good for SEO but customers base their decisions on different factors
Gender breakdown:
NB – In this chart we picked out the factors which have biggest differential between Men & Women.
Key Findings:
- Men are less patient with a website when it comes to performance & speed
- Men more interested in seeing company images/photos (more focused on aesthetics again)
- Women more inclined to contact a local business by email than men
Age group breakdown:
Key Findings:
- Older customers are more interested in products, prices & physical location than younger consumers
- Younger consumers are more led by convenience (opening hours) & website style
Analysis:
It’s clear from the findings that for all local business websites, it is essential to get the basics right. Having clear listings of products, prices, phone numbers, address details, opening hours and company information is essential so customers can quickly evaluate if your business meets their requirements.
Respondents didn’t consider blog content, mobile sites or photos of staff to be nearly so crucial. Similarly, accreditations, trust badges & customer testimonials are of lower importance, certainly for initial evaluation. However these factors may play a bigger part further down the purchase funnel; once a customer has determined which businesses meet their needs then they may look at this richer, secondary information to determine which business to contact first.
Although there are only minor differences between gender answers, generally men were more focused on the aesthetics and site performance, while women are more pragmatic & look more closely at prices & whether they can contact the business via email.
For local business targeting customers aged 55+, it’s absolutely crucial to give your customers a full list of products/services, prices & phone number right up front. Younger consumers also value this info but are also keen to know about opening hours & will judge a business based on website design.
Q3. Which factors make you want to use a local business the most?
All Respondents:
Key Findings:
- ‘Closeness’ or ‘Localness’ of a local business is the most important factor when deciding whether or not to use a local business
- Clear contact details (16%) & Company Information (16%) are also key factors
- Softer factors such as Testimonials, Website style & photos also have an impact on final decision making
Gender breakdown:
NB – In this chart we picked out the factors which have biggest differential between Men & Women.
Key Findings:
- Businesses targeting male consumers more should make effort to fit around a busy lifestyle (24 hr service, quick website, freephone numbers)
- Local businesses can appeal more & convert more female customers by showcasing positive testimonials & clear photos
Age group breakdown:
Key Findings:
- Younger consumers are swayed more by website style & attractive
- The older the customer, the more they prefer using a business or service which is located closer to them
- Older customers will judge a business more on the facts (company info) than on style (website design)
Analysis:
The proximity of a local business to a customer plays a big part in the decision of whether to use their products / services or not. This becomes even more important to customers in older age brackets. As well as proximity, clear contact details and company info are essential assets to any local business website. Testimonials, images, website performance & accreditations have far less prominence.
Female customers want clear contact details & are more interested in reading customer testimonials, whereas men find a free-phone number, a 24 hour service, and a fast website more attractive features.
Once again, we can see that consumers aged 18-34 are more stimulated more by website design & aesthetics than any other age group.
Q4. Which factors are most likely to STOP you from using a local business?
All Respondents:
Key Findings:
- Having no phone number, no price list and poor content are major ‘turnoffs’ for local customers
- Being truly ‘local’ to a customer is also a big factor but not one business can do much about
- Customers are less likely to be put off by lack of reviews or poor quality photos – these are more easily forgiven
Gender breakdown:
NB – In this chart we picked out the factors which have biggest differential between Men & Women.
Key Findings:
- Businesses should make it easy for female consumers to get in touch by email
- Male focused businesses should make prices clearer to avoid drop-outs
- Female respondents are more likely to judge a business based on customer reviews & the quality of images
Age group breakdown:
Key Findings:
- All age groups put ‘No Phone Number’ as their biggest reason for not using a business
- 18-34 year olds pay most attention to the quality of photos on your website
Analysis:
If a local business website does not display essential information like a phone number, product prices and contact details, then consumers will be less likely to use their services. Additionally, it is clear that sloppy or misspelled content will not be tolerated!
If you don’t display price information then you are more likely to deter men than women, whilst once again we see that if you are a local business targeting women it is important to clearly display a contact email address. Earlier we saw that men are more interested in business photos – however, if these are of poor quality then it is more likely to put off women than their male counterparts.
As a general rule, the older the consumer you are targeting then the more important it is to display a phone number. For younger customers, it is vital to ensure that any website images are of good quality.
Summary
It’s clear to see that the recipe for success with a local business website is not rocket science – simplicity is key.
Websites should present essential information on their homepage so that customers can quickly determine if that business meets their needs. Don’t make customers hunt around for the information they want most – make it easy for them to know what you provide, what it costs and how to contact you.
Most potential customers want to be able to call you up to discuss their needs – although women are more happy to email than men – so make sure this contact option is the most prominent. A smart website adds credibility to a business but an ugly website won’t put off many customers as long is it has the basics done right.
Content is King for gaining extra prominence in search rankings, but that content needs to be well written and of high quality. And it’s general company information or service information that customers want first & foremost. A blog will help you attract a search user but it’s company info that will satisfy their needs and ultimately convert them.
Certain features such as company images, testimonials, blogs and videos may go a long way towards helping SEO – which is of course important. But from a customer perspective, these are far from the most desirable features.
It’s clear that local businesses need to strike the right balance of what is good for local SEO, and gains them visibility in search results, but also what customers want and will convert that hard earned traffic into calls & customers. By all means add additional features to your website but ensure that this does not get in the way, or distract from the most important information that your potential customers are looking out for.
Please note: All charts have been made available in PDF format at the following link – Local Business Websites – PDF Charts
Got a different viewpoint on this subject or some useful insights you want to share? We’re interested in publishing unique content written by smart marketeers on our blog. Contact us with your details & ideas and we’ll get back to you ASAP!
