is present is incredibly dull and uninformative. The site looks exactly like the brochure she took away. In fact, thats exactly what the web site is - the brochure online.

The site has a few basic features: you can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There'

There are lots of websites out there that do little to encourage their customers to stick around or buy their products from them. In this article i'm going to show you a typical example of where a small company has gone wrong with its website.

Company X is a small family run roofing company. They repair, install and insulate roofs. They spend a lot of time and money advertising in the press and exhibiting at consumer shows and events to attract new customers. They are visibly committed to their customers and their needs. They do it well and reap the rewards. They are succeeding offline.

A potential customer sees them at a show they are exhibiting at. She has a brief but informative conversation about her roof with a company representative and takes away some literature to read. She leaves with a highly positive impression of the company and its employees. When she reads the literature she notices that the company has a web site and visits it. Their site looks professional. She looks deeper into the site by clicking a few links.

It only takes a few clicks for her to realise that the website is very thin on content. There's little text and the text that is present is incredibly dull and uninformative. The site looks exactly like the brochure she took away. In fact, thats exactly what the web site is - the brochure online.

The site has a few basic features: you can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There'

. They repair, install and insulate roofs. They spend a lot of time and money advertising in the press and exhibiting at consumer shows and events to attract new customers. They are visibly committed to their customers and their needs. They do it well and reap the rewards. They are succeeding offline.

A potential customer sees them at a show they are exhibiting at. She has a brief but informative conversation about her roof with a company representative and takes away some literature to read. She leaves with a highly positive impression of the company and its employees. When she reads the literature she notices that the company has a web site and visits it. Their site looks professional. She looks deeper into the site by clicking a few links.

It only takes a few clicks for her to realise that the website is very thin on content. There's little text and the text that is present is incredibly dull and uninformative. The site looks exactly like the brochure she took away. In fact, thats exactly what the web site is - the brochure online.

The site has a few basic features: you can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There'

line.

A potential customer sees them at a show they are exhibiting at. She has a brief but informative conversation about her roof with a company representative and takes away some literature to read. She leaves with a highly positive impression of the company and its employees. When she reads the literature she notices that the company has a web site and visits it. Their site looks professional. She looks deeper into the site by clicking a few links.

It only takes a few clicks for her to realise that the website is very thin on content. There's little text and the text that is present is incredibly dull and uninformative. The site looks exactly like the brochure she took away. In fact, thats exactly what the web site is - the brochure online.

The site has a few basic features: you can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There'

ads the literature she notices that the company has a web site and visits it. Their site looks professional. She looks deeper into the site by clicking a few links.

It only takes a few clicks for her to realise that the website is very thin on content. There's little text and the text that is present is incredibly dull and uninformative. The site looks exactly like the brochure she took away. In fact, thats exactly what the web site is - the brochure online.

The site has a few basic features: you can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There'

is present is incredibly dull and uninformative. The site looks exactly like the brochure she took away. In fact, thats exactly what the web site is - the brochure online.

The site has a few basic features: you can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There's little else of any interest for potential customers. So would she stay and buy from the company? Probably not. At this point she either has to contact the company by phone to get more information or go somewhere else. She's been abandoned by a company that has clearly made little provision for her visit. At best its a dull visit. She doesnt think very highly of the company now.

What went wrong? Why did the company, which made such a positive impression offline, make such a poor impression online?

Has the company put much effort into the site? No.

• Is the web site poorly thought out? Yes.

• Is there anything on the site to keep the customer there/interested? No.

• Did the web site meet the customers needs? No.

• Did the customer have an overall positive impression of the company? No.

• Did they lose the customers business? Very likely, yes.

What can the company do to turn their website around and present a positive impression?

• Spend some time researching their customers needs and re-focus their site around them.

• Visibly apply their offline customer dedicatio