National study reveals what’s the secret sauce to influencing successful consumer behavior online

Hotjar, the leading provider of Product Experience Insights (PX) and data analytics, has released its latest research report, Coming in Hot, to better understand how American consumers feel about navigating the online world. The comprehensive study delves into what factors are most important to consumers when visiting sites, as well as what aspects are most likely to drive them away. The report comes off the heels of Hotjar’s first-ever HOTSAUCE conference, which brought together technology, marketing, and e-commerce leaders to discuss digital experience insights and the impacts of customer-centric design.

In today’s digital age, it has become mission-critical for businesses to ensure that they’re providing the best possible experience to their consumers. The Coming in Hot study revealed that nearly all consumers (99%) believe ensuring a seamless experience across all platforms is crucial to their online interactions.

“The hard truth is that organizations will lose interest if they continue to neglect to understand what users truly want and need,” Hotjar CEO Mohannad Ali said. “With this study, we hope to further businesses’ understanding of what consumers want and need out of their time online, and to make these experiences better for everyone involved. Leading with empathy combined with a customer-first approach is the best way to make a tailor-made, online interaction.”

Additional Hotjar findings from the Coming in Hot study include:

First impressions are everything
In a world where consumers’ attention is increasingly limited, websites need to have instant appeal. According to the study, brands have an average of three clicks to convince users to stay on their site before they navigate elsewhere. Users also shared that:

• Nearly all (95%) of visitors said they pay attention to the layout and usability of a website
• 71% of customers said that the first impression they get from a company’s website influences their brand loyalty
• The majority (64%) said they decide whether or not a website has the information they need within a few seconds

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Speed bumps for sites could mean roadblocks for customers
Navigating websites without considering the user experiences is one of the biggest mistakes organizations can make, especially when they are unaware of critical functional issues turning away visitors. While businesses may chalk up certain aspects of their website to minor problems, these annoyances can quickly drive customers away:

• The top three biggest pet peeves users find tiresome are overlapping elements (82%), auto-playing videos (72%), and the absence of expected elements like clear-to-read text (63%)
• 74% said they typically exit the page when they encounter an unnecessary pop-up on a website
• 92% of users have said that they have left a website because it didn’t load fast enough

Those roadblocks could cost companies customers and sales
The pathway to purchasing may not always be straightforward and without transparency and a clear purchasing process, checking out can create a burden for consumers. With users leaving to find a more accommodating website, organizations will feel the detriment of dropped potential sales with their bottom line. According to the study:

• 93% would rather switch to another website than deal with slow loading times
• 84% said that when looking to make a purchase they would rather switch to a competitor’s website than deal with a difficult-to-navigate website
• 92% would rather switch to another website than navigate through a cluttered layout

Ease and efficiency are vital
More often than not, failing to resonate with target customers reveals a business has neglected to understand what users truly want and need, and even existing customers are happy to leave. Brands need to empathize with their customers’ needs in order to build strong brand loyalty. Users agree that:

• If a website doesn’t include straightforward information they won’t continue to pursue business (83%)
• Running into issues on a website makes them trust a brand less, even if they’ve previously had good experiences with it (67%)
• Concise headlines on a website make them more likely to interact with a website (85%)

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