There’s something kind of funny about online shopping, sure, most American shoppers prefer this method, of course, but there’s so many options out there, right? Well, that, and people (business owners here) act like customers are these mysterious creatures with impossible expectations, when honestly, they’re just reacting the exact same way everyone reacts.
Because yeah, even the people running the store forget that they are customers too. That feeling of clicking a link, landing on a site, and going, okay, no, absolutely not, is universal. Besides, there are so many scams out there anyway, right? Thanks to AI, it’s just getting more and more complicated to truly figure out what’s going to steal your credit card information, and what’s not.
Now, sure, sometimes it can be big, dramatic things that deter customers, but that’s honestly just the obvious part here; any major issues would deter anyone. But business owners seem to forget all about the little things, well, the tiny details, because those silently chase customers off before they even get a chance to look around.
Weird Spacing Makes People Feel Uncomfortable
Alright, so what even gives here? Well, yeah, it’s true, it’s absolutely true, and you might feel the same way from the customer perspective. So, it’s wild how something as small as weird spacing can make someone bounce immediately. Like, there’s the big empty gaps, text shoved too close together, product images in awkward spots, it all gives off this “unfinished project” energy.
And of course, something like this is going to be something that people pick up on instantly, even if they can’t explain why. It’s the same feeling you get when you walk into a store, and everything looks slightly off. Nothing bad is happening, but something feels wrong. Online shoppers react the same exact way. They feel the awkwardness and click away before they even know what they’re looking at.
Poor Visuals Make a Store Feel Like a Gamble
Every customer has had that moment where they land on a website, scroll a bit, and go, “Okay, these pictures are scaring me”. Okay, maybe not literally scaring someone, but it gives that “off” sort of vibe. But you probably feel the same way as a customer yourself, right? For example, bad images like AI-generated art (which is super common but that seriously does deter people), blurry product photos, odd lighting, it’s obvious everything was a stock image or the product was drop shipped (which they can Google Lens), clashing colors, poor quality camera, and of course, even random graphics make people feel like the entire shop is questionable.
And the funny part is, everyone has done this themselves; a lot of business owners surprisingly think they’re the exception (even though they’re not). If the visuals look off, the brain just goes, “nope, don’t trust it”. And the store owner probably did the same thing the last time they shopped online. It’s one of those little reminders that if people wouldn’t buy from a store like that, customers won’t either.
You Can’t Neglect the Mobile Layout
Most people shop on their phones, so if the mobile layout feels off even a little, customers abandon ship without thinking twice. Keep in mind, mobile shopping will only become more and more commonplace, be it an app or their browser (granted, most people want to use their browser, not download an app just to shop). So, if they’re having to deal with buttons that are too small, images that are too big, text wrapping in weird spots, long scrolling pages with no breaks, well, it all makes shoppers uncomfortable. Basically, it’s the same experience everyone has had on their phone at least a hundred times.
If something feels annoying on mobile, people leave, and usually, they won’t come back because it’s that easy to find a competitor that will give them what they wanted. This is also the moment where people realise how much a full-service web design agency actually smooths out those problems (it’s way harder to adjust a website for mobile browsing than a lot of people expect). But yeah, tiny layout tweaks make way more difference than anyone expects.
Confusing Menus
Actually, regular browsers are a lot worse at this than mobile browsers, but it’s still a super common issue, though. Customers want to feel like they know where they are going. Now that should be a given, of course. Nobody wants a digital treasure hunt, and yeah, every single person has landed on a site with weird menus and backed out instantly.
It might be issues like hidden buttons, vague categories, random icons, too many dropdowns, or it all pushes people away without a single word being spoken. People don’t stay and figure it out. They just leave. And again, store owners do the same thing when they shop, even if they don’t realize it. If a menu feels confusing for one second, customers just tap out.
Product Pages are Where Trust is Won or Lost
Yeah, it’s all or nothing here, and that’s basically the scary part of it all. But it’s true, though, product pages decide everything. If they look empty, rushed, or confusing, people leave. Wouldn’t you leave, too? Well, yeah, of course you would, so it really doesn’t help if there’s missing details, unclear sizing, vague descriptions, or tiny photos that make a product feel like a risk.
It should be obvious here, but customers need to feel reassured, not stressed. And funnily enough, everyone forgets this when it’s their own store. But think about it. Any time someone shops online and sees a half-filled product page, they instantly go, “Okay, yeah, this feels sketchy.” So online shoppers do the exact same thing right back.
At the end of the day, there’s something you need to keep in mind here as a business owner: customers don’t leave because they’re impatient or picky. Nope, far from it; they leave because the store triggers all the little red flags they’ve learned to notice when shopping online. So, things that feel confusing, uncomfortable, or unprofessional make people bounce fast. And again, like what’s been mentioned dozens of times, store owners behave the exact same way whenever they shop.
