Why 'website problems' can be very very costly. Not the having them fixed. But NOT fixing them.

We recently submitted quote requests for the printing of a mid scale print job and naturally 'googled' some local options, as it was likely going to be more cost effective for our client to go with a printing method our preferred supplier does not offer.

One of the companies we requested a quote from had a mal-functioning quote request form on their website. It would not send the print relevant data that had been filled in over a couple of minutes and returned an error. So we reverted to contacting the company directly via email.

Messy – do your prints look the same?

While we had three competitive quotes in hand within 48 hours and have awarded the job, mentioned company stayed silent until an email came through eventually stating "website problems" – "unfortunately form data was not being submitted, contact and quote requests did not go through to the sales department. Could they still be of assistance?" 

Well – let's try put this in perspective.

You run a customer facing service business and while you have some signage up to mark your premises and can be found in the yellow pages and other directories, where you invested in some ads, your shop door is jammed and the intercom is not working reliably.

A prospective customer who has found you among hundreds of competitors is standing outside and speaks into the intercom which requests him to please state the full spec of service he requires so the relevant staff can assist. It beeps and buzzes and doesn't work.

He tries again, but no response.

He has come all the way and invested his time, so decides to leave a hand written note in your post box with a brief outline of the service he requires, but mostly to tell you he was there and could not get in – so you'd have a chance to do something about it and maybe do business with him after all.

Ten days later you respond through the intercom expecting the guy – formerly known as prospective client – to still stand there. "There were problems with the door and the intercom – we just checked the posts box and found a note. Could we still be of assistance."

"Of course! Thank you very much – in fact we will have the job printed twice to accommodate you. No, our client doesn't mind the extra cost and that it is 10 days late".

Unlikely.

'website problems' are en par with 'phone problems', 'intercom problems' a 'jammed door' or 'lights and lit signage not working' at a restaurant looking for dinner guests. In future even more so.

'website problems' cost you money and crucial opportunities for repeat business and referrals.

Fix them now.