Full Transcript
Lauren: Okay, so I have a friend who's a CPA. Like, really good at his job, decades of experience, clients love him. But he told me he's been losing potential clients lately, and he can't figure out why.
Honor: Welcome to the 805 Web Minute with Lauren and Honor... We make interwebs and website stuff make sense... Let's get into it.
Honor: Let me guess... has he looked at his website recently?
Lauren: I mean, he has one. I think it's been the same for like... five, six years? But he's an accountant, not a fashion brand. Does it really matter?
Honor: Okay, so here's where it gets wild. Users form an opinion about your website in 0.05 seconds.
Lauren: Wait... 0.05 seconds? That's like... less than a blink!
Honor: Literally less than a blink. And here's the thing... 94 percent of first impressions are based on design. Not your credentials, not your experience, not your certifications. Design.
Lauren: Oh!
Honor: And it gets worse. 75 percent of consumers say they judge a company's credibility based on how the website looks.
Lauren: So before they even read that he's been a CPA for 20 years, they've already decided if he seems trustworthy?
Honor: Exactly. They've made a gut decision before they read a single word.
Lauren: That's like... judging a doctor by the waiting room. If the magazines are from 2018 and the carpet is stained, you're already thinking... maybe this guy isn't keeping up with modern medicine either.
Honor: Perfect analogy. And for professionals like accountants, consultants, financial advisors... your whole value proposition is that you're current. You're on top of things. An outdated website signals outdated thinking.
Lauren: Okay, but my friend gets most of his clients from referrals. Word of mouth. Does a website even matter if people are coming to him through recommendations?
Honor: So that's what a lot of professionals think. But here's the data. 45 percent of people who get a referral still check the professional's website before reaching out.
Lauren: So they get the recommendation and then they Google you anyway?
Honor: Yeah, they're verifying. And here's the kicker... only 41 percent of referred clients actually hire the person they were referred to.
Lauren: Wait, so more than half of referrals don't convert?
Honor: Right. And often it's because they found someone else online who looked more credible. The referral opened the door, but the website closed it.
Lauren: Oh... so the referral is like getting invited to a party, but then you show up and the house looks sketchy, so you just... leave and go somewhere else.
Honor: That's exactly it. And 94 percent of users will straight up leave a website that looks outdated. They don't scroll down looking for redeeming content. They're just gone.
Lauren: Ninety-four percent! So my friend could be losing almost everyone who looks him up.
Honor: And there's more... over 60 percent of web traffic now comes from mobile. So if his site was built five years ago and isn't mobile-friendly, people literally can't read his credentials anyway.
Lauren: Okay, so what should he do? Like, what's the one thing?
Honor: Pull up your website on your phone right now. Look at it. Does it look like something you'd trust with your own money? If you hesitate... potential clients are hesitating too. And hesitation means they click to the next result.
Lauren: So the moral of the story is... your expertise doesn't matter if people don't stick around long enough to see it. Check your website on your phone. If it doesn't inspire trust in under a second, it's time for an upgrade.
Honor: That's it.
Lauren: And if you want a website that actually looks credible... give YouGrow a call!
Honor: Yeah. 79 dollars a month, month-to-month, cancel anytime. Live in days, not months. Mobile-friendly, fast, professional. And when you need something changed, you email us. No login, no dashboard to learn. We're in Arroyo Grande. Local support, real phone number.
Lauren: Love it. Alright, this has been 805 Web Minute. Thanks for listening!