The Impact of Website Errors on B2B Lead Generation and Revenue Loss

By Gaurav Belani

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Your website can be your most powerful salesperson—but what if it’s secretly sabotaging your business? Small, hidden errors like slow load times, broken links, and clunky mobile experiences drive potential buyers away. These can cost and revenue without you even knowing.

However, the good news is that these challenges are entirely preventable with proactive measures. Regular site audits, optimizing website speed, taking care of mobile responsiveness, and more can transform your website from a liability into a lead-generating asset.

But, to fix these issues, you must first know the potential problems.

In this blog, we will walk you through some of the most common website errors that impact B2B lead generation and cause revenue loss, as well as the steps you need to take to minimize these errors. Let’s dive in.

Common Website Errors That Hinder Lead Generation and Revenue

Minor website errors can lead to significant setbacks for your business. Here are some of them:

Slow Loading Times

Research found a nearly 2-second gap in average page load times between the best and worst-performing platforms. This means that 2 seconds can define the success of your business compared with your competitors.

Slow loading times are also among the most common website issues. Every other platform aims to provide the best website experience, so customers expect pages to load quickly. When a page takes too long to display, visitors are likely to become frustrated and leave your site. This can increase bounce rates, where users leave your website soon after they arrive, leading to missed opportunities and lost revenue.

Broken Links and 404 Error

Broken links are when a potential customer clicks on a link and it leads to a non-existent page or throws an error which can disrupt the customer journey. It makes the customer wonder if they can trust your website. It causes you to lose valuable business opportunities.

For instance, if a potential customer tries to download a key resource, such as an expense report template, but encounters a 404 error, it damages their experience and trust in your brand. Ensuring that all links, especially to important assets like templates, reports, or white papers, are functional is essential for maintaining credibility and keeping leads engaged.

This is why ensuring all links are functional and lead to relevant content is crucial.

Poor Mobile Optimization

With everyone relying on mobile browsing, if your website is not optimized for mobile devices, you will be alienating a large portion of your audience. A non-responsive design can make navigating your site difficult for potential leads, leading to frustration and abandonment.

Technical SEO Issues

SEO errors, such as missing meta tags, incorrect indexing, or duplicate content, can also hinder your site’s visibility to the search engines. If your site isn’t indexed properly, it will be less discoverable to potential leads. Regularly checking for and resolving these technical glitches using an SEO log analyzer tool is vital for maintaining a strong online presence.

Incorrect Forms

Finally, malfunctioning on contact forms or other lead capture mechanisms can directly lead to missed business opportunities. If potential clients cannot easily reach you or submit their inquiries, you will risk losing their interest.

Therefore, it is essential that all the forms are user friendly, and work efficiently.

The Cost of Website Errors is Beyond Lost Leads

In late 2022, Information Technology Intelligence Consulting (ITIC) published a survey on server reliability, revealing that the minimum cost of IT downtime is $5,000 per minute, with 44% reporting costs of $16,700 per server per minute, totaling $1 million per hour.

This downtime can be caused by various reasons, but as evident, it will affect your bottom line. When leads are lost due to technical issues, the immediate impact on sales might not seem like much, but the long-term effect on sales can be damaging.

Additionally, persistent errors can harm your brand’s reputation. You will also end up losing customer loyalty. A poor website experience can negatively impact how customers perceive your website, making it harder to retain clients.

How to Minimize Website Errors

While we discussed the different ways website issues can harm your brand, there are many easy fixes to avoid being in this situation.

Regular Website Audits

Conducting routine website checks can help identify and fix errors before they impact your business. As you conduct your audits, be sure to check for JavaScript errors, as they can cause features to malfunction and deter potential customers from engaging with your site. Use tools such as Google Search Console to monitor performance and resolve common issues.

Invest in Speed Optimization

Improving site speed is crucial for retaining visitors and improving organic traffic. You can enhance load time by compressing images, using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and optimizing your code. These will lead to improved user experience and reduce bounce rates.

Ensure Mobile Responsiveness

Adopting a mobile-first design is essential in today’s market. Test your site on various devices to ensure a seamless experience for all your users. A responsive design will help you capture leads who prefer mobile browsing as well and help with search engine rankings.

Monitor and Fix Broken Links

Regularly check for broken links using tools like Google Search Console and others. You can implement 301 redirects to the main user flow so that even if a page is no longer active, users don’t land on a broken page but instead are redirected to another relevant page. This proactive approach can help preserve your site’s credibility.

Optimize Technical SEO Regularly

Set up a regular schedule for SEO checks and updates, including reviewing schema markup, improving site structure, and addressing any technical issues. Fixing these issues will enhance your site’s visibility and lead generation potential.

Test and Maintain Forms

Always ensure the forms on your site are working well. Ensure they are capturing leads and other information as intended. Since these are the methods a customer uses to reach you, it has to be as seamless and easy as possible.

Prioritizing Website Optimization for Sustainable Lead Generation and Growth

Understanding website errors is the first step toward a resolution. So, by reading this blog, you’ve already started the website optimization process. While these challenges are common, they are manageable with the right approach and proactive measures.

Remember, a well-maintained website is not just a technical asset; it is a powerful tool for growing your business and connecting with your audience effectively. By addressing website errors, you can enhance your online presence and drive more leads and revenue for your business.

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