The Hidden Cost of Bad Website UX

When I started working with a regulated education provider last month, they had a classic problem: a website that worked fine as a brochure but was actively sabotaging their sales. The symptoms were familiar - declining conversion rates, customer complaints about navigation, and a purchasing process that required Olympic-level patience.

Sound familiar? The website starts as a simple information hub, then gradually accumulates courses, resources, and functionality until it becomes a digital labyrinth.

Let me walk you through what we discovered, how we approached fixing it, and the frameworks that will help you avoid the same expensive mistakes.

The Diagnosis: Too Many Clicks, Too Much Friction

The client's website required users to click through 4-6 pages before they could actually purchase a course. Each click represented a decision point where potential customers could (and did) abandon the process.

We mapped the user journey and found these critical issues:

• Course information was scattered across multiple pages
• The checkout process was disconnected from course selection
• Users had to navigate back and forth between course details and registration
• Mobile experience was particularly painful, with tiny touch targets

It's "death by a thousand clicks" - no single problem was catastrophic, but collectively they created enough friction to kill conversions.

The Rebuild vs. Retrofit Dilemma

The client was using a drag-n-drop site provider, which limited certain customization options but offered stability and ease of management. We faced the classic dilemma: rebuild from scratch or try to optimize the existing setup?

Here's how we approached the decision:

Rebuild Pros:
- Could design the optimal user experience from scratch
- Would eliminate technical debt and workarounds
- Could implement a more sophisticated CRM integration

Rebuild Cons:
- 3-4 month timeline (minimum)
- $30-50K investment
- Risk of new, unforeseen issues
- Training requirements for staff

Retrofit Pros:
- Could implement changes incrementally
- Significantly lower cost ($5-10K)
- Faster time to market (weeks vs. months)
- No retraining required for staff

Retrofit Cons:
- Would still have some UX limitations
- Might need workarounds for certain functionality
- Could be putting "lipstick on a pig"

For this client, we chose the retrofit approach for three reasons:

• They needed immediate improvements to support new course launches
• Their budget couldn't accommodate a full rebuild
• The core issues could be addressed without changing platforms

The Tactical Fixes That Made a Difference

Instead of a complete overhaul, we implemented these specific changes:

1. Implemented Lightbox Functionality for Course Details

Rather than sending users to separate pages for course information, we created lightbox popups that displayed all relevant details without navigation. This kept users in the purchase flow and reduced abandonment.

Before: User clicks course → Goes to new page → Reads details → Clicks back → Finds registration button → Goes to registration page

After: User clicks course → Lightbox appears with details + registration button → User registers directly

This single change reduced the click path by 50% and improved mobile conversion by 32%.

2. Consolidated the Shopping Cart Experience

The original setup required users to add courses to a cart, then navigate to a separate checkout process. We implemented a simplified cart that appeared as an overlay when courses were added, with a direct path to checkout.

This reduced cart abandonment by 28% in the first month.

3. Created Course Bundle Landing Pages

For related courses, we created dedicated landing pages that explained the value of taking multiple courses together, with a single "Register for Bundle" button.

This not only improved UX but increased average order value by 22%.

4. Improved Mobile Navigation and Touch Targets

Content Strategy: Maximizing Value from Limited Resources

The website improvements were only part of the solution. The client also needed a content strategy that would drive traffic and engagement without requiring massive production resources.

We implemented a multi-channel approach:

• Repurposed Existing Content: Converted webinar recordings into shorter video clips for social media
• Created a Resources Hub: Developed a dedicated section for free tools, checklists, and guides related to their industry
• Leveraged Family Resources: Enlisted the client's tech-savvy family members to help with social media posting
• Established a YouTube Channel: Created a central repository for video content that could be embedded on the website

The key insight was focusing on content that could be created once but used multiple times across different channels.

Lessons for Marketing Leaders

If you're facing similar challenges with your website and marketing operations, here are the key takeaways:

• Start with user journey mapping - Understand exactly where friction points exist before making changes
• Consider retrofit before rebuild - You can often get 80% of the benefit for 20% of the cost
• Focus on reducing clicks - Each additional step in your process will cost you conversions
• Integration matters more than features - How your systems work together impacts both user experience and operational efficiency
• Measurement creates accountability - If you can't measure the impact of changes, you can't justify further investment
• Resource constraints breed creativity - Limited budgets often lead to more innovative, sustainable solutions

The most important lesson? Perfect is the enemy of better. In regulated industries, we often get caught up in trying to build the perfect solution, when incremental improvements would deliver immediate value.

Start with the changes that directly impact conversion, measure relentlessly, and build on your successes. Your website doesn't need to win design awards - it needs to efficiently move users from interest to action while maintaining compliance.

That's a goal worth pursuing, even if you have to take it one click at a time.

Have more questions or need some help getting started? Contact us to start your journey towards a more strategic and aligned marketing approach