According to a study by web host 1&1 Internet among 1,800 consumers, 37 per cent have walked away completely from poor websites, with a further 9 per cent opting to spend less as a direct result.

One third of consumers surveyed (34 per cent) believe that in general, the small business websites they use are ‘tired’ and ‘unimpressive’, and 41 per cent frequently find errors such as typos or broken URLs.

Some 66 per cent of companies surveyed admit that they struggle to maintain an attractive website, with the most common issue being the sourcing of fresh content (38 per cent). Three in ten (30 per cent) have been ‘reluctant’ or ‘embarrassed’ to recommend their website to their customers, at least once, because they knew of faults.

1&1 Internet CEO Oliver Mauss says, ‘It is essential that every company website inspires confidence. Businesses that invest carefully in their web experience will see higher levels of customer spend, retention and referral.’