We can say that customer support is the heart of any business that aims to build trust and retain loyal customers. However, many companies unintentionally weaken their support efforts by offering a website that frustrates users instead of helping them.
When a website is effectively built, works well, is always available, and is user-friendly, it functions as a support channel, reducing incidents and tickets, saving time, and improving customer satisfaction.
We are a BPO company in Brazil used to dealing with various types of clients, and we’ll explore common mistakes businesses make—and how to fix and avoid them.
Common Mistakes in Website Design That Hinder Customer Support
1 – Poor Navigation and Lack of Accurate Information
Many websites suffer from excessive menus, creating a messy experience for the visitor. Inconsistent categories and hidden or outdated support options frustrate users looking for answers.
Some research shows that new visitors often abandon a website if they don’t find what they’re looking for within 10–20 seconds. When navigation is uncertain, users end up contacting support for questions that are often simple—unnecessarily increasing your team’s workload.
Solution: Write down everything your site needs—only the essentials—and try to group the information under the correct menus. Frequently searched options like “Pricing”, “Contact”, or “Support/Help” should be highlighted in the main menu or footer.
2 – Lack of Self-Service Tools
Users are increasingly used to self-service tools that speed up simple tasks, and they also seek solutions that don’t require writing an email and waiting for a reply. Many companies fail to provide a robust self-service experience with solid FAQs, guides, and tutorial videos.
A Salesforce study found that 89% of users expect brands to offer self-service options on their platforms—with working tools and updated guides.
Solution: List all the common questions your clients have about your service or product and ask yourself: what’s the best way to answer? Short texts, long texts, images, tutorial videos, audio clips, live chat? Each business is different, so understand how your client searches for information and what they expect to see. Apply this to a dedicated page on your site.
3 – Poor Call-to-Action (CTA)
A CTA works as a guide for users, directing them to the next step. Without strategically developed CTAs, your site visitor may feel confused and have a harder time finding the right support pages. It’s essential to use CTAs to guide users based on their needs or questions.
Solution: Imagine your site as a map and CTAs as the steps users must follow to find the treasure. Instead of using a button labeled “Click here,” why not use “Get Technical Support”? The clearer it is, the easier it is for the user.
4 – The Importance of Responsiveness
It’s no news that mobile users outnumber desktop users, right? When a site isn’t optimized for mobile, you end up losing or frustrating your client. Users who have a poor experience often don’t return to use your support site again.
Solution: Have simpler versions of your site pages and create a responsive version with writing that’s easy to understand and information easy to find.
5 – Lack of Search Options
Even if your site has lots of information and guidance, a lack of search options—or a poor implementation—prevents users from quickly finding relevant info. Users prefer to search for quick answers instead of browsing through several menus, especially in times of AI where we expect instant answers.
Solution: There are ways to develop documentation and guides with keyword-based search and implement AI to answer questions about your product or service.
Practical Tips to Turn Your Site Into a Real Self-Service Channel
- Use the “fewer clicks” rule: Ensure users need three clicks or less to find what they need. Use breadcrumbs and visible paths to guide them from one page to another.
- Group content logically: See your site from the user’s perspective. Categorize content in a structured and logical way. For instance, “Questions” could open up to “Talk to support,” “See informative guides,” and “Common questions.” In “Talk to support,” open options for “Live chat,” “Send a message,” “Report an issue,” and “Phone support”—making sure all channels are working properly.
- Highlight the support option in the menu: Don’t hide the “Help” menu if it’s a highly searched option. Highlight it in your site’s navigation menu clearly and contrastingly.
- Keep an updated knowledge base: Include answers to your users’ main questions and link to more detailed guides.
- Use multimedia support: Depending on the type of question, you can use short audio clips, tutorial videos, screenshots. Remember that video retains more user attention. If you use videos, consider hosting them on YouTube so users can comment if they need more help.
How BrazilDesk Organizes Its Content
Here at BrazilDesk, for example, we divide our content based on user type. While we don’t need customer support ourselves—our clients do, hence this article—we like keeping our content well-organized.
For example, we have a Call Center in Latin America page for those seeking services in countries beyond Brazil. We have the Player Support page for gaming companies looking to outsource player support. We also have the Customer Support page, which covers the support types we offer. Within each page, there are menus and CTAs to make sure clients never feel lost on our site.
Conclusion
With these applications, you’ll achieve better user retention and improved support channels. It’s not complicated if it is well-structured and optimized. You can talk to your support team to determine what customers seek, eliminate what’s unnecessary, and leave only what’s essential in the best possible way.
