Customer expectations for digital experiences aren't set by your competitors. They're set by the best digital experiences your customers have had with anyone: Apple, Amazon, their banking app, their favourite restaurant's booking system. That's the benchmark, whether it's fair or not.

The new baseline

Ten years ago, having a website was enough. Five years ago, having a mobile-friendly website was enough. Now? The minimum viable digital presence includes:

  • Fast, mobile-optimised website (under 3 seconds load time)
  • Easy-to-find contact information and business hours
  • Online booking, purchasing, or enquiry capability
  • Up-to-date information (nothing says "abandoned" like 2022 content)
  • Some form of digital communication (email, chat, or social messaging)

This isn't aspirational. This is the floor. Below this, customers question whether you're serious.

What customers actually check

When someone hears about your business, they do three things:

  1. Google you: Does your site appear? Does it look professional? Does it load fast?
  2. Check reviews: Google reviews, industry directories, social media. What do other people say?
  3. Try to do something: Book, enquire, buy, or at least find your phone number. How easy is that?

If any of these steps fails, you've likely lost that customer. And you'll never know it. They won't tell you. They'll just go somewhere else.

Where businesses fall short

  • Outdated content: Blog posts from 2021, team members who left two years ago, services you no longer offer.
  • No clear CTA: The site looks fine, but it's unclear what the customer should actually do next.
  • Contact friction: A contact form instead of a phone number. An email address but no response for three days. A chatbot that can't do anything useful.
  • Slow or broken mobile experience: Desktop site that technically works on mobile but isn't pleasant to use.
  • No social proof: No testimonials, no case studies, no reviews visible on the site.

Getting it right

  1. Audit your own experience: Try to use your website on your phone. Book your own service. Fill out your own contact form. How does it feel?
  2. Ask a stranger: Give someone who's never seen your site 30 seconds to find what you do and how to contact you. If they can't, redesign.
  3. Keep it current: Schedule quarterly content reviews. Remove or update anything stale.
  4. Make contact easy: Phone number, email, and a simple form, visible on every page. Respond within business hours.
  5. Show proof: Customer logos, testimonials, case studies. Let your customers sell for you.

Your digital presence is often the first impression. It doesn't need to be flashy, but it does need to work, be current, and make it easy for customers to do what they came to do.

Kasun Wijayamanna Founder & Lead Developer Postgraduate Researcher (AI & RAG), Curtin University - Western Australia
Customer ExperienceDigital StrategyBusiness Owners