Paradoxically, almost all of them claim that their website meets all or most of their expectations (2025)

• Storyblok says website issues cost businesses up to $101,000 in lost revenue
• High marketing budgets fail to prevent costly website inefficiencies
• Despite issues, 96% of businesses claim their website meets expectations

A new survey has revealed nearly half of businesses worldwide are dissatisfied with their websites, even after substantial financial investments.

Despite these significant investments, 36% of ecommerce businesses admitted that their website had caused embarrassment in front of customers or stakeholders.

This highlights a growing gap between spending and satisfaction, suggesting that even with the best website builder or the best web hosting for small businesses, many businesses struggle to maintain a site that meets their expectations.

The growing impact of website inefficiencies

Storyblok surveyed 300 senior business leaders across the US and Europe, finding companies spent an average of $550,688 on marketing technology over five years, with 18% exceeding $1 million.

96% of those surveyed still claimed their website met all or most of their expectations, suggesting that while companies acknowledge website shortcomings, they may underestimate their impact on customer experience and revenue.

Losses due to poor website performance have risen from $72,000 in 2023 to $94,500 per year, demonstrating the financial consequences of neglecting site optimization.

“When we conducted this research two years ago, we were surprised to find so many businesses were embarrassed by their website and believed it was losing them vast sums of money. What made it more puzzling is that the majority of businesses said they received good ROI on their marketing technology,” said Dominik Angerer, Storyblok's CEO and co-founder.

“Fast forward to today, and we are genuinely shocked to find the situation has become worse. Businesses are losing a lot more money, maintenance times are increasing, and costs are soaring. Yet, satisfaction with marketing solutions has increased.”

European businesses are seeing the largest losses, with an average estimated impact of $101,000 annually, compared to $80,500 for US companies.

Despite investing in the best web hosting solutions, many businesses continue to face website inefficiencies that contribute to these losses.

With cybersecurity threats and accessibility needs rising, maintaining a high-performing website is becoming increasingly complex.

However, Storyblok believes that “a new generation of composable architecture and solutions provides a much more cost and time-effective solution than inefficient legacy tech stacks that are increasingly unfit for their purpose.”

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