Over 80% of consumers that accessed small and medium-sized business websites found faults, according to data released by Streamline.net.

The survey revealed that 83% of users on SME websites faced faults including unfinished web pages, broken URLs and email addresses and an out-dated design.

The top design gripe with SME websites is an outdated website design, faced by one third of users in the past year, while 20% of online consumers have encountered superfluous descriptions of products and services and 15% have found confusing jargon.

These results are in stark contrast to a separate SME survey that found that 76% were confident that the language on their website could in no way be perceived negatively by visitors and 84% who stated that all the images on their website are fit for purpose.

"Whilst it's good news that companies now recognise the value of a web presence, there is a real danger their work can be undermined by basic errors," said Steve Holford, Marketing Director at Streamline.net.

"As with many areas of business, if the basics of a website are not sound, customers will be deterred from purchasing. Owners must recognise that whilst online spending has snowballed, so have consumer expectations."