Website navigation isn’t measured in minutes; it’s measured in seconds -- and nanoseconds. If a brand’s pages load at a snail’s pace, it’s driving away traffic at much more than a snail’s pace.
So what’s too slow in the digital world? Believe it or not, the ideal time limit is two seconds. Yes, people expect a page to be fully loaded within this time. If it isn’t (and that means completely) within this limit, far-reaching user disappointment results. What won’t result is frequent conversions.
The importance of rapid loading is underscored by some striking stats. For instance, about 40% of users are sticklers for the 3 second rule – if a loading exceeds this boundary, that percentage of users will leave.
Don’t expect return visits. A staggering 79% of users would never come back to a poor performing site. Equally striking is the damage a slow site can do to customer satisfaction. This important metric drops by around 16% in reaction to snail pace pages. Slow loading also generates abundant negative buzz – friends tell other friends when other pages drag. And you can bet they’re not slow about it. Many other negative consequences result from less-than-speedy pages.
Given the obvious importance of peppy pages, digital marketers should strive for blistering speeds. One way to achieve this goal is to declutter. Eliminate unnecessary formatting such as line breaks, spaces, and other forms of debris. This reduces processed data, and therefore load times. Brand marketers also should set their sights on combining files, thereby reducing their overall number. Again, less digital processing; quicker loads.
Related to this approach is one more method of info reduction -- file compression. This is widely accepted way to squeeze data into a more compact, easier-to-load form. Going this route is especially useful when pages are image heavy – visuals simply pack more data than text; therefore, they require a bigger push. Trimming the data batch lightens the load and therefore expedites the flow of information.
If you have questions or comments about improving website load times, or any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips