As we have noted before, the quality of a Web site influences viewer behavior. As well company performance. Thus, the impact of Web site speed is important to know.
Also see: Web Design Is a Tricky Business and How Good Is Your Web Site.
Do YOU Realize the Impact of Web Site Speed?
Thanks to Josh Wardini for authoring this section of today’s post. And to HostingTribunal.com for the infographic.
Most E-commerce owners believe that a fast site is important for delivering a good browsing experience to customers. But only a few agree that page load times affect conversion rate. What about you? To which group do you belong? Like the majority of online businessmen, do you also think that speed is not an important factor for conversion? If yes, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Stats show irrefutably that speed affects conversion rates big time. For instance, a study reveals every one second delay in page load time causes conversion rate to drop by 7%. Another report claims that a large number of potential customers abandon a purchase if the checkout process is not slick and smooth. According to it, your cart abandonment rates can become as high as 87% with a mere 2-second loading delay during transactions.
Even though 75+% of users make a purchase online in 2017, 51% of online shoppers say that slow page loading is the main reason behind their leaving a purchase midway. So the verdict is loud and clear: Slow speed can disrupt your sales. If your conversion rates are not great, perhaps it’s time you fix the main cause of the problem–slow website speed.
Even a small improvement in page load times can help you improve your conversion rates handsomely. This is exactly what Walmart found out. As the following infographic shows, Walmart’s conversions increased by 2% for every 1 second of improvement in page loading. If Walmart can benefit so much from boosting its site’s performance, surely you can, too.
There are many DIY speed fixes that you can implement without any delay, such as enabling caching on your site, removing unwanted plugins, and compressing images. However, keep in mind these tips will give results only if you have a good host. A slow server response time can make improving site speed almost next to impossible. If your host’s response rates are not all that impressive, consider relocating your site.
