Website speed plays a significant role in the performance of your website. Think about your own browsing habits. Waiting more than a few seconds for a page to load is probably enough to irk you. And you’re not alone, studies show that internet users simply do not have the patience for slow websites.
Your user expects a certain level of immediacy when they click a link or load a page. And slow websites detract from their user experience. At that’s just the tip of the iceberg, here’s a closer look at why website speed matters for your site.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
If you have a website then you’ve probably heard about SEO. In fact, you’re probably drowning under the reams of SEO tips, tricks and hacks. Those that are ‘guaranteed’ to boost your website through the rankings. Now any real professional in the field knows that SEO is a long-term strategy. Nothing happens overnight. And if it does and Google cotton’s on, well, let’s just say it might be time to buy a new domain.
Now, that being said, there are many well-known, legitimate factors that will help you rank better with search engines. Website speed not only affects user interactions on your website. But it also affects the number of searches a user makes. As a result, it’s in Google’s best interests that your pages load quickly. Slow page loading? Low search engine results rankings.
Mobile Browsing
More than half of any given traffic originates from a mobile device. The majority of your users are no longer leisurely sitting back on desktop computers. Quite often, they’re out, they’re on the streets, on the bus, on the way to work. There having a conversation – they’re active. This also affects the way they browse the internet. Immediacy is more important to a mobile user and they are likely to abandon a page if it doesn’t load within a couple of seconds. Added to the fact that Google is poised to make page load times a major factor in mobile search page rankings. And you can begin to see why website speed has become so important for the mobile browsing experience.
Website Speed and Conversion
In today’s world, website traffic is very important for the success of a site. But equally as important, and in some cases more so, is conversion. Now depending on your website, a conversion may mean anything from signing up to an email subscription or a lead form, to someone purchasing a hat. The conversion rate is how many of your visitors actually make that action. We humans are notoriously fickle an impatient so it should come as no surprise that even a second delay in your website speed can reduce conversion rates by 7%. And if you have a high-volume website, that 7% can begin to add up rather quickly.
The Takeaway
If your website plays any role in your sales funnel or customer acquisition strategy you must consider speed. Your website speed matters and can have a very tangible effect on user experience, online visibility and profits.
If you’re concerned about the performance of your website, let us know – we can help, even if you’re as far away as Ulladulla.
