Page speed: Why should you care?
Page speed is the time it takes for a website or media content to download from the hosting server to the web browser. This is one of the most important success factors in online marketing. The loading speed influences the position of the website on the Internet and is used by Google in its evaluation.
The speed or loading time of a website is needed to display images, videos or text on the website. It influences the SEO of the website. SEO optimization and user experience depend on how quickly pages load and visitors can interact with them. Slow websites result in more bounce rates. That's why you should use special tools to monitor them.
Slow loading times - major loss of sales
Every second of delay is crucial for customers. They don't want to lose any time and want to find the products they need as quickly as possible. Long waiting times cause them to bounce more often. This leads to the migration of potential buyers to competitors, low conversion rates and a reduction in sales. According to Google Insights, over 50% of customers bounce if a website takes longer than 3 seconds to load on mobile devices.
Website speed has a negative impact on SEO and return on investment (ROI). With slow loading times, organic traffic is difficult to achieve. The search engines like Google evaluate website loading times and mobile-friendliness as ranking factors. If the waiting times are too long, the website will be at the bottom of the search results. This means that it generates less organic traffic and receives fewer potential customers.
Long loading times have a negative impact on the user experience and brand image. Poor user experience means the website loses potential customers and therefore sales. If a website is fast, the company is perceived as reliable and professional. They trust it more and are willing to spend their own money on its services. Short loading times help to increase the time spent on the website, the number of pages visited, the conversion rates and the profitability of your company.
Make your e-commerce website fast
Speed tests should be carried out regularly so that many customers stay on the website for longer. This allows you to define what makes a website slow. The most common problems include images, videos, JavaScript files, HTML code, external scripts and website servers. Loading times should be shortened during website optimization. This can be achieved by:
- Limitation of detour;
- Cashe pages;
- Reduction of the code;
- Image compression and image optimization;
- Use of Content Delivery Network (CDN).
The website speed is affected by the large number of redirects. The loading time is then twice as long. The original URL is loaded first. After the signal for the redirect, a new URL is loaded. Incorrect links must be removed or edited to limit redirects.
It is advantageous to set up the cashing systems. After the first visit, the cashe version of the page is saved. Then you don't have to reload it from scratch next time. Unnecessary characters in the code cause the website to load slowly. If the code is too long, it needs to be processed, munified. The website will then be faster. When using large image files, the loading process is slowed down. To solve this problem, you should reduce the image size. After compression, it takes less time to load the images.
It is worth using special tools to improve the performance of a website. The analysis of Google Pagespeed Insights helps to understand how the search engine perceives your online store. It is advantageous to carry out WebPageTests to analyze the loading process. The test reports inform you about possible changes that are necessary to improve performance.
To test website performance, Google offers metrics to measure loading speed - the Core Web Vitals. This allows you to determine the user-friendliness of the website based on Largest Contentful Test (LCT), First Input Delay (FID), Comulative Layout Shift (CLS). These values help to determine the loading times of the content.
Checklist to take away
To ensure that your online store does not cause annoyance, but pure customer satisfaction, you should constantly provide them with the best shopping experience. With personalized marketing and top-notch service, you will strengthen customer loyalty and increase your sales. For a clear understanding of which steps are important when testing page speed, we have created a checklist for you. Do the following in order:
- Use a special tool, e.g. Google PageSpeed Insights, to evaluate loading times. It is advantageous to try using several tools.
- Analyze the desktop and mobile versions of the website.
- Perform the evaluation of the important user experience metrics.
- Follow the recommendations to eliminate the problems with page speed, SEO and website optimization.
If there are too many bounce rates, you can carry out a sales funnels analysis. Then you can determine the reasons and improve conversion rates.
Do you need help? Kenner Soft is here for you!
Whether you are just starting out in e-commerce or have been running your online store for a long time and want to optimize it, you will find qualified experts at our agency. We have excellent knowledge of proven, innovative technologies and can make your store fast, efficient and competitive.
Kenner Soft uses modern tools for web store optimization. We use Zabbix to monitor page speed with web scenarios. The software makes the HTPP requests to the website and measures the response times. It also provides information about existing IT problems. With Varnish Cashing-Tool we can significantly minimize website response times.
Our agency's specialists also take care of image optimization and processing of redirects as well as professional Online store support. Kenner Soft offers long-term technical support and professional help in case of difficulties. Contact the agency if required and clarify any questions yourself!
FAQ
- How many seconds of loading time for a website is considered normal?
If the website loads in 1-3 seconds, it is normal.
- What are the main reasons for a slow website?
The website can be slowed down by non-optimized images, the use of no caching tools, too many plugins, slow hosting, and an overloaded home page.
