Patience is not really the strong suit of anyone that uses the internet these days, at least when it comes to website loading times. In fact, according to Kissmetrics, nearly half of all consumers (around 47 per cent) expect websites to load in two seconds at most.
The bounce rate for a website at anything past that is quite concerning; that, of course, refers to users who only make it to one page (usually the home page), but click away almost immediately. Even a fraction of a second counts towards success or failure on the internet. So, website loading times are vital.
Your Visitors’ First Impression Counts
No matter what page a visitor lands on at first, they will already have thoughts about your brand. When it comes to website design, content and of course, speed, first impressions last. Whatever people experience the first time they visit your website will be the mental standard they hold moving forward when it comes to your brand.
When a page loads quickly, it likely won’t even be noticeable to visitors, which is what you want. They can access the data they’re looking for, find the answer to their questions and learn more about your company or organisation. A page that takes a while to load will most certainly leave a bad first impression on visitors. Pages with slow loading times will have your authority and professionalism questioned, since apparently, something’s not right.
It Affects the Website’s UX
The user experience (UX) is one of the key things that Google focuses on. In a nutshell, the term usually describes the complete experience of an end user. There’s quite a bit that goes into it, but most notably, elements of a website that contribute to visitors having a good time while surfing through is a key measure for UX. Needless to say, that includes good page load speed.
Google is all about excellent customer/user experiences. Part of this is through the way they deliver quality search results as they modify their algorithm accordingly. This is part of their commitment to giving a quality experience, not just relevant search results. When the search engine receives signals from a website, such as a bounce rate that’s higher than normal, it will be evident that UX web development has not been paid enough attention to. Calling on professional web design services can certainly help address that issue because UX simply cannot go unaddressed.
It Can Impact Your Search Engine Ranking
If there’s a consistent stream of traffic from a search engine, but it’s met with slow loading speeds and other elements that contribute to a bad user experience, the search engine will take notice. That’s because it’s a direct reflection of their search results, which, as previously mentioned, they want to be the best possible ones.
As a result, far less traffic will be directed to your website in order to prioritise websites that provide a better experience for the user, including faster loading times.
Boost Your Load Speed With Frank Digital Agency
Website speed is a crucial element for any website, no matter what product, service or entity it represents. The average loading time most people expect is two seconds at most; after that, they will likely bounce. Website speed counts towards the overall user experience, which search engines prioritise.
Need help from a website design company? Reach out to Frank Digital Agency today! Book a free no-obligation consultation today to find out how we can help you land on the first page of Google’s search results.
