Fast loading times and a fast website provide the ideal experience for users. By optimizing your website, you can significantly improve your speed and performance, increasing traffic and boosting your website. So how fast should your pages be loading, exactly?
In 2018, Google Research reported the average mobile web page takes 15.3 seconds to load. This is actually quite long and a result of mobile sites having too many page elements. An ideal load time is anywhere between zero and four seconds, with the first five seconds having the highest impact on conversion rates.
Let’s dig deeper into why speed is so important for your WordPress site and why it should be one of your top priorities!
Visitors Have Short Attention Spans
From 2000 to 2016, the average attention span dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds. This means that you have just seconds to capture a visitor’s attention. And the way to do this is with a fast website.
When your pages load quickly, users can find the information they’re looking for, increasing the chances that they’ll convert and make a purchase. If your website can’t deliver a fast experience, you’ll lose customers to your competitors.
If People Don’t Stay, You’ll Lose Conversions
Conversion rates drop significantly with each second of load time between zero and five seconds. This makes sense. If a visitor can’t do what they need to on your site, they won’t have the opportunity to convert, or make a purchase.
Furthermore, 70 percent of consumers admit that page speed impacts their willingness to buy from a specific online company. A slow website gives the impression that the retailer doesn’t care about its customers or their experience, so they’re hesitant to send their business this way.
Customer Satisfaction Decreases
Your website is often the first interaction a person will have with your brand. If it’s a poor experience, customer satisfaction instantly drops, and the person may never return again. This is a lot of pressure, but having a fast, optimized site is the way to stop this from happening.
Keep in mind that you should be regularly testing your site’s speed. Websites can slow down over time if they’re not properly maintained and updated. You don’t want your loyal customers to stop giving you repeat business due to a slow website.
Google Will Penalize Your Site
There’s also a practical reason to improve your page load times – Google will penalize you for having a slow website. Google wants to deliver the best websites to users, so they will lower your spot in the search rankings if your site is slow.
Once your website drops in the search rankings, it’s harder to get traffic. Your competitors, on the other hand, will be getting the traffic you were supposed to get, improving conversions and sales for them. The only way to earn this traffic back is by improving site speed, and making other important updates to your site.
If your website needs some TLC, contact Magna Technology today. We build fast, optimized websites that rank well in the search results and provide a consistent experience for all users, across all devices.
