In this article, we talk about why website load times matter in modern web design. If you need help improving your website speed, contact us today.
Introduction
Load times are one of the most important features of a website. Despite this, most of us really don’t think about them unless a website is not performing well. When you are trying to build an audience, good load times are one of those things that you absolutely must consider. The ways that a website loads can determine a lot about how your website is perceived. In this breakdown, we will discuss what load times are and how they can influence the way your website is viewed.
Understanding Load Times
Load times are used to measure the performance of a website. Though technology allows us to test and monitor performance, it’s more important that the user experience is positive. Your website must load all attributes before the load time can be accurately counted. You can use tools like gtmetrix.com and Google PageSpeed Insights to check your current website speed. Clio Websites can help you identify the cause of slow load times, just contact us to get started.
Search Engines and Load Times
Technology is able to accurately gauge load time. If you think that this doesn’t impact you, you are wrong. You might not be too worried about what a computer might think of your website, but you actually should be. Search engines specifically consider load time when it comes to gauging how you rank compared to your peers.
In general, search engines are responsible for delivering you new visitors. However, if a search engine checks your site and it has below-average load times, your search visibility might take a hit. To the google bots, your website is automatically docked points when it takes too long to load. If you think we mean minutes, we don’t. Even a couple of seconds can hurt your search engine rating.
How Customers View Load Times
Internet users are not known for being overly patient. Most of us remember the times of dial-up, and few of us ever wish to go back. In this day and age, we expect technology to respond immediately. If it doesn’t, we automatically think of it as a poor design and move on to greener pastures. This research showed that 53% of users will abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load on mobile.
For a website visitor, the loading of your website should be nothing short of instantaneous. When it isn’t, we notice. Your website taking an extra second to load can convince your visitors that the website is poorly designed. People see this indicator and automatically begin to judge your business for it.
Reputation is everything. The last thing that anyone wants is to lose to a risky online gamble with an unfavorable website. People are very aware of the risks that online platforms can bring, which is why you want them to feel confident in your website. Failing to build confidence in your site will make people think twice before handing over personal information or making any purchases.
Load times are not only noticed when they are bad. In fact, having good load times can dramatically improve how your visitors view your business. When a website pulls together immediately, it is a smooth and fluid process. It makes us more likely to appreciate our experience with the website. Suddenly, we are more open to exploring because we know that we won’t get stuck if we do. Good web design is all about making customers feel at home on your website. Offering above average load times is a great way to do exactly that.
Conclusion
When you design a website, it is incredibly easy to get caught up on the appearance of it. While appearance is exceptionally important, it is even more important that visitors stay on the website long enough to see your beautiful layout. If there is one area of website performance to focus on, it is how fast your website loads. Start looking at your load times now and remember to check them as you change your site over time. If you need help to improve your website load times, contact Clio Websites, or check out our other responsive web design services.
