Why Is a Fast Website Important?

By Your WordPress Guy | December 6, 2022

Did you know that 47 percent of people expect a website to load in two seconds or less? And that 40 percent will leave a website if it doesn’t load within three seconds? Having a fast website is a vital part of running a website in 2022 and today we’re going to cover all of the reasons why it is!

So when people tell you to slow down and take your time, they don’t mean on your website load speed.

With that being said, let’s dive right in and talk about website speed and how you can improve it!

Why Website Speed Matters

When it comes to website speed, there are a few different reasons why it should be a priority for every website. Things such as user interactions, search engine optimization, first impressions, better conversions, and overall user experience.

Let’s take a look at each one of those and see their connections to site speed.

User Interactions & Site Speed

Having a fast website correlates with user interactions, or in other words, the way users interact with your website. If you have a slow website, there’s a chance that users will get frustrated and leave before they even fully engage with your content.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, 47 percent of consumers expect a site to load in 3 seconds! A lot can happen in a little amount of time. So if your site isn’t ready to load in that time or less, there is a good chance they’ll hit the back button and go elsewhere (like your competitors).

On the other hand, if you have a fast website, users are more likely to stay on your site, interact with your content, and become customers. In addition to that, according to Google data, as page load time increases from one second to 10 seconds, the likelihood of a visitor bouncing will increase by 123 percent.

So not only will having a fast website keep users engaged, but it’ll also help decrease your bounce rate!

Search Engine Optimization & Site Speed

In addition to user interactions, website speed is also a ranking factor when it comes to search engines. So if you want your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), then you need to have a fast website.

Google has said multiple times that site speed is a ranking factor, and even went as far as to say that “the faster your site, the better”. In addition, Bing has also said that they take page load time into consideration when it comes to ranking websites.

So if you’re looking to improve your SEO and get your website to rank higher, then you need to focus on website speed and making your site as fast as possible.

First Impressions & Site Speed

Another reason why website speed matters is because of first impressions. When a user visits your website for the first time, you only have a few seconds to make a good impression and grab their attention quickly.

If your site is slow and takes too long to load, then you’re likely going to lose their attention and they’ll move on to another site. On the other hand, if your site loads quickly, then you have a better chance of keeping their attention and making a good first impression.

If a website’s content or layout is unattractive, 38 percent of people will stop engaging with it, according to Adobe. In addition, 95 percent of people have said they wouldn’t return to a website after having a bad experience with it.

Better Conversions & Site Speed

Having a fast website can also lead to better conversions. When it comes to conversion rates, even a small decrease in load time can have a big impact.

For eCommerce sites, this is especially relevant. A one-second delay leads to around a 7% drop in conversion rates. For example, if an e-commerce site makes $50,000 per day, then the potential revenue lost every year due to a one-second delay could be about 1.28 million dollars.

That’s a lot of potential revenue that could be lost just because of a slow website! So if you want to improve your conversion rates, then you need to focus on website speed and making your site as fast as possible.

User Experience & Site Speed

Last but not least, website speed also affects the overall user experience. If your site is slow, then users are likely to have a bad experience with it and won’t want to come back. On the other hand, if your site is fast, then users are more likely to have a good experience and become returning visitors.

It’s important to note that user experience is not just about website speed. There are other factors that come into play, such as the design of your site, the quality of your content, etc. However, website speed is still a major factor when it comes to user experience and needs to be taken into consideration.

Why Is Having a Fast Website Important to Your Small Business?

Are you a small business owner looking to optimize your website? Speed is key! A slow website can translate to fewer sales, lower conversion rates and an unhappy customer base.

By investing in speed-boosting solutions such as caching, minifying code and compressing images, you can ensure your website is running as quickly as possible. Not only will this provide customers with a positive experience (Re: a lower bounce rate!), but search engines like Google also favor websites with faster page load times when it comes to your rankings – meaning you could be missing out on potential customers if your site is too slow!

Having a Fast Website Pays Off

As you can see, there are many reasons why website speed matters. It affects everything from user engagement and bounce rates to SEO and conversion rates. So if you want to improve your website and make it more successful, then you need to focus on making it as fast as possible.

Having even a 1 second difference in website speed can have a dramatic effect on how successful your website is, how much traffic comes through, and even greatly improving your conversions. Ideally, you’ll want to have your website load within 3 seconds as this is what users expect in 2022 and it’s also what Google and other search engines recommend.

If you need help improving your site and turning it into a fast website, we’re your wp guy! We provide top-of-the-line monthly website maintenance that helps improve websites and increase their speed so that you can focus on things that matter.