How long are you expecting your customers to wait for your mobile website to load – 5 seconds? 10? Or is 15.3 seconds, which is the amount of time it takes for most mobile websites to load? That's a long time in a society that has come to value instant gratification above almost all else.
The mobile experience is all about speed. Consumers may still have concerns about security, responsiveness and the overall usability of mobile websites, but believe it or not, load speed matters more. The longer it takes for your mobile website to load, the less likely it is consumers are going to want to wait to make a purchase. The majority say they'll abandon a mobile website if it takes too long to load.
This isn't a new phenomenon. Back in 2012, The New York Times ran a story titled, "Impatient Consumers Won't Wait for E-retailers to Get Their Act Together." Since then, overall load times for standard websites have improved, but mobile websites continue to lag behind. So, what are you going to do about it?
Are You a Sprinter or a Marathoner?
The mobile experience is a sprint, not a marathon. When it comes to keeping consumers on your mobile site, you're racing against the clock and competing against other retailers. That's why you need to know precisely how long it takes your mobile site to load. You'll also need to know how your timing stacks up against the competition.
If you find your site takes longer to load than that of your competition, it’s time to make aggressive changes. However, if you find your site loads quickly and out-races the competition, you may have just discovered a differentiator. But, if you don't take the time to do a little testing, you won’t know if your site is slow and whether it's costing you consumers.
It's Time for Some Testing
The good news is, it's actually pretty easy to test the load time of your mobile website. Google offers two free tools that can help you. The first is the "Speed Scorecard." It's an easy-to-use online device that lets you compare the speed of your mobile site with that of other sites in the same industry. The second is the "Impact Calculator," which allows you to enter a few key figures and then, estimates the potential revenue you could gain by speeding up your website's load time.
If your site is slower than it needs to be, you should have it fixed as soon as possible. Our e-commerce experts are ready to help. Contact us today at 702-270-8772 to discuss your mobile website's speedometer, what your numbers mean and how you can reduce load time and increase sales!
