Why is loading speed so important for mobile devices?

Do you remember when Google did not dominate as the main search engine on the market? I can't. When Google first launched in 1998, users preferred Google over other search engines like Yahoo. One of the reasons was its speed.

Without exception, we all get frustrated when a site doesn't load. Many users leave a web page if it takes more than 2 seconds to show up. This is especially important for mobile users who are on the move, since nearly 60 percent of web searches are now performed from mobile devices.

A key factor in Google's success is its focus on improving mobile experience, which can be crucial for e-commerce merchants and retailers. If you want to be convinced that mobile speed matters, here are some reasons why you should take it seriously.

If you think mobile device speed isn't that important, here is some statistics:

According to Kissmetrics, even a one-second delay in page response can lead to a seven percent decrease in conversion rates. Kissmetrics is a powerful web analytics tool that provides key insights on  users’ interactions with a website. It provides a clear picture of user actions on your site and collects data on each visitor's behavior.

For example, if your e-commerce site makes $100,000 a day, a one-second delay could cost you $2.5 million in sales per year. This is because mobile users do not like to  wait for a site to load. They would rather go to other competitors who don't have website latency. This can negatively affect your traffic and conversion rate as well as your brand and customer loyalty. The first impression is very strong, so if your e-commerce site is slow, customers would leave it without a positive experience.

In the past, Google didn't pay much attention to the loading speed of mobile version sites. Priority was given to the content itself, its parameters, how many links were bound to that site, its relevance, and search weight. 

In 2020, Google started actively changing rules of the game. Web Vitals metrics were introduced, replacing the outdated behavioral factors. As such, Google was able to  clearly determine how well a page was optimized, as well as how convenient and fast it was for mobile users. These indicators changed the nature of search results, and consequently, the income site owners received. 

If your site is slow and inconvenient, your competitors may soon outrun you, so it is worth thinking about modernizing your source of income today.

Scientists have found that our ability to hold our attention has declined to the level of a goldfish. In 2000, when the technological and mobile revolution began, our attention span was about 12 seconds, whereas now it's 8 seconds. Scientists believe that smartphones may be the reason for such decline in attention span. Retailers and e-commerce merchants need to take this declined span into account and do the best they can to attract user's attention within a shorter amount of time.

Mesmerizing media content won't matter at all if your site's speed doesn't allow users to get videos or images quickly. In order to have a heavy website content without affecting the conversion rate , you should thoroughly understand how to use and optimize it.

Fast mobile web page can help in improving the overall effectiveness of your PPC (pay-per-click) marketing. In the world of PPC, it's well known that sites with higher speed scores have lower cost per click. Since your site performance affects speed scores, it's logical to assume that a faster site can lower your ad costs.

In today's world, where technology and the physical world are intertwined, we are  used to the idea that information appears instantly at our beck and call. If information doesn't show up on our screen within a second or two, we usually abandon a webpage. All online platforms, especially e-commerce stores, need to ensure that their web pages can handle various elements of media content and increasing volume of traffic. If your site's speed is low, it may be time to start working on that. Our course we will help you improve it.