Friday, November 10, 2006

'4 Seconds' as the New Threshold of Acceptability for Retail Web Page Response Times

According to Akamai and Jupiter Research, four seconds is the maximum length of time an average online shopper will wait for a Web page to load before abandoning one retail site and moving on to another.

Based on the feedback of 1,058 online shoppers that were surveyed during the first half of 2006, Jupiter Research offers the following analysis:
  • The consequences for an online retailer whose site underperforms include diminished goodwill, negative brand perception, and, most important, significant loss in overall sales.
  • Online shopper loyalty is contingent upon quick page loading, especially for high-spending shoppers and those with greater tenure.
  • JupiterResearch recommends that retailers make every effort to keep page rendering to no longer than four seconds.

The Jupiter Research report also states:

  • Roughly half of “mature” online shoppers – those with either two or more years tenure shopping online or that spend more than $1,500 annually – identify page loading time as one of their top priorities for online sites
  • Forty-six percent of online shoppers insist on a rapid checkout process, with 55 percent of shoppers spending $1,500 or more demanding the same
  • Sixty-five percent indicated they are likely to return to a site that is easy to navigate, particularly during the registration, log-in and checkout processes

Download the report today.

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