You know that having a fast and reliable ecommerce website is essential. However, have you ever considered the impact that website performance can have on your bottom line? It can be tempting to avoid website updates when your budget is tight, but that is actually the very best time to invest in your site. In this blog post, we'll explore why you should invest in performance and how Zmags Performance Services can help.
Website performance directly impacts customer experience.
A slow-loading website can cause frustration and even lead to visitors abandoning your site altogether. In fact, according to a report by Google, as page load time goes from 1 second to 3 seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 32%. Similarly, as the page load time goes from 1 second to 5 seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 90%. By investing in performance, you can improve the user experience and keep visitors on your site for longer, increasing the likelihood of conversions. Here are some of the top Core Web Vitals elements to focus on in 2023:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the loading performance of a website. Specifically, it measures the time it takes for the largest content element (e.g. an image or video) to load on a page. A good LCP score is below 2.5 seconds.
- First Input Delay (FID) measures the interactivity of a website. Specifically, it measures the time it takes for a website to respond to a user's first interaction (e.g. a click or tap). A good FID score is below 100 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the visual stability of a website. Specifically, it measures the amount of unexpected layout shift that occurs on a page. A good CLS score is below 0.1.
While LCP, FID, and CLS are the top Core Web Vitals to focus on, there are other metrics to consider when optimizing your website's performance. These include Time to First Byte (TTFB), Time to Interactive (TTI), and Total Blocking Time (TBT).
Performance also has a significant impact on your search engine rankings.
Beyond impacting customer experience, website performance also has a direct impact on your search engine rankings. Google values site speed as a ranking factor, meaning that slow-loading sites may be penalized in search results. By investing in performance and improving your site speed, you can improve your search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic to your site. If you’re able to attract more traffic to your site through organic search, you might be able to cut back on your paid search or other advertising investments. Your performance investment therefore can offset other budget line items in the long run.
The benefits of investing in performance outweigh the costs.
Investing in performance may seem like an additional cost, but the benefits are significantly worthwhile. Because the frontend of a website is where customer experience happens, a fast and reliable website can result in higher customer satisfaction, increased conversions, and better brand perception, all of which lead to higher revenue and profits. Moreover, a slow website can result in abandoned shopping carts, reduced customer loyalty, and negative online reviews. By investing in performance, you can see a return by way of improved metrics across your business.
The optimal solution.
How does Zmags Performance Services help? Our team of experts specialize in optimizing website performance and work with customers to identify and fix any issues that may be slowing down your site. Whether it's optimizing images, reducing server response time, or implementing caching strategies, we can help improve your site speed and user experience. One of our clients, UrbanStems, saw a 35% increase in conversion rates by using our Fastr Frontend platform for their product landing pages (PLP) during Valentine's Day 2023. All experiences built with our platform load quickly and provide a seamless user experience, resulting in increased conversions and sales.
Don't let a slow website hold your business back. Invest in performance and see the positive impact it can have on your bottom line. Check out our recent webinar on demand, Strategies to Improve Your Site Speed and Core Web Vitals, or contact our team today to start optimizing your website to get meaningful results!
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