"It looks like four seconds is considered the average cut-off mark now for getting something readable on the screen of your visitors, before they stop waiting and move on," says Blogging Pro.
The post has been prompted by a press release from Akami, based on a survey of retial sites by Jupiter Research. Blogging Por quotes as follows:
Based on the feedback of 1,058 online shoppers that were surveyed during the first half of 2006, JupiterResearch 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.
Of course, speed isn't the only thing that matters: it helps if your Web designer isn't an idiot, like whoever created the Akamai Web site. This site requires users to have Flash installed in order to read a simple press release, which is the sort of thing the Web could well do without.
Comment: Most of the sites I use seem to come up in four seconds or less nowadays, with high-speed broadband, but I reckon I allow at least 10 seconds. How about you?
