In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, consumers expect instant access, seamless browsing and lightning-fast performance. To understand just how crucial website speed is to user experience and eCommerce success, The Pixel conducted a survey with over 1,000 online consumers.
The findings highlight a clear message: slow websites cost businesses trust, sales, and customers.
Speed is Non-Negotiable
We asked, “How likely are you to leave a website if it takes too long to load?”
The results were clear:
Over 80% of respondents said they are likely or very likely to abandon a slow-loading website.
The impatience is justified - today’s users have countless options. If your site doesn’t load quickly, many simply won’t stick around to wait.
7 Seconds Is Too Long
When asked “How many seconds is too long to wait for a page to start loading?”, nearly half of consumers (47%) said anything beyond 7 seconds was unacceptable. In fact, many abandon websites in just a few seconds if they don’t see immediate activity.
This reinforces the importance of optimising for performance across devices, especially mobile where delays are more common.
Site Speed Impacts Buying Decisions
Speed doesn’t just affect convenience it directly influences conversions.
73.4% of users surveyed said that website speed is important or very important to their online shopping experience.
Fast-loading pages don’t just improve user experience, they directly influence purchasing behaviour. In a competitive eCommerce landscape, speed can be the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.
Trust Depends on Speed
It’s not just about efficiency - it’s also about credibility.
We asked: “Would you consider a slow website trustworthy?”
Here’s what we found:
42% of customers said a slow website makes a brand feel definitely or possibly untrustworthy.
In other words, your site’s speed could be damaging your brand perception before a customer even reads a product description.
Lost Sales from Slow Performance
The commercial impact is undeniable. When asked if they had ever abandoned a shopping basket due to a slow website, a staggering 67% of respondents said yes.
A full 67% of shoppers abandoned their carts due to speed - highlighting the critical need for performance optimisation.
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