Average page weight reached 2,884kb in May 2017. Research by Google DoubleClick reported an average load time of 19 seconds on mobile devices. Yet performance matters more than ever:
User Frustration
Users will not wait. According to research by the Aberdeen Group, every one second delay results in:
- 11% fewer page views
- a 16% decrease in user satisfaction
- a 7% drop in conversions
Mobile
Mobile access accounts for 55% of all web traffic. Device and bandwidth capabilities improve but not at the rate page weight is growing. Users are often charged per byte.
Search Engine Ranking
Google penalizes slow, heavyweight sites.
Hosting Costs
Hosting with companies such as SiteGround will be reasonable but heavyweight sites use more resources and cost more than slimmer alternatives.
Maintenance
The more assets your site requires, the more costly it is to maintain.
Ultimately, a slow site costs you and your users money. Remind your boss of this simple fact the next time they demand a frivolous feature!
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