Time Is Money

Chapter 1. The Psychology of Web Performance

Before we dive into case studies, it’s important to first understand the roots of our craving for lightning-fast online experiences.

Over the past 40-something years, there’s been a great deal of fascinating research into how human beings engage with technology. These studies—many of which have findings that have persisted over the years—demonstrate that we don’t just want our technology to be fast, but at a deep neurological level, we need it to be fast. And because these needs are deeply rooted in our neural wiring, they’re unlikely to change, no matter how much we might wish they could.

Fast Websites and Apps Create Happier Users

When users are happy as a result of a fast website, they’re more likely to follow calls to action telling them to register, download, subscribe, request information, or purchase.

Unhappy users—those who experience a mere 2-second slowdown in how a web page loads—simply do less. They make almost 2% fewer queries, they click 3.75% less often, and they report being significantly less satisfied with their overall experience. Worse, they tell their friends about their negative experience.

A UK survey of 1,500 web users¹ found  that:

• 71% of people surveyed feel regularly inconvenienced by slow websites (Figure 1-1).
• Over 30% report that their performance-related stress or anger has increased, not decreased, over the years.
• 50% believe websites have either not improved in speed or have become slower over the ...