42244 2 3 econsultancy_xml <p>The consequences for retailers with an underperforming site include negative brand perception as well as lost sales. </p> <p>Previous research has suggested that <a href="/blog/470-customers-punish-offline-stores-for-bad-online-experiences">consumers will punish an online retailers’ high street counterpart if they have a frustrating online experience</a>, so it could be argued that this rule is even more important for multichannel retailers.</p> <p>Findings of the research included: </p> <blockquote> <p>• <em>Around 50% of ‘mature’ online shoppers (those who have shopped online for two years or more, and those who spend more than $1,500 annually) said loading time was a crucial factor in their choice of site. <br /><br />• 46% of shoppers demand a fast checkout service, 55% of high spenders demand the same.<br /><br />• 65% of online shoppers are more likely to return to a site that is easy to navigate and performs well for registration and the checkout process.</em></p> </blockquote> <p>Almost half of sites on the <a href="http://www.internetretailer.com/top500/list.asp">Internet Retailer Top 500 list</a> still experience site response times of over four seconds.</p> <p>Remember when this used to be the 'eight second rule'? We've previously suggested that this "might now be closer to four seconds" due to faster internet connections and lower tolerance levels among internet users. </p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph>The consequences for retailers with an underperforming site include negative brand perception as well as lost sales. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Previous research has suggested that <Link URL="/blog/470-customers-punish-offline-stores-for-bad-online-experiences" Window="New">consumers will punish an online retailers’ high street counterpart if they have a frustrating online experience</Link>, so it could be argued that this rule is even more important for multichannel retailers.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Findings of the research included: </Paragraph> <Block> <Paragraph>• <Quote>Around 50% of ‘mature’ online shoppers (those who have shopped online for two years or more, and those who spend more than $1,500 annually) said loading time was a crucial factor in their choice of site. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />• 46% of shoppers demand a fast checkout service, 55% of high spenders demand the same.<LineBreak /><LineBreak />• 65% of online shoppers are more likely to return to a site that is easy to navigate and performs well for registration and the checkout process.</Quote></Paragraph> </Block> <Paragraph>Almost half of sites on the <Link URL="http://www.internetretailer.com/top500/list.asp" Window="New">Internet Retailer Top 500 list</Link> still experience site response times of over four seconds.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Remember when this used to be the 'eight second rule'? We've previously suggested that this "might now be closer to four seconds" due to faster internet connections and lower tolerance levels among internet users. </Paragraph> </FormattedContent> 2006-11-10T14:32:00+00:00 2 1 econsultancy_xml <p> <strong>Four seconds is the maximum length of time the average online shopper will wait for a web page to load before potentially abandoning a retail site.</strong> </p> <p>In the research by <a href="http://www.akamai.com/">Akamai,</a> poor site performance ranked second only to high product prices and shipping costs as leading factors for dissatisfaction among online shoppers.</p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Four seconds is the maximum length of time the average online shopper will wait for a web page to load before potentially abandoning a retail site.</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>In the research by <Link URL="http://www.akamai.com/" Window="New">Akamai,</Link> poor site performance ranked second only to high product prices and shipping costs as leading factors for dissatisfaction among online shoppers.</Paragraph> </FormattedContent> false 500 <p>Related Econsultancy reports include our <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/e-commerce-platforms-buyer-s-guide-2009">E-commerce Platforms Buyer's Guide</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/delivering-successful-e-commerce-projects">Delivering Successful E-commerce Projects</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-retail-2007-checkout-special">Online Retail Checkout Special</a></strong>. See also the <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/e-commerce-statistics">E-commerce Statistics Compendium</a></strong>.</p> <p>Related Econsultancy reports include our <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/e-commerce-platforms-buyer-s-guide-2009">E-commerce Platforms Buyer's Guide</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/delivering-successful-e-commerce-projects">Delivering Successful E-commerce Projects</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-retail-2007-checkout-special">Online Retail Checkout Special</a></strong>. See also the <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/e-commerce-statistics">E-commerce Statistics Compendium</a></strong>.</p> 362111 Eight second rule for e-commerce websites now halved false 2006-11-13T10:41:00+00:00 eight-second-rule-for-e-commerce-websites-now-halved 2009-04-29T19:10:35+01:00 2009-10-13T08:43:28+01:00 881