In the article titled “Dropping a 20%-Off Promo Drops Mobile Page Load Time by 29%“, CVS is showcased for their study of mobile page load time. The experiment first started by reviewing the amount of time it would take to load the page during a period in which a promotional banner was added to the rotating carousel. The next the promotional image was removed from the carousel rotation. The results found that the removal of the ad reduced the mobile page load time by 29%.
Quoting the research firm Aberdeen Group, “A 1-second delay in web site page load time translates into a 7% loss in conversion”. This would mean a company like CVS could possibly save millions a year by reducing their load time and removing a banner such as the one mentioned above.
There are many different ways to reduce the load time for a specific website. This including image optimization that will supply the commands for how the visual will be displayed on and off of the page. What does the study’s findings mean for marketers? Every jpeg or banner should serve a purpose that outweighs the cons. More specifically, the positive impact on sales should supersede the reduction in revenue that will come from the increase in site speed.
