{"id":13608,"date":"2019-12-17T09:11:58","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T09:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sanctuarymg.com\/academy\/?p=13608"},"modified":"2021-12-09T13:54:48","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T13:54:48","slug":"slow-site-speed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sanctuarymg.com\/academy\/websites\/slow-site-speed\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Let Slow Site Speed Warnings Deter Website Visitors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You may have already been dealing with Google\u2019s more recent focus to improve user\u2019s mobile experience. Mobile site speed was key to maintaining good organic search rankings for your site. Now Google is experimenting with ways to clearly indicate that a website is slow loading, no matter the device. They are examining warning badges that will display in a number of ways, including in search results and on loading screens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image1\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Image Source: Google Chromium Blog<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Do Google\u2019s Slow Site Speed Warnings Matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s fast-paced world, website users don\u2019t want to take the time to wait for a slow-loading page to appear. As if your slow site wasn\u2019t enough of a deterrent already, Google\u2019s new warnings will make users even more leary of waiting around for content to load. Any type of added warning or alert that shows up when someone is trying to load your webpage just reduces trust and credibility. These new warnings could cause your website traffic to drop, so it\u2019s important to make improvements now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google wants to reward those who are providing a good user experience with their website. Consequently, poor sites will be punished and could even suffer a drop-off in website traffic, leading to fewer leads generated for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now\u2019s the Time to Update Your Website<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have a website that needs an upgrade, now is the time to do it. Google Chrome prioritizes speed and giving users an instant experience. They are also emphasizing the improvement of the user experience on Chrome in general. So, above and beyond warning indicators for slow loading sites, they will also continue to move towards long-term goals of badging sites for overall quality (which will most likely include more than site speed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google does provide some tools that can assist you with site evaluation and improvements, such as PageSpeed Insights<\/a> and Lighthouse<\/a>, a lab tool<\/a>. However, this announcement has really been directed at website developers as a call-to-action and a warning. Google wants websites to be improved, and if not, they could be clearly labeled for users as poor quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few things you can address right off the bat to help improve your website speed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n