The Retailer Summer Edition 2022

SUMMER 202 2

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OptimizeWebsite Speed HTTP requests are made for each element on your website. I’m again referring to things like images, scripts, and stylesheets. Question your webpage designs, understand individual element load times and sizes and reduce unnecessary clutter. Reduce the Time to First Byte (TTFB) SlowTTFB means your customer is ‘hanging’ waiting for a request to process on your server-side – speeding up networks and backend sys tems as well as redesigning the flow of requests needed to build a page can all help Watch out for Third PartyAddins The performance limitations of integrated third-party addins are often out of your control – choose them carefully, monitor their impact, remove any you no longer need and consider alternatives to the slow ones. 3. Set realistic TARGETS Google say you should be aiming for the green….which is fine but in reality modern retail systems are complex dynamic beasts and many elements in your design will simply put a green out of your reach. You should always aim for the best score but don’t chase it for the sake of the number. 4. Make this a regular thing! REPEAT. • Monitor regularly, over time, and against your competitors • Encourage developers to use built-in tools to Google Chrome, to run checks like web/dev/measure. • Create an ongoing monitoring approach to build up a data profile and build up a benchmark • Watch how differences in page speed impact conversion or abandonment • Remember the mobile! The value of browsing and ordering across your mobile and desktop customers and factor that in when selecting what to improve.

So is it all about speed? Knowing that shoppers require speed is all very well but more than that they want more content. For example, I’m afraid customers want to see at least 3 images of an itemwhen purchasing, which means retailers need to bulk up their platforms to make way for more. Keep innovating - but keep on top of speed! Page speed is only one part of this positive experience. Some of our leading customers release multiple versions of their site to test different user groups and monitor the impact on user behaviour in real-time. Aim to match what they’re doing – let your customers lead and then work out how you can do this at speed – simply because this will always be the expectation. Honestly, there is no rocket science behind the fact that improved loading speed can increase sales. The logic is simple: people love swiftly loading sites and so does Google. In 2022, if you are an eCommerce business owner, your website speed should be the first thing you should review to step towards success. But yes, sadly creating a fast website isn’t just a matter of installing a few plugins, and walking away and saying ‘Jobs a good un!’ It’s a continuous process that involves regular testing, tweaking, and housekeeping to keep your webpage speeds high. The importance ofwebsite speed can’t be overstated, but it is also not com plicated so address it andmaster it. Easy!Whenyou knowpage loadingtimes can make or break the success of your site, yes, it’s a pretty easy decision.

Steve Dennis steve.dennis@wearespike.co.uk