Slow websites affect overall perception of brands

Uncategorized By Rhys Little, 11th December 2013

Slow websites can have a huge impact on a customer’s overall perception of a brand, according to new research.

An experiment, conducted by application delivery specialists Radware, indicated that mobile web users were particularly likely to have negative feelings towards a brand after experiencing slow connection speeds.

Researchers came to this conclusion by using state-of-the-art electroencephalography (EEG) and eyetracking technologies on a sample group of web users.

This technology measured the group’s emotional responses whilst browsing certain e-commerce websites, either using a strong Wi-Fi connection or an ultra-slow 500ms connection.

According to radware.comthe study detected a clear increase in signs of frustration amongst the sample group browsing on slow connections. Frustration levels reportedly increased by up to 26 per cent amongst some web users.

Discussing her employer’s findings, Radware web performance evangelist Tammy Everts suggested that brand perception was about more than a powerful logo or smart marketing strategy.

She told globenewswire.com: “A consumer’s online shopping experience greatly affects their feelings about a retailer, and because these feeling are happening at a non-conscious, pre-cognitive level, they are beyond the control of site owners. A slow site and poor user interface can be detrimental – potentially negating other, more expensive, branding efforts.”