What It Is
Load time is the time between a visitor requesting a page and that page being ready to use. It is affected by your server’s response time, the size of the page and its images, the number of files it needs, and the visitor’s own device and connection. Think of ordering at a counter: the wait depends on the kitchen, the size of the order and how busy the room is.
Why It Matters for Your Business
Every extra second of waiting gives a visitor time to give up and tap the next result. For a small business, that next result is usually a competitor. A hair salon’s booking page that takes a long time on a phone may lose clients who were ready to book. Fast load times make your marketing work harder, because the people you attract actually stay.
Good to Know
Load time is different for each visitor and each page, so test several important pages, not just the homepage, and test on a phone. Be cautious about adding chat widgets, tracking scripts, sliders and embedded social feeds. Each one adds weight, and together they can slow your site far more than any single item.