3 Mistakes To Avoid in eCommerce: Preventing Slow Page Loading Times

One of the most recent technological trends is the increasing expectations of consumers, which are largely driven by the evolving nature of the internet. Internet speeds are forever increasing, and in conjunction with this so are user demands for fast loading times. This is especially relevant when developing and sustaining an eCommerce store, where users expect fast response rates which correspond with their experiences on other websites.

ecomm

With expectations at an all time high, it is important to avoid potential pitfalls while working on your eCommerce store, since this can have a detrimental effect on the number of visitors you are able to convert to sales. Ultimately, if a page takes too long to load, users will be forced to visit alternative websites, where consumers are easily frustrated partly due to the reduced attention spans of individuals who have been spoiled by the instantaneous nature of the sphere they operate within.

If one of your pages takes even a second too long to load, this can reduce the operating profit of your business, where statistics have shown that if a site takes more than 4 seconds to load, up to 25% of custom can be lost instantly. This article will outline factors which can lead to your eCommerce store slowing down, with an intention to create awareness and indicate preventative measures which should be taken for optimal success.

Failing to Use a Content Delivery Network
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a system of servers which delivers information to users based on factors such as geographic location and the origin of the web page in question. By capitalizing on the proficiency of a network of this nature, which includes leading companies such as JavaPipe, you will be operating on a bespoke server which is clutter free and can focus on your individual needs, quickening page loading times. If you choose a mediocre web host instead you can become a victim of slowness, so it is important to research which content delivery network works best for you, and consequently make a decision which is tailored to your requirements.

DNS Lookups
If your site requires too many DNS lookups to load it, this can adversely affect the speed of your website. When each page on your website loads, your browsers performs a DNS lookup to determine which IP address corresponds to the name of your website. If your website only requires one DNS lookup to load a page, loading times are likely to be efficient, but additionally the embedding of YouTube and social media widgets can increase the number of lookups required. With this in mind, if you are suffering from slow response times, it is worth reducing some of the clutter you have included in your store, and use affiliate links for advertising while building your social media network in alternative ways.

Limited CMS Capability
There are various content management systems (CMS’s) on the market, and each has been designed for different purposes. WordPress is generally used for blogging, whereas Magento is considerably more functional with eCommerce, and though there are multiple options available online, for ease of reading and reliability I’ve chosen two of the leading CMS’s for this article. WordPress may not have the same flexibility as Magento, so it is important to use a CMS which fits your needs to avoid your website performing slowly during traffic peaks. To overcome these issues, it is a great idea to utilize a combination of multiple CMS platforms to develop and subsequently maintain your eCommerce store, and your decision requires considerable research which is highly dependent on your individual requirements.

I hope you have found this article informative, and be sure to comment below to contribute to the ongoing conversation.

About Author