Why Website Speed Is Important to Growing Your Business Online

Now, more than ever, speed matters. Everything is about instant results. But did you know that the speed at which your website loads could make or break your business?
Let’s get into why website speed is so important and why having a custom-built site can give better results compared to web builders like Wix or Squarespace.

Why Does Speed Matter for Your Website?

Imagine you click on a link to check out a product or service you're interested in. The page takes longer than a few seconds to load. What do you do? Leave! So do most other potential customers.

Research has shown that if your website takes longer than 3 seconds to load, more than half of your visitors will leave. That's quite a substantial amount of business slipping away!

Not to mention, it is not just impatient customers that are affected. Search engines like Google take your website speed into consideration. A quick website helps your ranking in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), allowing people to more easily find your business. A slow website can then send you plummeting down the search results, making it harder for new customers to come across you.

The Unseen Drawbacks of Website Builders Like Wix and Squarespace

At first glance, many may believe that website builders like Wix and Squarespace stand out as the dream solution for any small business owner. They offer fancy templates and easy drag-and-drop features; it all seems rather too good to be true, right? Well...
What they don't tell you is that these web builders load your site full of code bloat, also known as unnecessary code. Unfortunately, drag-and-drop editors just aren't that efficient yet to provide quality results. Sure, you might get a shiny new design, but at what cost? That sleek-looking homepage is being weighed down by layers of redundant code, making your page very slow to load and killing your user experience.

Why Fast-Loading Websites Keep Customers Coming Back

If your website is slow, customers may not just leave; they may never come back. A fast-loading website gives them a great first impression that your business is trustworthy and professional, therefore keeping visitors on your page and even turning those visitors into paying customers.

In fact, every second of delay can shrink your sale conversion rate by as much as 7%. Ouch! So, as far as your business goes, speed really is the secret sauce that keeps those clicks coming.
And with an increasing number of users visiting your web pages through mobile devices, speed is more critical than ever. This is why we use mobile-first design; it is key to ensuring that your customers stay happy, no matter how they reach your site.

Do Custom-Coded Websites Help Website Speed?

At Catch That Click, we know every second counts. So we code custom websites that focus on speed. Our method? Optimised and clean code that will make your website load lightning fast, without all the extra fluff you get with website builders.
Not only do our sites perform well on desktops, but our mobile-first approach ensures they work seamlessly on phones and tablets too. A fast-loading, properly designed website is your path to happy customers, better search rankings in Google, and further success in your business.

How Website Speed Directly Impacts Your Business Growth

By now, you probably know a fast website is great for customer experience, but it's also great for SEO. Google loves a fast-loading page, and the faster your site, the higher it can rank in search results. And that means more eyeballs on your business, more clicks, and more conversions.

Google’s Core Web Vitals are perhaps the most important metric that you need to know about. They measure the user experience of a website, ensuring it is fast, responsive, and visually stable. Here's a quick breakdown:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures how quickly the main content of a page loads. We aim for under 2.5 seconds.
• First Input Delay (FID): Tracks how fast a website responds to a user’s interaction (like clicking a button). A good score is under 100 milliseconds.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This shows how much elements shift in the loading of a web page. This should be under 0.1.

These points measure your overall website performance, which in turn affects your SEO rankings. They are crucial for any business seeking improvements in their site's visibility and user experience.

Is Investing in a Custom Website Worth It?

Well, we may be biased, but we truly believe that nothing beats a custom-coded website when it comes to long-term value for you and your business. With Catch That Click, you'll get something more than a pretty website: you'll get web pages that are fine-tuned to be speedy and SEO friendly, designed to make your business stand out. Catch That Click offers flexible pricing options; you can either subscribe to a monthly plan or pay a flat fee for a plan that best suits your business goals. No hidden fees with fast, effective results.

Do not let a slow, bloated website drag your business down. Catch That Click's web design is focused on speed, optimised for SEO, and tailored to your needs. Ready to give your business the online jump-start it deserves? Contact us today and let's start building a website that gets clicks!