The Role of Loading Pages in Conversion Rate Optimization

Your site's speed has a direct impact on conversion rates. If users become frustrated with a slow-loading website they are likely to "bounce", leaving the site without purchasing anything.

Loading patterns such as skeleton screens, animation, and humorous microcopy are great ways to keep users engaged while they wait for your site to load. However, these methods do not address the core problem: Users hate waiting.

Design

Using loading pages to add value to users’ experience makes it possible for you to engage customers even as they wait. Adding value means doing more than merely masking the load time and relying on a simple spinner, which can make users feel uncertain or disoriented. Instead, consider a range of options that may include promoting your product or encouraging users to interact while they wait.

The first question to ask yourself is what your users are trying to accomplish and how long they will need to wait for the result. For example, users who are downloading files will need to have more patience than those who are simply navigating an online store. Moreover, the type of content that needs to be loaded can affect how long the user will need to wait. For example, a list of 3 cards will require a different loading experience than a table that will need to load 10,000 items in the background.

Once you understand your user's context, think about how you can best communicate progress using the appropriate loading pattern. For example, when your users submit a form or request to export a large document, immediate feedback is important so that the user knows their submission has been processed and their data is being fetched. In this case, a traditional spinning progress bar or an interactive animation is the best way to show progress.

On the other hand, when a user is just logging in or submitting an image to your platform, skeleton screens, and witty microcopy can make users smile while they wait for their app to fully load. For example, Slack greets its users with quotations that inspire or delight them and also promotes the app's features.

Similarly, WeTransfer uses its loading screen to promote its Pro version while showcasing creative work and telling stories. However, remember that even the most well-designed loading patterns can’t solve the problem of slow website loads. The best solution is to optimize your website for speed, but sometimes it’s not possible. In such cases, it’s a good idea to invest in an eCommerce hosting provider that is reliable and has high uptime so that your site is always available.

Speed

It’s no secret that website performance impacts conversions. In fact, studies show that users are more likely to carry out a desired action on a page when the site loads quickly. This is especially true for sites that rely on conversions such as lead generation or eCommerce.

As a result, a slow-loading site can quickly drive visitors away. In a study conducted by Akamai, researchers found that just a two-second delay in load time increases the probability of a visitor clicking away from a site. For a large eCommerce retailer, this could mean missing out on $2 million in revenue per year.

Aside from affecting user experience and search engine rankings, a slow-loading site can also negatively affect conversions on specific pages. The best way to test your page’s loading speed is to use a tool such as Google PageSpeed Insights. This free tool will analyze your website and give you a report on how to improve its performance.

Loading pages provide an excellent opportunity to promote a brand or product and create a unique user experience. By using creative and educational content, you can make a potentially boring waiting process more fun and interesting. The key is to ensure that your content is relevant to the page’s purpose and audience. WeTransfer, for example, uses its loading screens to both promote its service and tell stories. The company has found that this helps keep its users engaged while they wait for their files to transfer.

It’s also important to consider how frequently you will refresh your page and how the update will be communicated to the user. If your data is synchronized and will automatically refresh every few seconds, you might not need to communicate updates to your user base as often. However, if your page will need to be refreshed manually, you may want to consider more frequent updates in order to ensure that users remain engaged with the experience. This can be achieved by incorporating a notification or feedback mechanism such as a full-width top banner, a toast, or another type of dynamic UI element.

Conversions

While some business owners may think that page load time doesn’t have much impact on their conversion rates, the reality is quite the opposite. For every second that a webpage takes to load, conversions plummet by an average of 4.42%. And while this figure may seem small, it has a significant impact on the overall revenue of any business.

As such, it is crucial to take the time to ensure that your website’s pages load quickly enough to entice and retain your visitors, as well as provide them with an excellent user experience. If you don’t, then your sales copy won’t have a chance to work its magic and convert your visitors into customers.

Aside from having a fast loading speed, the content and structure of your pages are also important in increasing your conversion rates. For example, positioning clear and succinct written Calls to Actions (CTAs) on your pages in strategic locations will ensure that your audience is able to easily navigate their way through your site. Additionally, providing a clean and consistent visual hierarchy through your page’s design will allow your visitors to easily understand what each page on your site is about and how it can help them meet their goals.

Another way to increase your conversions is to create a sense of urgency in your website’s content. For example, adding a countdown clock to your homepage can make your visitors feel that they are missing out on something special and encourage them to act sooner rather than later. This is especially important for eCommerce sites, where a sense of urgency can lead to more sales and better customer loyalty.

Finally, a good way to improve your conversions is to use targeted incentives to nudge your visitors to take the desired action on your pages. For example, NuFace, a company that produces anti-aging devices, found that offering their visitors free shipping on their first order significantly increased the number of conversions on their product pages.

Aside from improving your conversions and providing an excellent user experience, having a fast-loading web page can also boost your brand image. As a result, it is vital to keep your website’s performance in check with the latest advancements in technology.

Best Practices

Even if your Shopify website has the most tantalizing products and aesthetically pleasing designs, users won’t stick around for long if it loads too slowly. Research shows that a single second of delay can cause conversions to drop by up to 7%. That’s why it’s important to keep your loading times as low as possible.

To improve loading time, you can use resource hints to preload the most important elements of your site. You can also lazy-load assets that aren’t used often, such as images, scripts, and CSS files. However, you should avoid lazy-loading content that is critical for the initial user experience, such as above-the-fold page elements. A faster loading time will help you to achieve more conversions and boost your business. So, make sure to implement these tips on your website and improve its loading time.

Shopify Development Trends: Most Shopify store owners focus on their digital marketing alongside their web development. Keeping up with the cutting-edge Shopify Apps in ensuring a frictionless checkout for their online store, with additional tools to fill the Shopping Cart. Online shopping continues to grow year-over-year as the user experience improves with tailored customer service practices. Behind the scenes, are Shopify partners such as TheGenieLab. We are helping business owners and shopkeepers to drive continuous improvements through digital marketing services. Furthermore, they are providing Web Development in Shopify, BigCommerce, and other eCommerce store architectures. If you need a hand in any aspect of eCommerce, feel free to reach out to us at wish@thegenielab.com