Page speed is critical to driving conversion. And slow page load time is like losing money.
With so many options available, shoppers today don’t have to suffer through slow-loading websites. If a PDP takes too long, they can easily navigate to a faster site, costing you web traffic and conversions.
Studies show 70% of consumers admit that page speed impacts their willingness to buy from an online retailer.
Even a few extra loading seconds can mean the difference between a web visitor taking action or bouncing from the page.
The stakes are even higher when looking at your product pages. Fast-loading PDPs can mean all the difference to your conversions.
The good news is optimizing page load time isn’t complicated, and once you know what’s slowing it down, it’s usually a simple fix.
Why is PDP Page Speed Important?
Simply put, page load time influences your bottom line. As shopper demand for faster websites grows, anything less can negatively impact your site in a few ways.
User Experience: Slow page speed affects how users interact with your web pages. According to Google, a one-second delay in mobile load times can impact conversion rates by up to 20%. Longer loading times lead to poor user experiences that have shoppers more likely to leave your PDP and less likely to return.
Search Ranking: As of 2021, Google uses site speed as a ranking factor for mobile and desktop search results. So faster-loading sites tend to rank higher on Google. Not to mention, slow-loading pages can hurt your SEO by increasing bounce rates and decreasing session time.
Conversion rates: Optimizing page load times is vital to enhancing conversion rates. The faster a PDP loads, the more likely a user is to perform the desired action, like checkout or sign up. Every second lost to loading is a conversion opportunity lost.
What’s Slowing Down Your Product Pages?
There are tons of things that can be the culprit for slowing down your PDP page speed. Here are a few common elements and tips on how to speed up webpage load time:
1. Excessive Plugins or 3rd Party Services
Less is more when it comes to PDP page speed. While there are thousands of downloadable plugins and 3rd party services available, too many can negatively affect your load time.
How to fix it: Delete inactive plugins and services that no longer serve measurable results. Choose carefully, as some may be contributing to your pages’ success. You need to decide which ones offer benefits that are worth the trade-off.
2. Large Image Files
Large image files can be major culprits of slow page speed on your product pages. It’s why reducing file size is critical to optimize load time.
How to fix it: Reduce image size and ensure they are below 100KB. Then save them in the right format. PNG and JPEG files are the most easily compressed, and every browser supports them.
3. Slow Code
Slow code execution can hinder your website’s loading time. Bloated JavaScript and excessive server-side processing can be sources of delays in page speed.
How to fix it: Optimize the code for efficiency by removing unnecessary elements. Doing so can help ensure a seamless browsing experience.
4. Web Hosting
A web hosting provider is responsible for making a website accessible online. The web host directly influences site performance and is critical to page speed. If you choose a poorly performing web host, load time will suffer. This is also true for providers hosting content on your site, like videos.
How to fix it: Do your research and go with an eCommerce-specific hosting provider. A reputable one should use SSD hard drives, deliver adequate RAM and allocate bandwidth.
5. Multimedia like Videos
Another factor for slow-loading PDPs is multimedia elements like videos. Video can help boost conversions and increase online sales, but it can also impact page speed if not optimized correctly.
How to fix it: Choose a video hosting provider optimized for speed. Examine the file size and code to avoid long loading times. Then, implement lazy loading for videos, where content is only loaded as users scroll down the page. This prevents unnecessary loading of videos that aren’t visible to users, improving page speed performance.
Prioritize PDP Page Speed for eCommerce Success
In a world where shoppers demand instant access and seamless experiences, optimizing the page speed of your PDPs is a necessity.
By prioritizing fast-loading product pages and addressing common slowdowns, you’ll improve your user experience, reduce bounce rates, and ultimately drive higher conversions.
To maximize conversions on your product pages, try producing video reviews.
StoryTap is an end-to-end video platform for eCommerce that automates the production and distribution of UGC video reviews.
The video review technology drives conversions without compromising page speed.
StoryTap’s server hosts the video reviews, which are seamlessly embedded on PDPs using a single line of code. The videos also load as the final element on web pages, ensuring a smooth user experience while having minimal impact on loading time.
Book a demo today and discover how StoryTap can help you drive higher conversions while prioritizing page speed.
