UK retailers failing mobile site speed test, Visualsoft

87% of the UK’s top retailers risk losing revenue due to poor mobile site performance, according to Visualsoft.

Its research found that low numbers have taken strides to improve mobile site speed since Google’s 'Speed Update' was announced in January. This is rating sites that load in under four seconds as “excellent”. However, Visualsoft’s report highlighted that the average speed for the UK’s top 245 retailers currently sits at 11 seconds, thus falling into the “poor” category. Only 1% were rated “excellent”, compared to 2% when similar research was completed in November 2017. 

“Even with the increased pressure of Google's ‘Speed Update’ looming in July, and the continual demise of online retail giants such as Tesco Direct, it’s concerning that retailers aren’t taking action to secure their spot in the search engines,” says Gavin Lowther, Head of Digital at Visualsoft. 

“There is a huge opportunity for those new into the market to reach top positions if they keep speed high on their list of priorities, ahead of even the biggest retailers, especially the ones ignoring the significance of site speed to the end user experience. However, all is not lost for these more experienced retailers; with a small review of your site and implementation of some of our quick win recommendations, retailers can see their site speed take a turn for the better.”

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