As a society, we have come to expect instant gratification in almost every component of our lives so, why would we treat websites any differently? Why is there a need for things to be done at the snap of a finger?

The impulsivity and shortened attention span of today's consumer has become increasingly tricky in the grand scheme of the user experience. But it's not all our fault. This restlessness is in our DNA. There is psychological discomfort associated with self-denial. From an evolutionary perspective, resisting our instinct to seize the reward at hand is a difficult test, according to an article on Psychology Today.Human behavior tells us that we want things now, rather than later.

Instant Gratification

The desire to receive things as instantly as we request them has become more relevant over the years, and it's reflected every which way. From food delivery services to online shopping and even dating, consumers have become so invested in instant accessibility. Long gone are the days of waiting for services. Slogans like "Freaky Fast" (Jimmy John's) and "The World on Time" (FedEx), along with almost every fashion retailer's overnight delivery promises, are a microcosm of consumers' expectations in the purchasing cycle.

This sentiment remains the same when users interact with a website. There are standards that users uphold when considering speed, including how it impacts access to information and organization of specific conversion points. Instant gratification has become a theme of the consumer purchasing journey, and brands continue to compete over how to best position their speed services or discounted rates to satisfy needs.

User Retention Rates

More than 3.5 billion Google searches take place each day, indicating an unfathomable amount of people searching for answers, products and services on the internet. Implementing best practices for SEO (search engine optimization) is just one component to elevating website visibility. If a particular webpage delays loading after a user lands on the site, the user is likely to navigate away within a matter of seconds in favor of a competitors site.

According to research, 47% of consumers expect a page to load in two seconds or less. Analytics claim that 40% of consumers will abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load. Thus, there's not much room for error as brands set their sights on seamless website usability. Fortunately, tools exist for improving website speed.

Popular Tools To Increase Speed

At my agency, we often use CDN services (content delivery networks) like Cloudflare and Amazon CloudFront that duplicate content in different geographic areas. So, when a user clicks on a link, the webpage loads quicker. CDN services work well with pretty much any website and can be implemented to improve the overall user experience.

Additionally, static website tools such as Hugo,Gatsby and Jekyll prepare content ahead of time into static files, increasing the speed of content that appears for the user because there's no need to run assembly code on the server. These tools work best for informational websites containing few call-to-actions, conversions or interactions (e.g., AldiandPepsi), but might not be the best fit for a picture-sharing platform or forum (e.g., PinterestorReddit).

Fast Might Not Always Be Best

With even more advanced technologies paving the way as we head into 2020 (like 5G internet speeds), the question remains: Is faster always better?

In theory, the better the code is, the faster a website will load. Companies like T-Mobile and AT&T are rolling out 5G more quickly and efficiently than ever before, but that comes at a price. Social economics factor into who will have faster internet accessibility, further increasing the digital divide.

At my agency, we feel it is essential that any website we develop can be accessed anywhere, regardless of internet speed. That is the primary goal of user experience to keep every kind of user in mind. It is critical to design for everyone and think about various types of users who will come in contact with websites. Otherwise, you are not designing for inclusivity. There is a balance between designing for the extreme user versus designing for the average user.

"In design, again and again, we see that looking to the average does not produce cutting-edge innovations," said inclusive design strategist and human rights advocate Elise Roy. "Instead, we should be looking to extremes. What gets forgotten is that people with disabilities are great examples of extreme users. We experience the world in such a different way. They are a gold mine for helping us to think differently."

Conclusion: 2020 Speed

As we approach 2020 and a new decade of speed, it is an exciting time for web design and development. It's imperative to innovate and experiment with a variety of strategies to engage users in an inclusive and elevated way that encourages conversion.

Whether or not speed is your primary focus in improving the user experience, it will certainly loom large in terms of how the average global consumer will perceive your brand.

The rest is here:
Next-Gen Speed And The Influence On User Experience - Forbes