Online marketers and user experience
4 things online marketers should know about user experience (UX)
We found the final point about download times interesting.
I know that this is a proverbial tough pill to swallow: perceived speed is more important to users than real (machine) speed.
Jeff Johnson stated in his book GUI Bloopers: Common User Interface Design Don’ts and Dos:
Considerable evidence has been amassed over the past 4 decades of computer use — that responsiveness [not making people wait] — is the most important factor in determining user satisfaction with computer-based products and services.
If users cannot find what they want on a website, they will regard the download time as slower than it actually might be. Conversely, if users do find what they want on a website quickly and easily, they perceive the download time as faster than it actually might be. I have observed these perceptions, consistently, during usability testing for over 10 years.
It is therefore important that we make sure that the website and content is as easy for the user to understand as possible.