Are You Optimizing the Right Elements to Increase Your Site Speed?

Website speed is essential to the success of your site and the completion of conversions. Fast page loading makes a good first impression, but there’s more to it than just speed.

It is true that good Core Web Vital indicators can bring the website to the top of Google ranking. But do you think that this is all that matters? Modern user is demanding and impatient at most times, therefore, their journey throughout your website should be as effortless and quick as your websites performance.

Speed isn't just about metrics - it's about user experience.

Besides optimizing Core Web Vitals, focusing on user experience is critical. In the following post, we will provide you practical and valuable insights about two key aspects of speed in relation to users' perspective:

• Speed of Finding
• Speed of Ordering

Speed of Finding

The speed of finding determines how fast the users can find the desired products or relevant information. It reflects your website's efficiency and showcases the variety and accessibility of your product range.

When users know exactly what they’re looking for, they expect near-instant results. Providing tools that minimize search time is key to meeting user expectations, whether through predictive search, smart filters, or intuitive navigation.

Key Areas to Improve

1. Categorization: Clear and logical product categories help users navigate easily. Maintain consistent naming, structure, and highlight current categories to keep users oriented.
2. Search Functionality: Provide users with predictive search suggestions and use autocomplete to make searches faster. Allow search by attributes and adjust weights for the most relevant results.
3. Layered Navigation: Use relevant filters and prioritize them based on user needs. For large datasets, use “Show More” buttons to avoid overwhelming users.

1. Optimized Categories for a Faster Shopping Experience

Categorization in a website organizes products and content into clear, logical groups, making it easier for users to find what they need.

According to recent research by the Baymard Institute, 85% of eCommerce websites struggle with poor categorization, leading to confusion and frustration for users . This not only overwhelms shoppers but can result in lost conversions and higher bounce rates.

Best Practices for Categorization

To improve navigation and create a seamless shopping experience we have gathered examples of best practices to help you turn users into loyal customers.

• Give the categories and subcategories proper naming that will clearly state what kind of products can be found in this category;

• Have a united structure (layout) for all categories, so that the users can foresee the patterns;

• Always include the “View all” option in the subcategories in case the user wants to browse a wider range of products;
• Highlight the current category in the navigation that will give a hint to the user to which category the vied product belongs and where similar products can be found;

• Use breadcrumbs and display the full hierarchy on the product page. This will also show the user to which category the view product belongs and will ease the way to get back to the category.

2. Efficient and Accurate Results in Search

The search feature in a website allows users to quickly find specific products or information, improving navigation and user satisfaction by providing fast, relevant results.

E-commerce statistics reveal that 43% of the users go directly to the search bar when entering the website. These users often know exactly what they’re looking for or prefer to avoid navigating through categories (possibly due to poor past experiences).

Best Practices for Search

To meet user expectations, it’s crucial to provide a search engine that delivers fast, accurate results—complete with predictive suggestions that anticipate their needs. A seamless search experience is key to keeping these users engaged and converting.

• Display search suggestions when the search input field becomes active - this is a useful feature for returning users who browsed the website before and took their time to decide about the purchase. Also, it might save time for those who are looking for popular items;

• Use the autocomplete function to decrease the user’s typing time and at the same time show what the website offers;

• Enable search by attributes to make sure the user will find a relevant product variation;

• Adjust search weights, so that the most relevant attributes have the highest weights. For example, if the user types “Clay” in a hardware website, the search results will show the clay itself as the first thing, and only then the products related to clay, like pots or cleaning agent.
• Use search synonyms to ensure the user will find the desired product even if they name it differently, such as sofa and couch, or blow dryer and hair dryer.

METRICS TO TRACK FOR SEARCH OPTIMIZATION

3. Layered Navigation: Helping Users Find the Perfect Product

Not all users know exactly what they’re looking for when browsing your website. Instead, they may have a set of criteria they want to meet before making a purchase. This is where layered navigation becomes essential.

BEST PRACTICES FOR LAYERED NAVIGATION

The larger your product catalog, the more crucial it is to provide filtering options that allow users to narrow down their exploration. By using layered navigation, you can display only relevant products that match the user's specific needs, making their browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable.

• Show only relevant attributes and customise them for each category. For example, “Computer Memory” attribute is important when buying a laptop, but is irrelevant when purchasing a monitor;

• Order attributes based on priority - you can not only arrange the order based on the industry specifics but also track the usage of your layered navigation and prioritize the attributes based on the user data;
• Choose the appropriate type of attribute - for example, use a slider with inputs for numerical attribute options, and swatches for colors;

• Show the number of products that have the attribute next to the attribute name. Thus the users will know what to expect;
• Use the “Show more” and “Show less” buttons in attributes that have more than 8 options. The long list of options may disorient the users and will complicate attribute overview.

HOW TO TRACK LAYERED NAVIGATION USEFULNESS?

As mentioned above, the main metric regarding layered navigation is attribute usage. Information about which attributes are used the most will give you a hint on how to prioritize the attributes in layered navigation.

Speed of Ordering

Once users have found the product they want, the speed of ordering determines how quickly and effortlessly they can complete the purchase. While selecting the product may seem like the hardest part, a slow or complicated ordering process can cause frustration and make users reconsider their decision. A streamlined, efficient checkout is key to securing conversions and preventing abandoned carts.

Key Areas to Improve

1. Product Page: Highlight key product information at the top, offer pre-selected options where possible, and provide tools like size guides or product images to help users decide quickly.
2. Checkout Process: Simplify the checkout process by reducing unnecessary fields, offering guest checkout, and limiting payment/shipping options. Express checkout can further reduce friction.

Below, we will highlight different tips that will improve the speed of ordering for the different stages of the purchase funnel your site.

1. The Power of a Well-Structured Product Page

The product page is one of the most important parts of the purchase decision-making. When structured well, it can provide the user with the necessary information and convince them to complete their order.

However, too much information or clutter can overwhelm users, leading to frustration and potential abandonment. Striking the right balance is essential to keep users focused and confident in their decisions.

Best Practices for Product Page

Implementing key design elements on your product page can simplify decision-making and guide users toward completing their purchase. We will list the most important ones below:

• Highlight the main product features above the fold - use the bullet points and display only decision-making information. If the user needs to read more about the product, they can find it in “Product description”;

• Offer only necessary product options and pre-select them where possible;
• Provide size guides, calculators, and other tools to ensure the user chooses the right product. When using interactive size guides, make sure the user fills it in one time, and the result is saved and displayed on the other product pages as well;
• Display swatches for color attributes as they are more informative and engaging;

• Provide various images that will represent the product from different angles, show it on the model (relevant for clothing and accessories), and give an idea about its size.

METRICS TO TRACK FOR PRODUCT PAGE OPTIMIZATION

2. Streamlining the Checkout for Faster Conversions

The checkout process is where the most user input is required, and if it's too long or complex, it can lead to cart abandonment.

According to research by the Baymard Institute, 22% of users abandon their checkout due to a lengthy or complicated process.

Best Practices for Checkout

Since checkout is the final step before purchase, making it as smooth and simple as possible is crucial, minimizing friction to increase conversion rates.

• Provide guest checkout option. The users get annoyed when registration on the website is mandatory. They could be in a rush or skeptical about the website, so it is important to make a good impression and provide them with the functionalities they are looking for. Having an account is always beneficial for the user and the business, so it should be offered to create one after the purchase has been completed;
• The checkout form should have a simple and understandable design. The goal is to provide the users with a clear structure and minimize possible questions;

• Reduce the number of input fields by avoiding collecting unnecessary information, asking users to fill in data multiple times (confirm email, confirm password), and providing multiple input fields for one data type (e.g. Address line 1 and Adress line 2);
• Limit the number of payment and shipping options, so you don’t overwhelm the users with too much of choices, and provide the most popular ones. This might change depending on the country and the website’s target audience, so market research might be needed before the selection. Although, don’t forget about old but gold credit and debit cards;

• Consider offering express checkout. It allows users to complete purchases with a couple of clicks. They don’t need to fill in the address information which is the most time-consuming. Also, the express checkout button can be placed not only in the checkout but also in the cart or on the product page which increases checkout speed even more.

METRICS TO TRACK CHECKOUT OPTIMIZATION

Final Thoughts

High Core Web Vitals is only one aspect of global website speed. As any website is made for the end-user, it is important to deliver high speed as a part of the user experience. A clean, easy-to-understand, intuitive navigation during the session, will bring another level of speed perception and guide the users to the purchase completion.

Measure and Adjust: Regularly track your site's metrics like search usage and checkout time to identify areas for improvement.

Speed of Finding: Ensure users can find products quickly with optimized search, clear categories, and layered navigation.

Streamlined Ordering: Focus on simplifying the checkout process to reduce abandonment and increase conversion rates.

User-Centered Design: Structure your product pages and navigation to provide essential information without overwhelming users.

Seamless Experience: Beyond site speed, focus on delivering an intuitive, efficient user journey from product discovery to purchase completion.

Each of the steps described above will contribute to a faster, more seamless experience for your users, improving both speed and satisfaction.