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How Fast Does Your Website Load? Why Speed Affects Your Google Ranking and Clients If you’ve ever clicked on a website and found yourself staring at a blank screen for more than a few seconds, you probably hit the back button without a second thought. You’re not alone — studies show that over 50% of visitors leave a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Now imagine if that slow site is yours. Every extra second your website takes to load could be costing you potential clients and valuable search visibility. Let’s unpack why website speed matters so much — for both Google rankings and your clients’ experience — and what you can do to fix it. Why Website Speed Matters More Than Ever When we talk about “speed,” we’re not just talking about how fast your homepage appears. Website speed affects every interaction — from clicking a menu to filling out a contact form. Here’s why it matters: 1. Google Cares About Speed Google’s main goal is to give users the best experience possible. Slow websites frustrate people, so Google pushes them down the rankings. In 2021, Google officially rolled out Core Web Vitals, which measure how quickly your site loads, how soon users can interact with it, and how stable it feels as it loads. In simple terms: If your website takes too long to load, even great content won’t save it from slipping in search results. 2. Your Clients Don’t Wait Your potential clients are busy. Whether they’re looking for a lawyer, consultant, or service provider, they want quick, reliable answers. If your site takes forever to load, they’ll move on to a competitor’s site that gives them what they need instantly. A slow website doesn’t just annoy people — it sends a message that your business might be outdated or unresponsive. 3. Speed Affects Conversions Speed isn’t just about attracting visitors — it’s about keeping them.For every second your site takes to load, your conversion rate can drop by as much as 7%. That means if your website brings in R10,000 a month, just a two-second delay could cost you over R16,000 a year. That’s a serious hit for something you can fix. What Causes a Slow Website? Before we fix the problem, let’s identify what might be slowing you down. Here are the most common culprits we see when auditing client websites:  How to Test Your Website Speed Testing your site speed is easier than you might think. Here are a few free tools we recommend: When testing, focus on metrics like: These are exactly what Google’s Core Web Vitals measure — and improving them directly impacts your SEO performance. 7 Proven Ways to Improve Your Website Speed Here’s how you can make your site lightning fast and user-friendly: The Hidden Business Benefits of a Fast Website A fast website isn’t just about technical performance — it affects how people feel about your brand. At John Eric Concepts, we’ve seen clients improve their website load times by up to 70% — and the difference in engagement, inquiries, and visibility was immediate. Final Thoughts Your website is often the first impression potential clients have of your business. And if it’s slow, you’re losing them before they even see what you offer. A few simple optimisations can make a massive difference — not just in how your site performs, but in how your brand is perceived. Want to Make Your Website Faster and More Effective? At John Eric Concepts, we help businesses optimise their websites for speed, performance, and visibility — so they attract more clients and keep them engaged. Want to make your website faster and more effective?Get in touch with John Eric Concepts — we’ll help you optimise your site for better performance, visibility, and results.