Gomez explains importance of web load testing

A study published by Gomez has revealed that customer frustration with website performance during peak traffic times has a negative impact on business results.

The survey, entitled 'When More Website Visitors Hurt Your Business: Are You Ready for Peak Traffic', was conducted by Equation Research.

It examined the performance of websites experiencing peak traffic volumes and the impact on customer behaviour.

Equation Research polled 1,500 people who use the web at peak times, such as holiday shopping, booking summer travel or executing trades during financial market shifts.

It concluded that poor web performance is rife in the retail, finance and travel industries and that this has a lasting impact on where consumers spend money online.

According to the survey, consumers do the lion's share of their online spending during peak traffic times and have high expectations for web performance.

During these peak times, 51 per cent spend a significant percentage of their online shopping budget and 35 per cent make online travel bookings.

Sixty-seven per cent of consumers expect websites to work well, regardless of how many visitors they have.

Consumers' expectations for quality web performance were not met during 2009, according to the research.

Seventy-two per cent experienced slower websites more frequently during peak traffic periods than at other times.

In addition, 58 per cent reported more errors and 51 per cent encountered more failing transactions.

Unacceptable website performance during peak traffic times led to actions and perceptions that negatively impacted businesses' revenue and reputation.

Seventy-eight per cent of consumers have switched to a competitor's website because they encountered slowdowns, errors and translation problems during peak traffic times.

After a poor online experience, 88 per cent are less likely to return to a site, 47 per cent have a less positive perception of the company, and 42 per cent have discussed it with family, friends and peers, or online on social networks.

Poor web performance at peak times is endemic across the financial, travel and retail verticals, harming both short-term revenues and long-term customer relationships.

Sixty-three per cent of online stock traders experienced poor web performance during peak times in 2009 and 57 per cent said they would switch to a competitive brokerage as a result.

Fifty-three per cent of consumers using the web for purchasing vacations, flights and hotels will only tolerate one or two bad web experiences during peak times before booking on a different travel website.

In addition, 33 per cent of online shoppers experienced poor web performance on a retail website during the 2009 holiday shopping season and 41 per cent of them say they would abandon a retailer's website after just one or two poor experiences.

Matt Poepsel, vice-president, performance strategies at Gomez, said: 'Peak web traffic means increased revenue opportunity - for most businesses, peak periods are precisely when they spend the most on promotions and campaigns to drive visitors to their sites and convert the sale.

'However, it is clear that peak traffic also means increased risk for degraded web performance and, consequently, lost business, as this survey starkly confirms.

'Investing in web load testing before marketing campaigns and seasonal traffic spikes can help businesses ensure that their customers' online experience is optimal, even under peak load.

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