Website response time plays a key role in user experience, SEO rankings, and conversions. If your site is slow to respond, it could be costing you visitors and performance. But what exactly is considered a good website response time?
In this guide, we’ll break down what a good response time is, why it matters, and how you can improve yours. Plus, we’ll share tools to measure response time and practical steps to make your site faster.
TL;DR:
From a user experience perspective, a website response time under 2 seconds is considered good. But from a performance standpoint, a response time under 800ms (0.8 seconds) is ideal.
From a user perspective, an ideal website response time is under 1 second, as it feels instant. A good response time is 1 to 2 seconds, still feeling fast. However, 3 seconds or more feels slow and negatively impacts user experience.
From a performance benchmark standpoint, Google recommends a response time under 800ms (0.8 seconds). However, what truly matters is how fast the site feels to users. Minor delays in raw metrics are less important if the experience remains smooth.
That said, if you’re focused on Core Web Vitals (CWV) and want to achieve a good score, you can aim for Google’s recommended performance benchmarks. However, while optimising for CWV can improve user experience, its direct impact on SEO rankings is minimal.
For reference: Do Core Web Vitals Affect SEO? (And How to Improve Them)
A fast response time is crucial for user experience, SEO, and conversions. Slow response times frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates and lower engagement.
Supporting these points, a study by the Aberdeen Group found that a 1-second delay can reduce conversions by 7%. Google also confirms that website speed affects search rankings, making fast response times crucial.
Simply put, a slow response time costs you traffic, rankings, and sales, making it a critical performance factor.
We’ve talked about what makes a good website response time and why it matters. Now, let’s dive into how to improve it.
First, you need to check your website’s response time. Is it fast, or could it use some work? You can check this using Google Lighthouse or run a free website audit with WebYes below to spot any issues.
Here are key strategies to improve your website’s response time:
By implementing these strategies, you can improve your website’s response time. Additionally, Google provides stack-specific recommendations for platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and others, offering tailored tips to optimise performance further.
Many people confuse server response time, website response time, and page load time, but they measure different aspects of website speed. Understanding these differences helps in optimising your site effectively.
| Metric | Definition | What It Includes | Good Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server Response Time (TTFB) | Time taken by the server to process a request and send the first byte of data. | Server processing, database queries, and network latency. | Under 800ms (ideal) |
| Website Response Time | Time it takes for the website to start responding and loading content. | Server response time + network delays + first visual elements appearing. | Under 1 second (ideal) |
| Page Load Time | Total time it takes for the page to fully load and become interactive. | Website response time + rendering time + scripts + images + third-party resources. | Under 3 seconds (ideal for user experience). |
Did you know?
The average web page load time is 2.5 seconds on desktop and 8.6 seconds on mobile, based on Tooltester’s analysis of the top 100 webpages worldwide.
Keeping your website fast and responsive is key to a better user experience, higher rankings, and more conversions. But continuously monitoring your website’s performance and fixing issues can be tricky – that’s where WebYes comes in.
With WebYes, you can monitor the website performance metrics, spot issues affecting speed and response time, and get suggestions to fix them. By addressing these issues, you can enhance your site’s response time and improve the user experience for your visitors.
Run a free website audit with WebYes today and see where your site stands!
Article by
Melwyn holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and has been writing professionally for over 4 years. He has a strong background in SEO and is certified in web accessibility from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). When he's not writing about website optimisation, you can find him enjoying a game of FIFA or exploring the open world of GTA.
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