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Slow Page Downloads - the Trade "Killing-Machine"!

There is absolutely nothing like slow page downloads to kill your e-trade. Customers will simply NOT wait for long periods - and long is longer than around 20 secs - for pages to download.

They will wait - if they are ALREADY customers - when they they know and need the contents of a slow loading page, but in the main slow pages will DEFINITELY damage your business.

The next page will load a calculator which allows you to measure the times that a given page size will take to download given 100% PERFECT conditions.

Enter the total-call memory size of your webpage in the "#" box above, then select the file size in Kb, Mb or Gb.

NOTE: Total-call page size = the TOTAL of ALL elements to download to the page - NOT just the actual size of the basic page code!
It's now common for developers to be using connections of greater than 2,000 Kb/s download speeds (see T1 and T3 in above Table). They then build pages with download times of around 10-20 secs. This results in TOTAL Customer frustration and lost customers for you!

 As an example, the calculator page, using HTML and Java code, is sized at 14.3 Kb and uses a call to another Javascript file of 1.39 Kb, whereas the same page using "Flash" technology would be about 1.5 Mb!!!!!
[This means that the calculator takes around 2-6 secs to download using a 56 Kbs modem, but if was built in Flash it would take around 4-12 minutes!!!]

Use the calculator to test the difference in the download times of different page sizes across all ADSL formats and 56 Kb Dial-Up and Pre-Paid Internet Cards. (These cards are becoming more and more commonly used.)

So you can see at least a few reasons why many website owners may be losing Customers!

 The "King With No Clothes!" Syndrome:
You will see that pages which take just  21- 60 secs to download at broadband speeds can take a potential customer well over 10 mins to see if they're using a dial-up connection!

So how many people are going to wait 2 minutes - let alone 10 - for a page of your website to load??????

Are you going to say "we don't want you as a Customer" simply because they are not using Broadband to access the Internet??

Would you accept our advice to NOT TRADE with anyone who has fair hair? Or, maybe who is taller than your brother?

Because that's EXACTLY the level of insanity that's occurring if your website developer does not respect the simple fact that because it can be done is NO argument for doing it!!!!!!

And remember, the calculated times are for each system to be operating at 100% efficiency! This will rarely, if ever, be achieved.

Factors which will affect (increase) the page download times as stated above are as follows:
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Server capacity and set-up
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Current Internet traffic. Multiple line sharing is now common and can drastically reduce the REAL download speed you are experiencing!
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Viewer's hardware and/or operating system. What security software filters are they using to filter your webpage downloads? What else do they have running on their computer? it's now absolutely common for computer users to use automatic updates for Windows and other software - these can DRASTICALLY slow the download speeds of your website without the user's awareness - and guess who gets the blame for having a slow-to-load website?
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Efficiency of their local exchange, if an exchange is being used. What about the common problem of interference if they're using a wireless connection?
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The operational quality of the internet interface - ie ISP imposed constraints and inhibitors. ADSL is rarely - if ever - as fast as stated. Wireless speeds can easily diminish by factors of FIVE, and ADSL users are often limited to 56 Kbps or less by their provider because of overdraw on their accounts!
   
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