Page load time

Overview

Page load times directly impact website success factors:

• User satisfaction: A poor user experience due to slow page load times leads to higher bounce rates
• Search engine rankings: Page speed is a critical search ranking factor which directly impacts online visibility and leads to reduced website traffic
• Conversion rates: Users often abandon their journey out of frustration or due to timeouts

Metrics

The current set of standard metrics for Penn Medicine web and digital products focus on three aspects of the user experience—loading, interactivity, and visual stability. Following are the respective thresholds for each metric.

Remediation

To improve page load time, refer to the following guidance:

• Page size: Avoid excessively long pages, including dynamically generated pages.
• Image size: Optimize images for quality and load time.
• Scripts: Optimize for quick page load.
• Server resources: Ensure all components of the architecture align to anticipated user demands.