For web users, even blink is a long wait

Google researchers have concluded that modern day internet users find it very difficult to cope with slow web connection. The fraction of mere 400 milliseconds, in which eye completes a single blink is also considered too long. Users are eager for obtaining quick search results; setting their eyes on the computer screen. If it takes longer for a response, users make another attempt by clicking or tapping the keyboard. Arvind Jain, engineer with Google, quotes that every millisecond matters nowadays. Delay in search results means that users will search less than usual.

Google along with other technology giants is doing their every bit for speeding the search engines, from fast to faster. Worldwide network has witnessed substantial increase in internet traffic since advent of smartphones and tablets. These gadgets are the foremost reasons for jamming the interface as users tend to transfer data for their convenience, be it booking a movie show, or downloading songs, or exploring city maps to reach their destinations.

Another study by Microsoft draws inference that slower website will experience less views than its counterpart. Anything beyond 250 milliseconds, which is a millisecond is a thousandth part of a second, will make the difference. Harry Shum, a computer scientist with the IT major, calls it magic number for achieving competitive advantage on the web. He links performance of internet with human behaviour by stating that users are more likely to wait for video clip to get downloaded, but not for search result.

There is an exception to response time aspect, i.e., visual richness of a website. The entertainment websites featuring videos, news stories and interactive graphics will continue to get traffic despite slow operations. In case video stalls, the likelihood of users to bounce is quite fair and high.

Therefore, being fast is not enough; internet connection needs to be faster nowadays.