Evolutions of the Eight Second Rule Only Make it More Relevant to Yahoo Store Designers

Posted on December 5, 2009
Filed Under Ecommerce |

Although first sightings of the eight second rule surfaced back in a 2001 Zona Research Report , which “found that the average web user will wait about eight seconds for a page to download,” developers are ever more conscious of that omnipresent eight second rule today.

The rule itself has undergone an evolution of sorts and has become even more relevant over the years, especially to the Yahoo store builder considering the use of custom application development, dynamic images, interactive building application etc.

When the concept emerged, the eight seconds referred to the amount of time people would wait until the website loaded, but modern technophiles scoff at the idea of sitting dormant for more than one or two seconds. We are not only talking about load times now, but the touchstone of e-commerce design and development: conversion. Seconds lost in consumer confusion is a recipe for conversion disaster.

In today’s cutting edge e-commerce environment, the Yahoo store developer and editor must set their prowess on creating fast loading pages with a landing matrix fine tuned to fully engage and quickly convert the customer. Yes, it must interface and anticipate the user’s needs and frustrations.

To ensure success, the customer must be able to attain that object of their desires without obstacle. That means no broken hot links, applications, misfiring pages, incomplete information, slow rolling or overly involved check-out carts, unnecessary graphic distractions, irrelevant and wordy text, etc. And, no, you cannot slick the site down to an oily chute to spit customers out behind the bars of the check out cart either.

A fine balance, or harmony, must be struck. Strategic product placement and user navigation must be smart and without clutter; all in less than eight seconds.

Yahoo Store Design specialists, like Fast Pivot, have mastered the Eight Second equilibrium that makes smart design look easy. But don’t take this blog as the final word on the subject, check out the portfolio for yourself.