Need for speed
CALL it a first world problem, but we ain’t got time to wait for a website to load like it is still 2009.
Understanding our impatience and problem, Google has taken it upon itself to start naming and shaming websites that take forever to display their content.
“In the future, Chrome may identify sites that typically load fast or slow for users with clear badging,” Google states on its Chromium blog.
The badge will clearly identify which sites are created in a way that makes them slow generally and with the intention of pushing owners to better how their website is authored.
The type of badge will take several forms, and the company says that it is still in the midst of experimenting with different options.
Right now, it could be something as simple as just stating “usually loads slow”, but in the future it could include a “progress bar” and context menu for links which could give insight on the typical site speed before users navigate to it.
“Our plan to identify sites that are fast or slow will take place in gradual steps, based on increasingly stringent criteria. Our longterm goal is to define badging for high quality experiences, which may include signals beyond just speed,” it further states.
The company believes that the Web can do better, and it wants to help users understand why a site loads slowly. In the future, it will also expand this to include when a site is likely to be slow based on the user’s device and network conditions.
The company says that it is being very mindful in its approach, hoping to set a bar that it considers a good user experience and one that is achievable by all developers.
“We will publish updates to this plan as we approach future releases, but don’t wait to optimise your site,” it advises.