Speed is usually discussed as a technical preference. In practice, it is a commercial input that changes conversion rate, search position and the cost of every ad click you buy.
In South Africa, where a large share of visitors browse on mobile with metered data, a slow site is not just inconvenient — it costs the visitor money to wait for it. Many simply close the tab.
Where speed touches revenue
- Paid media — Google Ads Quality Score includes landing page speed. A slower page pays more per click for the same ad position
- Organic search — Core Web Vitals are a confirmed ranking signal, particularly on mobile
- Conversion rate — Every additional second of mobile load time reduces conversion rates by approximately 7%