Tablet users expect a faster web

Some people think the tablet is killing the PC. Others aren’t so sure. There’s no denying they’re popular either — the opening sales figures of the latest iPad attest to that. But how much grunt do people expect to get out of their tablets?

One good indicator is web loading times. Browsing is, after all, one of the things the tablet is supposed to be perfect for.

According to online research company eMarketer, citing a worldwide survey by Equation Research, the majority of tablet users expect the web to load at least as fast as it does on their PCs.In fact, most people want their websites to load in two seconds or less.

The research company reckons that people’s expectations are being shaped by their PC-browsing experiences.

Thing is, a number of people’s expectations aren’t being matched by reality. Some 41% of the survey’s respondents said they had encountered some kind of problem while browsing on their tablets over the previous 12 months.

Of that 41%, two-thirds reported dealing with slow-loading websites, while 40% faced problems with formatting and functionality.

Slow load times on tablets could spell serious trouble for websites too. Nearly half of the people surveyed said they would be less likely to visit a “problematic site”, while 46% said they would be more likely to visit a competitor’s site.

Best get your site tablet ready then. Better yet, build an app.