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We have already talked about Google Core Web Vitals and we highlighted the importance of these metrics for online content. Now let us introduce you to the new metric – INP.

These metrics introduced a few years ago, were designed to communicate important data to Google about the user experience on your site. In essence, this is an evaluation of the user experience.

This evaluation was initially made on 3 parameters: LCP; FID and CLS, parameters related respectively to page loading, interactivity and visual stability.

But now things are changing and a new metric, INP, Interaction to Next Paint, is about to be introduced.

Starting in March 2024, the Navigation Performance Index (INP) will become a new official metric in Google’s Core Web Vitals. This is important news for everyone working in the world of web design and web development. The quality of website performance will become even more important for search engine rankings and the user experience.

But what is INP and why does it become so important?

INP is a metric that measures how quickly the user can interact with the page after it has loaded. In other words, the INP measures the time between the moment the user presses a button or takes an action and the moment the action is performed. This element is crucial because it is a direct measure of website responsiveness.

Improving the performance of your site is good for traffic

Why did Google decide to include INP in the Core Web Vitals?

First, because INP is an important measure of user experience. If a website is slow to respond to user actions, the user may become frustrated and leave the site. Secondly, because INP is a metric that can be easily measured and implemented by website owners.

The fact that INP becomes an official metric in Google’s Core Web Vitals means that website responsiveness will become even more important for search engine rankings and user experience. Additionally, the INP will join other Core Web Vitals metrics currently used by Google, namely page load speed (LCP) and visual stability (CLS).

How can we improve the INP of our website?

There are several strategies we can adopt. First, we can reduce page load time. This can be done using image compression techniques, reducing the number of requests to the server and minimizing the HTML and CSS code. Second, we can use caching techniques to reduce server response time. Finally, we may use page pre-loading techniques to improve the responsiveness of the website.

Implementing INP improvement strategies will improve both the website’s position in search engines and the user experience. Indeed, a website that is responsive and quick to respond to user actions increases user satisfaction and reduces the website abandonment rate.

Also, it is important to take into account that INP not only impacts SEO and user experience but also conversion. Recent studies have shown that an increase in INP can lead to a decrease in conversion, as slow and non-responsive browsing can cause the user to lose interest.

For this reason, it is essential to work on reducing the INP of our website as soon as possible, in order to improve not only the position on search engines but also the conversion and user satisfaction.

To know more and better understand all the methods to maximize the INP metric, read on the web.dev “Optimize Interaction Next Paint“.

How can we actually measure the INP of our website?

There are several tools that we can use to measure INP, for example, Lighthouse, a Chrome DevTools tool that allows you to perform an in-depth analysis of website performance. Also, we can use other related metrics like the First Input Delay (FID), to get a complete overview of website performance.

You can also measure the speed of your site with these tools.

Finally, INP is not a static metric; it can vary depending on the user’s device and internet connection. To accurately evaluate a website’s CLS, test its performance across different devices and internet connections.

In conclusion, the INP will become an official metric in Google’s Core Web Vitals starting in March 2024. This means that website responsiveness will become even more important for search engine rankings, user experience and conversion.

It is critical to begin working on lowering our website’s INP using strategies, and tools for measuring INP, and testing website performance on various devices and internet connections. Only in this way can we improve the user experience and achieve our business goals.

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A slow site speed not only frustrates visitors but also hinders your search ranking, making it harder for new users to find your website.

In fact, after the introduction of Google Core Web Vitals, which we already talked about a few articles ago, a slow site can be penalized by Google and therefore not be visible in the first search results.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the reasons why site speed is critical to look after.

Improving performance is good for traffic

As we anticipated, in May of 2020, Google announced that “page experience” would soon become a ranking factor in Google Search.

This update has therefore marked a significant turning point, indicating that the performance of a site is now a fundamental discriminator for the visibility of a site.

Google through Core Web Vitals determines how high a particular website should appear in search results.

Several metrics come into play. The LCP, the FID and the CLS. If these metrics are not met, Google will understand that the site is not performing and therefore will make it less visible.

By cons, that means instead faster and better-performing websites see more traffic compared to the slower competition.

In the time since the announcement, Google has continued to release more information about exactly how performance can affect rankings in search.

When it comes to organic search, a slow website will have fewer potential customers.

So, as you can see, it becomes essential to have a fast and performing website.

How to optimize the speed of your WordPress site?

Improving performance is good for conversions

Once a user enters a website, the performance greatly affects his behaviour, influencing him positively or negatively.

According to a survey of over 700 consumers, nearly 70% of users said that the performance of the website they were browsing affected their likelihood of buying or returning to the website.

In fact, how many times have we found ourselves on a site, perhaps to buy a product? Well, if the site is slow, it also gives us a feeling of inadequacy and above all little reliability. Therefore, in addition to leaving it because it can be frustrating to browse it, a user leaves a site of this also because he thinks it is unsafe. It’s a question of image, if the site works well, is fast and responsive, the user feels more secure and at ease.

The speed of a site, as you can see, is a really important factor for the user experience. This element comes before a good user experience or a good structure.

Performance improvement helps visitors save mobile bandwidth

According to data collected from the HTTP archive, page sizes have increased significantly in recent years. Over the past 10 years, the average size of web pages on the desktop web has tripled.

This can cause problems for users who are sensitive to bandwidth consumption. It is true that now many offers from mobile telephone operators offer a minimum of 50 – 100GB, but still why consume more? not to mention that there are areas where the mobile connection is not stable and therefore having a site that loads slowly affects it even more.

Increasing page size may lead consumers to upgrade to larger plans and spend more on mobile data.

Improved performance reduces hosting costs

A faster website can reduce costs. Images, videos and other media uploaded to the website must be stored somewhere, often with additional backups. In addition to storage space, many cloud service providers also charge for outbound bandwidth when users request a file from your servers.

In practice, the same kind of image optimization that benefits things like Largest Contentful Paint and Cumulative Layout Shift can also reduce the amount of storage space required to house these assets.

A study by CrayonData found that not only optimizing images and uploading them via a CDN has reduced storage costs, but it has also reduced network consumption. This resulted in an 85% reduction in hosting costs, saving over $200,000.

So as you can see, you can save a lot in this sense too.

4 tools to measure the speed of Magento and optimize its performance

Do I need to improve the speed of my site?

Well, improving the speed of the website can give you advantages in terms of conversions and costs. A fast website can boost organic traffic, conversion rates, and sales.

Making a website faster for users can require consensus from stakeholders across all teams. It can require you to make difficult decisions about features, functionality, and aesthetics that impact performance. Organizationally, the additional design time and resources required may also require management approval.

Despite these challenges, a fast website has the potential to be discovered and engaged by more users, especially if it’s faster than its competitors. Once users find the website, they are also more likely to interact with it in more depth and eventually convert into customers.