The Internet has grown exponentially in recent years into a complex and dynamic environment. With this evolution, user behaviour has changed significantly.
We web designers have tools that allow us to visualise user behaviour for each page of a website. These tools allow us to see every mouse movement, every page scroll, basically every movement the user makes on a page.
And unfortunately we see more and more often the impatience with which most users scroll through the pages of a website. They read almost nothing. They go purely on “visual” and “instinct” and if they don’t find the information they’re looking for in the first few seconds they immediately leave the page. Although they have all the information they need, they don’t find what is obvious in front of them, because they have run out of patience.
Web design professionals are constantly looking for solutions to deal with the major problem of users’ lack of patience when surfing the Internet.
And to find these solutions, we need to find out the reasons why people are out of patience. And these reasons are many, unfortunately very many.
Why do people run out of patience when surfing the Internet?
Here are a few reasons behind the lack of patience of internet users:
1. Information overload: The internet provides access to a huge amount of information, often causing a feeling of overwhelm. Users are bombarded with content, from articles and videos to advertisements and notifications, leading to information fatigue and a decrease in patience.
Information overload is like a constant noise that overwhelms our attention and prevents us from hearing the quiet voices of intuition and inspiration.
2. Decreased attention: Because of the rapid and constant consumption of information, people’s ability to concentrate has decreased in recent years. This is reflected in their patience in surfing the internet. In a world dominated by distractions, the ability to maintain attention and focus is becoming a rare treasure. Declining attention is a signal that our minds are struggling to cope with the avalanche of information and demands.
3. Time pressure: In modern society, time is a limited and precious resource. People expect quick results in all aspects of their lives, including surfing the internet.
4. FOMO: Fear of Missing Out, is closely linked to the digital and social media age, as people are constantly exposed to information about others’ experiences through online platforms. Comparing one’s own life to that of others can lead to FOMO, and this feeling can cause stress, anxiety, dissatisfaction or a need to be constantly connected to the internet so as not to miss anything new. The fear of missing something important or interesting can cause users to quickly navigate from one site to another in search of relevant content.
5. Constant reward stimulation: Constant reward stimulation refers to the phenomenon where people are regularly exposed to stimuli that cause them pleasure or satisfaction, resulting in the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine in the brain. In the context of the internet and social media, this manifests itself in notifications, likes and other positive feedback that create a reward loop. As a result, users may become less patient and more dependent on these instant rewards, affecting their behaviour and expectations in other areas of life, including online interactions.
6. Stress and anxiety: In a world where stress and anxiety are common, users may become less patient when surfing the web as they seek relief and quick distraction (I recommend .
7. Intrusive ads: Pop-up ads, autoplay and other intrusive forms of advertising can irritate users and decrease their patience while surfing the web.
8. Irrelevant content: Frequent encounters with irrelevant or useless content can lead to a decrease in user patience, as they feel they are wasting their time on sites that do not offer value.
9. Lack of human interaction: People are less patient when browsing the internet because interactions are largely digital and impersonal, lacking the human factor and emotional connection.
10.Violation of privacy: People may become less patient online when they feel that their privacy and confidentiality are violated by the collection and use of their personal data for commercial or advertising purposes.
11. Constant notifications: Constant notifications from different apps, websites and devices can create a sense of urgency and push users to check and respond to these notifications, reducing their patience when browsing the internet.
12. Browsing speed: People have become accustomed to fast page load speeds and instant access to information. When they find sites that load more slowly, their patience decreases and they are more likely to leave the site.
13. High expectations: Users have high expectations from websites, especially in terms of design, functionality and content quality. If these expectations are not met, their patience quickly wanes.
14. Constantly comparing websites: People have become accustomed to comparing websites and choosing the ones that offer the best user experience. This tendency to compare makes them less tolerant of sites that do not meet their expectations.
15. Previous negative experiences: If a user has had negative experiences with a website or app in the past, they may develop a lack of patience for that platform or other similar sites.
16. Amount of options available: With so many websites and apps available today, users have endless options. This can lead to a lack of patience because users know they can find alternatives quickly.
17. Quality of internet connection: A slow or unstable internet connection can lead to frustration and lack of patience when browsing the internet, as users have to wait for pages and content to load.
18. Social network effect: Fast and easy browsing experiences on social networking platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc., can create high expectations for the online experience, making users less patient on other sites.
19. Insufficient personalization: Users can become impatient on sites that don’t offer enough personalization of content and experience because they feel they are being treated like a mass instead of individuals with specific needs and interests.
20. Increased stress levels: Increased overall stress levels in people’s lives can contribute to decreased patience in all aspects of life, including surfing the web.
21. Communication delays: In situations where users depend on the internet to communicate with others, delays in communication, such as delayed responses or technical problems, can reduce users’ patience.
22. Content saturation: Constant consumption of online content and the fact that users are exposed to a large volume of information throughout the day can lead to saturation and lack of patience.
23. Poor website design: Unintuitive or difficult to use design can lead to frustration and a decrease in user patience while browsing the internet.
24. Unrealistic expectations: Constant exposure to exceptional online experiences can lead to unrealistic expectations for most websites, making users less patient with sites that don’t live up to those standards.
25. Speed of technology change: Technology changes rapidly, and users may have difficulty adapting to new trends and functionality. This can lead to a decrease in patience when browsing the internet.
How does lack of patience affect online business?
a) Low sales: If users quickly leave the site or do not engage in the buying process, the business will experience a drop in sales and revenue.
b) Higher marketing costs: Lack of user patience can lead to reduced effectiveness of marketing campaigns, as users may ignore ads or leave the site before being exposed to marketing messages.
c) Loss of customers: If users are dissatisfied with their experience on the site, they are likely to stop returning and seek alternatives. This can lead to loss of customers and a decrease in brand loyalty.
In which categories of sites do people show the least patience?
a) News and information sites: People are looking for up-to-date and relevant information as quickly as possible.
b) Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn): Users want to see new and interesting content in a quick and easy way, without delays or obstacles.
c) Online shopping sites: Customers expect fast and simple search, selection and purchase processes.
Age categories and patience level:
a) Most patient: Older people (65+) tend to be more patient when browsing the Internet, as they have been exposed to technology at a slower pace and are generally less rushed.
b) Least patient: Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) and Millenials (born between 1981 and 1996) tend to have the least patience when surfing the Internet. This is due to their upbringing in a digital age where access to information and technology has been rapid and ubiquitous.
What other patience-lacking behaviours do we observe on the Internet, especially on social networking sites?
Impulsive comments: Some users post replies or comments without really reading the content or understanding the context, leading to conflict and misinformation.
Trolling: When users don’t have the patience to engage in constructive and civil dialogue, they may engage in trolling, harassing and intentionally provoking other users to get emotional reactions.
Quick skimming: Lack of patience can lead to quick and superficial skimming of content without stopping to engage in a deeper way with the information or perspectives presented.
Insistent demands for immediate answers: Some users may be impatient waiting for answers in online conversations or social media discussions and may repeatedly press for immediate responses without considering the schedule or availability of other participants.
Ignoring tutorials or instructions: impatient users may skip detailed tutorials or instructions in games, apps or other online platforms and expect to learn as they go, which can lead to frustration and negative experiences.
Quick abandonment of multimedia content: When users don’t have the patience to wait for a video or webpage to load completely, they may quickly give up and seek out other sources of information or entertainment, often at the expense of fully understanding the topic or the quality of the content.
Excessive use of abbreviations and ‘texting’ language: Anxious to communicate quickly leads to excessive use of abbreviations and informal language, which can create confusion and difficulty understanding online conversations.
Participating in the spread of fake news: Anxious users may quickly distribute information and news without checking the source or accuracy, thus contributing to the spread of fake news and misinformation.
Skippingsteps in the registration or form filling process: Some users may try to quickly complete the online registration or form filling process by skipping steps or entering incorrect information, which can lead to errors and problems later.
Lack of user patience on the Internet and websites is a significant challenge for web designers, UX and UI specialists and online businesses. It is essential to understand user needs and expectations and address these issues by improving performance, design and content quality. This will lead to a more enjoyable browsing experience for users and the long-term success of websites and online businesses.
Don’t let user patience hurt your business – work with web design specialists to create an engaging and effective website! Choose to do your websites with professionals!