An Investigation into Factors Associated with Web Page Download Delay

Since the Mosaic browser was introduced with its ability to display images, there has been a proliferation in the number of Web pages using a combination of text and image-heavy design with the use of images contributing heavily to slow-loading sites. Studies have shown that surfers spend a lot of time waiting impatiently for Web pages to emerge on the screen, and HCI guidelines indicate that 10 seconds is the maximum response time before users lose interest. Such delays impact a site’s success and are expensive in terms of lost business opportunity or user productivity. This paper presents research into the observed usage of images by academic institutions and the effects on page retrieval times. Findings of this study will help to devise a strategy reducing potentially harmful effects of slow page retrieval times.