How big of a problem can a slow website be?
A widely quoted study by the Aberdeen Group found that:
"A 1-second delay in page load time equals 11% fewer page views, a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction, and 7% loss in conversions."
That study dates back to 2008 (re-published in 2015), but if anything user expectations of fast page loads are on the rise.
(Source: http://www.aberdeen.com/research/5136/ra-performance-web-application/content.aspx)
Forrester Research conducted a study in conjunction with Akamai, which highlighted the importance of site load times and usability:
"Nearly half of web users expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less, and they tend to abandon a site that isn’t loaded within 3 seconds.
79% of web shoppers who have trouble with web site performance say they won’t return to the site to buy again.
Around 44% of them would tell a friend if they had a poor experience shopping online."
It is easy to see how just a small number of visitors gained from having a faster website could easily cover the cost of premium hosting not to mention adding to the satisfaction experienced by others with more patience.
Famous Quote: "The wisest are the most annoyed at the loss of time." - Dante Alighieri