When analyzing and auditing websites, one of the toughest challenges is avoiding the false consensus effect, often summarized as “you are not the user.”
This bias leads us to assume our visitors have the same perspectives and experiences as we do. It’s easy to think, “I understand my website’s navigation, so visitors will too,” or “I use these keywords, so my users will as well.” Similarly, “I like my website’s design, so everyone else will too.”
A prime example of this bias is website speed. Executives, designers, and developers often believe their website loads quickly because it does for them. Most professionals in SEO, UX, and related fields have high-powered devices and fast internet connections, making it hard to notice slow load times.
However, the people visiting our websites might not experience the same fast speeds. They may use less powerful devices and slower internet connections. For instance, while you might have a high-speed connection at 1000 Mbps, your users could be on a 4G network with only 150 Mbps or even a 5G network with speeds between 100-300 Mbps. That is a big difference!
To avoid the false consensus trap, test your website’s speed on different devices and with various internet speeds. One of the easiest ways to do this is by configuring Network Throttling Profiles in Chrome. In Chrome DevTools, go to Network Conditions, select “Add” under Network throttling, and create custom profiles that reflect common speeds your visitors use.
Before loading your website, select one of these profiles to see how it performs at slower speeds. This approach allows you to experience your website as your users do, helping you identify and address potential issues. Be sure to review common throttling profiles as you decide what to test.
For help measuring your website’s speed, be sure to check out my book, Speed Metrics Guide.
