Black Friday/Cyber Monday is the Super Bowl of online retail. Consumers are ready to shop, and their expectations for fast, seamless, and secure digital experiences have never been higher. This year, we put 50 of the most popular holiday shopping destinations through our Web Experience Scorecard to identify who’s a top performer and set benchmarks as we head into the 2024 holiday season.
And the top performers are…
These leaders excel in delivering frictionless online shopping experiences, with Zappos taking the top spot with a site performance score 12 points higher than the nearest competitor. Our site performance score is built on pillars of site speed, user frustration mitigation, and modern web practices ensuring an efficient browsing experience.
Holiday ecommerce benchmarks for 2024
To help other retailers prepare for the unique challenges of the holiday season, we’ve calculated holiday-specific benchmarks based on the average scores from 50 retail sites analyzed during this critical period. These benchmarks reflect the heightened demands and expectations of holiday shoppers, providing a targeted lens for performance during the busiest shopping season of the year. Those holiday benchmarks are:
Retailers meeting or exceeding these benchmarks are better positioned to win customers and keep them coming back throughout the holiday season.
Why performance, security, utility, and data richness matter
Today’s consumer is more discerning than ever, and who can blame them when anything and everything is just a click away. These expectations mean a site's ability (or lack there of) to meet a customer’s needs can make or break a sale—and a potential loyal fan. This high-stakes relationship is even more relevant during high traffic moments like Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Here’s why the four pillars of our Web Experience Grader matter to both customers and site teams:
1. Performance
Consumers expect instant page loads and responsive interactions. Sites that lag lose customers, with 53% of mobile users abandoning a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Even if your deals are unbeatable, slow performance could cost you conversions.
2. Security
With cyber threats at an all-time high, consumers prioritize sites they trust. A 100% security score—achieved by all of our top five sites—is the gold standard for safeguarding sensitive customer information and building brand loyalty.
3. Utility
Customers want intuitive navigation, thoughtful and efficient search experiences, and functional tools. High utility scores reflect sites that deliver user-friendly shopping experiences, keeping customers engaged and moving toward checkout with minimal friction.
4. Data richness
Rich data not only helps businesses optimize their digital strategies but also enhances personalization and relevance for consumers. A high score in this area demonstrates a brands position to leverage insights to learn from and improve digital experiences.
What top scores can teach retailers
The top performers—Zappos, Apple, Dell, Crate & Barrel, and Nordstrom—have mastered these four pillars, and their success underscores the importance of making strategic investments in web experiences. While not every brand can rank #1, meeting or exceeding the benchmarks is a solid step toward delivering a stress-free holiday shopping experience.
How does your site compare?
This holiday season, don’t leave your web experience to chance. Measure your site’s Performance, Security, Utility, and Data Richness against the benchmarks and the best in the business. Check your site's score with our Web Experience Grader to identify opportunities that deliver the digital experiences your customers deserve."
Let’s make the 2024 holiday season one to remember—for all the right reasons.
