Hello. This isKototsuki Design.
"Lately, websites seem to load really slowly."
Have you ever felt that way? I think everyone has had the frustrating experience of opening a site on their smartphone and having to wait a long time for the page to load.
In fact, that “slight delay” might be influencing the impression people have of your store or company without you even realizing it.
In this post, I’ll explain why being “fast” alone can make you the top choice for both Google and your customers.
And why does microCMS—which we recommend—run so smoothly?
I’d like to discuss this from the real-world perspective of someone working in web development.
Before we dive into the main topic, just a quick note. If you’re wondering, “What is microCMS, anyway?” or “How is it different from other tools?” and want to get the big picture first, please read this article, “What Is microCMS?”
That way, the specific details I’m about to share will make more sense and feel more relevant to you.
The “3-Second Barrier” for Loading a Site on a Smartphone
Imagine this: You search for a store that catches your eye on your smartphone, tap the link, but the screen just won’t load. How many seconds would you wait in that situation?
In fact, there’s a term called the “3-second barrier” when it comes to user behavior on mobile sites. According to a Google study, if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load, as many as 53% of users will give up and leave.
You’re letting customers who took the trouble to visit your site out of genuine interest leave—thinking, “Never mind”—simply because the page is too slow. In business, this is a huge missed opportunity.
Core Web Vitals: The “Health Check” That Keeps Web Developers on Their Toes
So, what criteria does Google use to determine what constitutes a “good website”?
This is where Core Web Vitals come into play.
It may sound like a complicated term, but the concept is actually very simple. It’s essentially a “health checkup” for websites that Google uses to determine whether a site provides a good user experience.
Specifically, the following points are primarily checked:
- Loading Speed
Does the main content appear instantly? - Responsiveness: Does the site respond immediately when you click a
button? - Visual Stability: Do images jerk or stutter while the page is
loading?
To be honest, these metrics are something we, as developers, pay very close attention to.
That’s because, these days, if this aspect is lacking, Google will label the site as “not properly built.”
The “Passing Score” for PageSpeed Insights from a “Practical” Perspective
If you’re wondering, “How’s my site doing?” you can run a diagnostic using PageSpeed Insights, a free tool provided by Google.
Just enter your URL and click the button to get a score on a scale of 0 to 100. Here’s a bit of real-world insight from our experience.
While Google officially recommends “90 or higher (green),” in practical terms, a score above “65” on mobile is more than enough to pass.
In reality, it’s not uncommon for many websites out there to hover around 50 points.
That’s precisely why a site that consistently exceeds 65 points falls into the “highly outstanding” category.
At least when it comes to page load speed, I can confidently say that such sites provide a “pleasant experience” that doesn’t cause stress for users.
Yes, that’s the strong sense I get from working in the field.
Why microCMS Makes It Easy to Achieve This Score
Why is it so easy to achieve such high scores when using microCMS? It comes down to the simplicity of the system’s architecture.
There’s a joke that goes, “Should I shut off the water to Lake Biwa?”—and behind the scenes of a website, something quite similar is actually happening.
Traditional systems are, so to speak, like “a massive water treatment plant and a complex network of pipes crisscrossing the city.” Every time you turned on the faucet (opened the site), the water had to go through numerous steps—checking valves here and there, passing through filtration systems—before it reached you.If a single pipe gets clogged, the water flow drops dramatically.
In contrast, the way microCMS works is surprisingly simple. Think of it as having a bottle filled with the clearest possible water ready right in front of you.
There are no “complicated valves to shut off the water” or “long pipes” to begin with. The connection from the source of information to the customer’s hands is so direct that there’s no chance for anyone to say, “Should I turn it off?”
To be honest, thanks to this structure, as a developer, it feels less like “working hard to make it lightweight” and more like “it just gets fast on its own, even when I build it normally.”
It’s a design that doesn’t have any “causes of slowness” to begin with.
This is the biggest reason why microCMS runs as smoothly and lightly as if cutting through the wind.
Page load speed equals the best usability and brand image
When a website loads instantly, the customer’s attention turns to you the very moment it appears.
Conversely, a page that takes forever to load—no matter how impressive your copy may be—will leave a slightly negative impression, making visitors think, “This feels a bit outdated” or “Their response seems slow.”
For example, imagine driving along a lakeside road in Shiga to take in the beautiful scenery. When you get caught in traffic and feel frustrated because you can’t reach your destination, that sense of anticipation gradually fades away, doesn’t it? The same applies to websites—the very experience of “being kept waiting” gradually erodes trust in the brand.
The moment you tap, the screen opens as if the wind were blowing through.
When people sense that “smoothness,” they unconsciously feel reassured, thinking, “This site values my time.”
It is this sense of comfort that, more than any catchphrase, is deeply engraved in the mind as a sincere brand image.
Something I Want to Be Honest About
I’ve only shared positive points so far, but there’s one more thing I must honestly tell you before I conclude.
To bring this “stress-free speed” to life, we need the manual work of skilled craftsmen—specifically, the time and effort involved in design and coding—which cannot be left entirely to the system. As a result, development costs are inevitably higher than traditional methods.
Even so, we believe this “speed” has value. We believe it is the invisible yet most crucial foundation that ensures a website, once built, will continue to be cherished by our clients five or even ten years down the line.
Summary
“Could our website be a little more responsive?” If you’ve ever thought that, it might be a sign that your site is eager to improve.
If you’d like, please feel free to send us the URL of your current site. We’ll run a quick check and give you our honest assessment of “where improvements can be made and how much of a difference they’ll make.”
This isn’t a sales pitch—it’s a strategy session to envision a “bright future” together. Please feel free to reach out with that casual mindset.
Your customers, you, and us—let’s work together to create a place where everyone can say, “This feels great.”
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