While we’ve become accustomed to major technological advancements like social media and mobile technology, this year’s findings of the Insights Report 2025 Digital Experience Benchmarks by Contentquare reveal that it’s the smaller, often overlooked shifts that are reshaping how businesses interact with their customers.
The report indicates that over the past three decades, the online world has transformed dramatically. However, the latest analysis suggests that subtle changes are creating a ripple effect, influencing user behaviour in significant ways. This phenomenon, likened to the butterfly effect, shows that minor disruptions can lead to profound consequences in the customer journey.
Steady trends include a decline in website traffic, a shift in the channels through which users access content, and an increase in advertising spend, all contributing to rising costs for acquiring visitors. These shifts are not just minor inconveniences; they pose real challenges for brands striving to maintain their competitive edge.
Despite these hurdles, brands that are able to overcome these challenges may eliminate four times more frustration from the user journey than their less-focused counterparts. Their approach emphasises the importance of monitoring and resolving friction points that could drive customers away.
Frustration manifests in various ways, including slow-loading pages, javascript errors, and high rates of rage clicks—instances where users repeatedly click due to confusion or annoyance. The report reveals that slow page load times can lead to a 53% bounce rate, while even minor delays in responsiveness can result in a 2.5% decrease in user engagement.
Furthermore, these causes of frustration contribute to a decline in conversion rates. As traffic sources shift from higher-converting unpaid channels to less effective paid ones, brands have experienced a 6.1% drop in conversions. The link is evident: as page views decline, so do opportunities for conversion.