Google to name and shame slow websites

Call it a first world problem, but we ain’t got time to wait for a website to load like it is still 2009.

Understanding our impatience and problem, Google has taken it upon itself to possibly start naming and shaming websites that take forever to display their content.

“In the future, Chrome may identify sites that typically load fast or slow for users with clear badging,” Google states on its Chromium blog.

The badge will clearly identify which sites are created in a way that makes them slow generally – with the intention of pushing owners to better how their website is authored.

The type of badging will take several forms, and the company says that it is still in the midst of experimenting with different options. Right now, it could be something as simple as just stating “Usually loads slow”, but in the future it could include loading progress bar and context-menu for links which could give insight on the typical site speed before users navigate it.

“Our plan to identify sites that are fast or slow will take place in gradual steps, based on increasingly stringent criteria. Our long-term goal is to define badging for high-quality experiences, which may include signals beyond just speed,” it further states.

Google believes that the Web can do better, and it wants to help users understand why a site loads slowly. In the future, it will also expand this to include when a site is likely to be slow based on the users’ device and network conditions.

The company says that it is being very mindful in its approach, hoping to set a bar that it considers a good user experience and one that is achievable by all developers.

“We will publish updates to this plan as we approach future releases, but don’t wait to optimise your site,” it advises.