Akamai and JupiterResearch Identify ’4 Seconds’ as the New Threshold of Acceptability for Retail Web Page Response Times.

My own benchmark for page load times has always been “the three count.” It’s a simple rule I’ve constructed based on a bit of usability testing, feedback from friends, family, and of course my own lack of patience when sitting at a computer…waiting…for things to happen.

Say (out loud if you like for dramatic effect),

“ONE…TWWOOOOO…THREEEEE…”

…and if your page hasn’t loaded yet, you haven’t instigated some sort user interaction, or you haven’t clearly communicated your intentions, you’re going to have problems with your page.