Endless Options On Net Prompt Users To Be Fickle, Opt For Diversions Rather Than Wait

People hate to wait, and that’s especially true when it comes to our online behavior. We have always known how web interruption is a kill joy but new data shows even a single instance of buffering decreases a video’s viewership by a staggering 39%. Mux.com, which collects data on video performance and viewer experience has found that even the smallest obstacles – a clunky interface, or a detour to download a required plug-in – can send users running away from a site. It says that Amazon discovered that just an additional 100 milliseconds of waiting led to a 1% decrease in sales from its users. This fickle behavior of course gets encouraged by the simple fact that there are an estimated 1.66 billion web pages available for people to browse. The research by Mux.com found that while just over half of the videos in its dataset were not interrupted, 49% paused for buffering at least once. Of videos that incurred buffering, about half were interrupted only once (24% of the total sample). Double digit disruptions were relatively rare (4% of sample), and triple digit disruptions even more so (1%). According to Mux data, most videos buffer relatively quickly. About 38% of the videos in its sample buffered for one second or less. Longer buffering durations were rare, with only 13% of videos buffering 15 seconds or more. Or course, some of these buffering interruptions would last longer if the ser allowed it. Most video watchers won’t wait patiently as a video buffers for a long period of time. When it comes to video watching behavior, most publishers should focus on sessions – bouts of binge watching videos – and not just individual video views. YouTube doesn’t want you to watch just one video to the end. The typical viewer who does not experience buffering has a total video watching session length of 214 seconds. But just one buffering event triggers a huge drop in viewership. The first buffering event reduces median session length to 137 seconds, and median session length drops all the way to 111 seconds with four interruptions, a decline of 48%. People who experienced any buffering had an average session length of 130 seconds – a 39% reduction. Just one short buffering interruption leads to 39% less time spent watching video on a site, as viewers search for more fulfilling internet diversions.