The Cost of Doing Nothing (CODN): Why slow websites cost sales
Companies invest large budgets in online marketing – but lose potential sales every day because their websites are too slow. The “Cost of Doing Nothing” (CODN) approach shows that inactivity in the area of web performance optimization is not neutral, but actively costs money.
Slow loading times not only affect sales, but also brand perception, conversion rates and the efficiency of digital campaigns. This article shows why continuous performance optimization and website monitoring are key success factors for any digital growth strategy today.
How the CODN approach helps to secure the ROI of your website
The CODN approach describes the opportunity costs of inaction, i.e. the measurable damage that occurs if necessary optimizations are not made.
- Every second of lost loading time measurably reduces conversions and sales.
- Non-optimized functions or inefficient website processes lead to higher support and coordination costs.
- Outdated technologies prevent modern architectures such as Headless CMS, CDN-Edge or API-First – a gap that plays right into the hands of competitors.
For marketing decision-makers (CMOs): Loading time directly influences conversion rate, campaign return and brand perception.
For tech decision-makers (CTOs): Load time affects system load, maintenance costs and technical sustainability.
How to quantify the financial damage of slow loading times
The Sirocco formula provides a structured approach to calculating opportunity costs:
- How many users, processes or systems are affected?
- How much time, money or resources are wasted?
- How often do these losses occur?
Applied to web performance optimization, this means that one second longer loading time can reduce the conversion rate by up to 7%. With a monthly turnover of €100,000, this corresponds to a loss of €7,000 – month after month.
According to Akamai, a delay of two seconds can increase the bounce rate by over 100%. Cloudflare shows: 53% of all mobile users abandon the page view if the loading time exceeds three seconds.
Typical cost blocks of non-action
- Loss of sales: decline in conversion and order values
- Visibility losses: Weaker rankings due to poor Core Web Vitals
- Loss of brand trust: perception as an “outdated brand”
- Inefficient marketing spend: Increasing CPCs and decreasing ROAS
- Technical debt: Complexity, security risks and incompatibilities
Why web performance is a business issue – and not an IT project
Fast websites deliver hard economic effects. They increase sales, reduce acquisition costs and strengthen the brand.
- Higher conversion rates: every second counts – measurable in leads and sales.
- Stronger brand reputation: speed signals quality and professionalism.
- Technological advantages: Modern architectures (headless CMS, CDN, API-First) enable scalability and future viability.
- SEO benefits: Optimized Core Web Vitals improve organic visibility sustainably.
Web performance is therefore not an IT project, but a business issue for which marketing, IT and management should share responsibility.
Continuous web performance optimization as a competitive advantage
A one-off optimization is not enough. Browser updates, new end devices and increasing user expectations make continuous monitoring indispensable.
- Stronger customer loyalty through consistent user experiences
- Sustainable SEO visibility through stable core web vitals
- Technological sustainability through continuous adaptation to new standards
- Lower operating costs thanks to early detection of performance drift
Measurability and monitoring: making success visible
Modern tools such as Google Lighthouse, SpeedCurve or WebPageTest enable detailed analyses of website speed and core web vitals.
- Transparency about real user experiences (field data instead of lab data)
- Measurable KPIs for control and budget argumentation
- Automated reports for marketing and technology
- Early warning systems for proactive troubleshooting
For decision-makers, this creates an ongoing performance ROI report that secures budgets and creates accountability.
Practical example: Performance pays off
Example: A medium-sized e-commerce retailer (approx. €250,000 monthly turnover) reduced the loading time from 4.3 seconds to 1.8 seconds.
- +6 % higher conversion rate → corresponds to € 15,000 additional monthly turnover
- +12 % more organic traffic → approx. 30,000 € additional reach per quarter
- Significantly improved SEO positions and ROAS values in paid campaigns
The investment in optimization and monitoring amounted to around €10,000.
This meant that the return on investment was achieved after eight weeks – from this point onwards, the measure was profitable.
Over the first year, the improved loading time led to additional sales of around €180,000 with an unchanged marketing budget.
Conclusion: Performance is not a cost factor – it is a measurable sales multiplier and risk reducer at the same time.
Non-optimization is not an option
The Cost of Doing Nothing shows: Every delay costs money, market share and trust. Web performance optimization is not a one-off project, but a long-term investment in conversion, brand strength and future viability.
- Understanding the cost of inaction.
- Measure and compare website performance regularly.
- Establish continuous optimization and monitoring as a fixed process.
