Phạm TúSpeed is crucial in the app world. Most people aren’t willing to wait around for an app to load. Instagram knows this, and has outlined recent speed improvements for its web app (instagram.com), which will expand its opportunities to connect with more users in various regions.
On the Instagram Engineering blog, Instagram’s Glenn Conner outlined how they’ve overhauled the design of Instagram.com to boost performance:
“In recent years, instagram.com has undergone a lot of changes – we launched stories, filters, creation tools, notifications, and direct messaging, along with countless other features and improvements. However, as the product grew, our web performance began to suffer.”
This performance decline is illustrated in the chart below.
Indeed, Instagram says the improvements are primarily based on load optimization and pre-fetching. This has resulted in a 25% reduction in image load times on instagram.com, while it’s also reduced the time users wait for the next page to load by 56%.
These are significant improvements, and they could have a major impact on the app’s future expansion, opening up opportunities in markets with less advanced connectivity and access.
For example, Snapchat recently upgraded its Android app after years of neglect, which subsequently expanded the app’s opportunities in regions where Android is the dominant operating system. That change has been reflected in the app’s user growth stats.
One key focus market is India, where Android usage accounts for around 90% of the market. India is now the second-largest smartphone market in the world (behind China), presenting a huge opportunity for social media apps and tools.
The challenges Instagram faces in India include legal issues with Facebook and the limited use of 4G networks, which restricts the use of their app.
Improving the loading speed of Instagram’s web app can help in this market. In areas with limited connectivity, it’s crucial for social media tools to improve loading speeds, as Instagram is doing, to maximize adoption.
This is evidenced by the chart below.
With a billion users and rising, Instagram will continue to expand, and improvements like this will help it tap into its full usage potential. Additionally, as Instagram moves towards eCommerce, it could open up a whole new range of opportunities for the app.
Source: Social Media Today
