Charity Sector Named One of the Worst for Online Experience
Charity brands have been named as one of the worst for online experiences, according to new research.
Brand communications agency Warbox analysed 1,000 UK websites using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool and Core Web Vitals to reveal the 14 sectors that offer the best – and worst – online experiences.
The charity sector's websites have a low average performance score at 78 – anything between 50-89 needs improvement according to Google.
Elsewhere, the research revealed that despite online retail being hotter than ever, with around £30m spent by Brits on fashion items last year, fashion brands have the worst online experiences with the lowest average performance score of 55. The sector’s websites are also slow at responding to interactions taking an average of 321 milliseconds.
The research comes as customers are increasingly abandoning sites with slower speeds and a poor UX, but they are willing to pay 80% more for a good online experience.
Sectors with the worst websites
(Click to enlarge) The charity sector ranks among the worst for online experience. | Credit: Warbox Creative
The charity sector offers the 2nd worst online experience with a low average performance score of 78. The largest on-page content takes 2.3 seconds to load, which is better than fashion’s 3.1 seconds.
The research also revealed the sectors offering the best online experience.
Sectors with the best websites
The retail sector offers the best online experience with an average performance score of 66 and it’s fast to respond to interactions. The largest piece of content also takes just 2.6 seconds to load.
(Click to enlarge) Sectors with the best online experience. | Credit: Warbox Creative
Mark Fensom, director at Warbox said:
“In 2025, if your website’s UX isn’t up to scratch, visitors have plenty of alternatives. Websites do need to look pretty but this shouldn’t be prioritised over functionality or accessibility, otherwise you risk being penalised by Google and visitors.
“The data reveals that fashion websites are slower to react to interactions, which is in part the reason why websites are lagging behind. Speed matters and not just for brands trying to outpace competitors. Slow sites, which I’m sure everyone has experienced, are frustrating especially when you’re in the middle of an action.”
How can brands level up their websites?
The research also includes expert insights into how brands can improve their online experience for customers:
- Make sure you’re website is mobile friendly as Google indexes websites mobile-first
- Reduce page bloat by compressing files or shortening scripts
- Have a clear site structure and intuitive navigation to improve the performance of your most important pages
- Optimise any AI chatbots or interactive features for your website and test it on a staging site
- Colour contrast is a key aspect of accessibility guidelines, so make sure your website colours enhance the readability of text.
Access the "Speeding Ahead or Falling Back? The UK’s Best and Worst Websites in 2025" report here.
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.
