5 Simple and Smart Ways to Speed Up Your Website
Written by: Jeff Pratt
Have you ever wondered why those Fast and Furious movies are so popular? It is because we live in a society where speed is exciting. If you think that the speed at which your website loads does not matter, you should think again.
In this ‘microwave society’ where we want everything done and delivered right now, even having a one second delay on your page loading time will cost your business. Research shows that a one-second delay in page loading time:
– Lowers your page view numbers by 11%- Lowers your customer satisfaction levels by 16%- Lowers your conversion rate by 7%
If you still think this is a joke, then maybe the fact that some of the most successful eCommerce platforms online took it seriously enough to do something about it will convince you otherwise.
Amazon reported an increase of 1% in revenue just by simply improving their website loading speeds by 100 milliseconds. Walmart increased their website loading speeds by 1 whole second and reported a 2% increase in conversions because of it. Speed matters!
Here are 5 simple ways to speed up your website:
1. Use optimized images
When it comes to the kind of images used on your site, you need to pay close attention to three things:
– SRC attribute- Size- Format
Use image editing tools to keep your images as small as can be because oversized images take a much longer time to load. When it comes to formatting, you are much better off using JPEG as opposed to BMPs or TIFFs. Always make sure to include an SRC attribute that has a valid URL.
2. Do not use so many plugins
As much as you want to make all of these options available to your clients, using too many plugins only goes towards slowing down your website. Not only do they create security issues, but they also create technical difficulties and crash more often than not. Make a list of the most useful plugins and then run a quick diagnostics on which ones slow your server response times and then get rid of them.
3. Minimalize your homepage
Overloading your homepage with too many images, videos and articles will only go towards slowing down its loading time. Online, people judge the book by its cover. If your homepage takes two days to load, you can be sure that they will not be hanging around to browse through the other pages. Reduce the number of images, videos, plugins, text and banners to increase the speed.
4. Find a host that can deliver
Sometimes, the problem cannot be solved by optimizing things on your end. Your host may be the issue. Find a host that has a good track record when it comes to uptime and speeds. The best way to ensure that you have maximum performance from your host is to pay for a dedicated server. It might cost a bit more, but it will more than make up for that in customer’s satisfaction and an increased conversion rate.
5.Update your themes and framework
You need to ensure that your website coding is up to par. Older sites are much slower than newer ones because they have outdated codes. Make sure that your code is using current coding practices as opposed to outdated HTML practices.
Up to 52% of all online shoppers say that they are more loyal to a brand that offers quick website loading speeds. Don’t let the fact that your site takes just a second longer to load lose you all that potential income. Use these simple ways to speed up your website.
