Tips For Optimizing Your Website For Speed And Performance

Overall appearance, content and material, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are all contributing factors to how Google ranks your website. However, one of the most important factors in the success of your website is its performance and loading speed. Everything loads almost instantaneously these days, which is what your consumers expect when they visit your site. According to Website Magazine, 40% of consumers will abandon a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Having it delay even one second longer can reduce your traffic by 7% (in 2016). It’s a fact: slow loading times mean less customers and less money.

How can I improve my website’s loading speed?

The goal is to have a lean, simplified website that only takes up about 1 to 3MB. Remember that the golden area of loading times is between 2 to 3 seconds. When you meet this goal, review your site’s speed at least once a month to ensure everything is running smoothly. Here are some tips for increasing your website loading speed.

Check browsers and mobile compatibility

The first thing you should do is check how fast your website is running across different browsers such as Google Chrome and Safari. It should have a consistent speed through all of them. If your site doesn’t, it’s most likely because of a design issue, which can be fixed. Website Magazine warns that 73% of consumers won’t bother returning to a site that doesn’t load on mobile devices. To optimize your website for mobile, make sure it works on computers as well as phones and tablets.

Reduce the size of images

If your website has a large amount of images, it could be affecting your loading speed. Try reducing the file size of your images to help. Keeping them under 100KB each is a good place to start. Try cropping them, reducing the color depth, and making sure they’re all JPEGs. The bigger the image, the more time your website takes to load. You can find free picture minimizers by searching on Google too. On the same note, keep your coding compact. Delete any unnecessary spaces, indentations, or line breaks.

Use plugins and caching

Browser caching helps your website speed by saving certain files in the browser so pages load much faster. This keeps the browser from having to redownload things like images every time the user visits the page. Plugins are another useful tool for optimizing your website’s speed and performance. There are plugins that will help you with managing image sizes and caching. But, be sure to remove any plugins that aren’t being used, as too many can have the opposite effect and slow your website down. You should also regularly check for plugin updates to keep them up- to-date.

Optimizing your content

Remove any trackbacks or pingbacks your site may have to prevent clogging up your database. You can also keep the amount of times you revise or edit the content on your pages to a minimum. It is suggested you use a fast host provider for your website. When possible, try to avoid the use of external scripts. There are many free tools you can use to test the performance of your website that can help you identify if these issues are affecting its loading speed.

Website design in Amarillo, Texas

Loading speed can be the deciding factor in the success of your website. It is essential for keeping your customers happy and driving the growth of your online presence.

If you would like to learn more about website speed, contact UCI Digital today! We specialize in building fast, mobile-friendly websites that are designed to get your customers’ attention. Contact us at (806) 553-5332 or Send Us an email to learn more about our Services and our dedicated Team. You can also visit us at 1000 S. Adams St. in Amarillo TX to see how we can help you and your business.