Do you ever feel like Internet users are too impatient? Well, that's because they are. With such a vast amount of information and content available just a few taps away, users have become used to getting what they want nigh instantly.
This has translated into their browsing habits as well, with studies showing that most users will abandon your mobile website if it doesn't load within three seconds. Such behavior can increase your site's bounce rates and negatively impact its search engine optimization (SEO) performance.
So, how can you prevent your website from falling victim to this impatience? Here are 10 proven website optimization tactics to improve your page loading speed:
Get website performance insights
Before you begin optimizing your site, you need to know where it stands in terms of performance. You can use Google Search Console to conduct a website SEO audit to uncover issues potentially slowing down your web pages' loading speed.
Go to Search Console's "Experience" section and navigate to the Core Web Vitals report. It evaluates key areas like loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, giving you a clear idea of which technical and SEO improvements to implement.
Optimize images on web pages
Images make your web pages more attractive, informative, and engaging, but they can also slow down your website. This often happens when you use images in an incorrect format or very large file sizes.
When using images, ensure they're in formats like JPEG and PNG, which are compatible with web browsers and compression tools. If your images are too large, use tools like TinyPNG to compress them without compromising quality.
You can also implement responsive images through the "srcset" attribute. Responsive images automatically adjust their format and dimensions according to the user's device. This keeps images on your website looking great and loading fast, whether viewed from a wide desktop monitor or a small smartphone.
Take advantage of browser caching
When users visit your website, their browser retrieves files from your server to display the page's contents. This process can take time, especially if your website has many elements.
Browser caching temporarily stores static assets on your website, such as images and Javascript, on the users' browsers. The next time they visit, these assets are retrieved from their browser instead of your server, cutting down on page loading time.
Reduce the number of HTTP requests
An HTTP request happens when site visitors perform specific actions, such as clicking a link, leading to their browsers retrieving assets from your server. The more elements your page has, the more requests are made. Unfortunately, each request adds to your page's loading time.
Consider removing unnecessary elements from your web pages as a website optimization tactic. You can also combine CSS and Javascript assets to reduce the number of files that need to be retrieved.
Use a content delivery network (CDN)
Distribute your content across a CDN, a network of servers located in different geographic locations worldwide. Whenever someone accesses your website, they are served content from the closest server, reducing the time it takes to load your web page.
Minify your website's code
Your website's CSS, Javascript, and HTML code can have comments, white space, and formatting that help make it easier to read and debug. However, these features can make your website's code bulkier and your pages slower.
You can use tools like Minify to remove unnecessary white space, comments, and formatting from your code. CMS platforms like WordPress also have plugins that can automatically minify your code, making the process more convenient.
Implement the lazy loading feature
Lazy loading prevents images and videos on your web pages from loading until the user scrolls to them. If users don't scroll down, the elements at the bottom of your page won't load, reducing the page's overall loading time.
Enable Gzip compression
Another website optimization technique you should consider is Gzip compression, which reduces the size of your website's files during transmission. This process compresses assets like CSS and Javascript files, making them smaller and faster to load.
Remove render-blocking resources
Render-blocking resources are elements on your web page that prevent the page from displaying until they've loaded. These resources can include CSS, Javascript, and fonts.
One way to remove render-blocking resources is using asynchronous loading for your scripts. This allows different parts of your page to load simultaneously, reducing overall loading time. You can also use the "defer" attribute in your script tags.
Tools like Google Lighthouse can help you identify render-blocking resources in your web pages. Like Google Search Console, Lighthouse offers visibility into your site's Core Web Vitals and is a handy tool for website SEO audits.
Clean up your code
Your website's code can have errors and inefficiencies that can slow down your web pages. These include broken links, unused code, and invalid HTML tags. Regularly conducting technical SEO audits on your site can help you detect redundant or outdated code, allowing you to clean it up and improve your website's overall performance.
Your website's page loading speed may seem like a small detail, but it's critical to providing the best experience to users. When visitors find the information they seek quickly and efficiently, they're more likely to stay on your site longer, increasing your chances of converting them into paying customers.
Additionally, fast loading makes your site appear more reliable, leading to higher search engine rankings and better overall SEO performance. These are some of the top reasons that make page speed optimization one of the most important technical SEO improvements you should make on your site.
However, implementing the steps above requires some tech know-how, so consider hiring a dedicated technical SEO company if you don't have the expertise to do it yourself. They have the necessary tools and knowledge to help you optimize your website for better page loading speed and overall user experience, leading to improved rankings, traffic, and conversions.
Don't let a slow website hold back your online success. Optimize your site's page loading speed today.
