Do you want to increase your conversion? then website speed optimization is the only way. The ideal response time should be 2.5 seconds. Every additional second increases the user's bounce rate. In this article, we will tell you how to speed up a website. Website speed optimization includes a variety of actions that affect page caching, choosing a hosting provider, and even working with image optimization.
Top 3 Website Speed Optimization Best Practices for Improved Performance
By following the basic website speed optimization best practices mentioned below, you can significantly increase the page loading speed.
1. Server Optimization:
Improve response speed
You need to change the hosting in order to get more resources for the flawless operation of the site. The platforms like https://sitechecker.pro/speed-test/ can help you check your website speed to better understand your current position.
Using GZIP compression
Server-side compression can reduce the size of the files that users need to upload. This should be applied regardless of overall file optimization. In this case, the optimized files will “weigh” even less.
Configuring file caching
This setting will allow you to instruct the browser which files should be saved in the memory of a computer or smartphone, so as not to download them again when the user visits again. This setting does not affect the loading speed on the first visit to the site, but it has a positive effect on subsequent visits.
Using a CDN for Images, JS, and CSS files
CDN (Content Delivery Network) enables the download of files from servers in different regions, choosing the closest one to the user. For example, if a company sells products or services throughout Russia (including Kaliningrad and Kamchatka), then you should use a CDN that operates in the territory of the Russian Federation so that users of remote regions can get useful content equally quickly.
Upgrading to the latest PHP version
This should be attributed to the server-side of optimization since PHP is the connecting part between the site server and its CMS. With each new version of PHP, it receives a strong improvement in the speed of work, so this item should be included in the study for complex site optimization.
Reducing the number of HTTP requests
Reducing the number of requests to the server should be considered in the first place. The less we turn to the server for any information, the faster the page will load.
Try to reduce the number of images so that the user's browser requests less information from the server when rendering the page. For example, very small images or icons can be loaded with special code in Base64 format or used to display them using CSS.
You can also reduce the number of requests by embedding a small code of stylesheets or scripts directly into the HTML code of the page. In this case, the browser does not have to ask the server and download a separate file. Another way to reduce the number of requests is to combine several small files with JS or CSS into one file. This micromanagement can significantly reduce server time, which increases the overall download speed.
2. Optimizing Images:
Like many other factors, image optimization can be divided into several parts:
Optimization for use in WEB
Images for websites must be compressed and reduced in size to keep their volume as small as possible. Most website load speed analysis services show you a list of images to optimize, as well as the potential gain (usually in kilobytes) from compressing image quality. It is optimal when the largest images on your site do not exceed 500 kilobytes. A large number of "heavy" images can delay the loading of your pages for a long time.
Optimizing the scale of images on a page
It is necessary to use original images of the correct size only so that they will be shown on the page. Do not stretch a small image on a page, or shrink a large image to fit. This will negatively affect the speed of the page - the browser spends extra time every time it needs to change the actual size of the downloaded image.
Using Lazy Load, or "lazy loading"
This technique allows you to load images only on the first screen, and the rest - after scrolling further. In this case, the browser needs to download the initial part of the images, the rest - at the request of the user himself. By using Lazy Load, we simultaneously reduce the number of server requests and the size of images that need to be downloaded.
Optimizing JS and CSS files
It should be noted that these files can either be loaded as a separate file with a link to it or immediately be embedded in the code of the site page. In modern practice, these files are loaded individually and represent a set of lines of code that can also be significantly optimized.
Let's take a look at the main directions:
• Embed small code directly into HTML code.
• Files in several lines of code should be immediately placed in the page code. This reduces the number of HTTP requests to the server.
• Minification of files or minification.
This process aims to remove unnecessary characters and lines in JS or CSS code. Code minification removes extra kilobytes, which affects the total amount of additional files required for the browser to load.
3. Load Prioritization:
It is necessary to determine which JS and CSS code is strictly necessary for the correct loading of the content for the user. All other code that is not used on the page or used later (for example, ordering a callback or the news subscription module at the bottom of the site) should be downloaded at the very end.
It is good practice to lazy-load content and functionality of little use. This allows you to give the user the most important and valuable content in the shortest possible time, which has a positive effect on his behavior and conversion.
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