Page load speed is the time it takes for a web page to display its content fully on a browser. It is a crucial factor that affects the user experience, the search engine ranking and the conversion rate of a website. According to Google, the best practice is to get your website to load in less than two to three seconds. However, ideally, your website should load as fast as possible.
Here are five tips on website design that can help you achieve a fast page load speed for the optimal user experience.
1. Enable compression
Compression reduces the size of your files, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, by removing unnecessary characters and spaces. As you might guess, the smaller the file sizes, the faster your page will load.
2. Minify your code
Minification is the process of removing code comments, formatting and unused code from your files. This can further reduce the file size and improve the page load speed. If you’re unfamiliar with this process, you should find design experts who can help you create a beautiful and effective website.
3. Reduce redirects
Redirects are instructions that tell the browser to load a different page than the one requested by the user. Redirects can slow down the page load speed by adding extra HTTP requests and responses. You should avoid unnecessary redirects and use them only when absolutely needed.
4. Leverage browser caching
Browser caching is a technique that stores some of the files of a website on the user’s device, so that the next time the user visits the website, the browser does not have to download them again. This can significantly improve the page load speed and reduce the bandwidth usage.
5. Optimize your images
Images can take the longest time to load if they are not optimized properly. You should use the appropriate image format, such as JPEG for photos and PNG for graphics, and compress your images to reduce their file size. You can also use techniques like lazy loading, which delays the loading of images until they are in the user’s view, and responsive images, which adjust the image size according to the device screen.
By following these five tips, you can improve your page load speed and create a better web design for your users. Remember, a fast page load speed can make a big difference in your website’s performance and success.
