Website Speed Optimization

The beauty of a fast-loading website lies on the satisfaction of the speed offered to its visitors. Apart from relevant results and content, what is also necessary for a user, is to be served with fast-loading sites. Website speed is a key-factor regarding page-views, bounce rate as well as conversions. Owning a fast-loading website offers nothing but advantages and since Google considers page load time as a ranking factor, it is a fact that website speed does its bit in SEO. However, obsessing over site speed is not a good idea, because like with all Google ranking factors, this one too, doesn’t stand alone in ensuring a high position in SERPs.

 

Website Speed Guide

Below, you will find a basic check list towards a faster website.

• Website Hosting: Choose a proper website hosting company and be careful when it comes to a shared hosting.
  Content Delivery Network (CDN): By using a CDN your users are served faster, in multiple locations in the world.
• Browser Caching: Browser’s cache serves the repeated requests of a user faster, since it has already saved the requested material.
• HTTP Keep alive: By enabling keep-alive, the connection between a browser and a server stays still every time a request takes place.
• Gzip Compression: By using Gzip Compression, you can decrease the size of files into the website, making them dramatically smaller.
• Code: CSS/HTML code is better to be clear and organized.
• Ads: Don’t overdo it with placements, as they are a cause of slow loading sites and a distraction for your visitors.
• Redirects: Reduce redundant redirections and instead try to fix broken links.
• Image Optimization: Reduce the size of the images without reducing their quality.
• Plugins: Plugins tend to delay the loading process while plugins of a bad quality tend to do that even more.
• AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages): It’s not a secret anymore. AMP offer a better User Experience, are indexed faster by Google and have a privileged position in SERP.

There are tools which can help you check the speed performance of your site, offering advice about the elements that need to be taken care of, in order to decrease the delay.

 

Website Speed Test Tools

Some of the most useful website speed test tools, worth using:

• PageSpeed Insights by Google: Find speed score, information and tips about your website’s performance in both desktop and mobile devices.
• YSlow: Discover why your site is slow and how it performs according to Yahoo guidelines.
• Website Speed Test by Pingdom: Find information about your website’s performance and it will alert you if something goes wrong.
• WebPageTest: Its USP is the first view and a repeat view analysis along with the feature of choosing the country in which you would like to run the test.
• GTMetrix: This tool offers a detailed analysis using PageSpeed, YSlow, waterfall breakdown, video, and history while at the same time grading your website.

Site speed doesn’t have the same impact in all types of websites. There are websites, like ecommerce sites, where speed matters most. Slow loading websites offer a bad user experience, as they are frustrating and unreliable for a user who is trying to choose a product and make a transaction, for example. It is worth to remember that according to Google, an ecommerce website should not exceed the limit of 2 seconds to load, where the best practice for Google is 0, 5 seconds. The importance of speed in the world of internet in terms of user experience, is non-negotiable. Or at least, it is not supposed to be. After all, a good user experience, is rewarded.