15 Actionable Tips on Website Speed Optimization
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If your website speed is not optimized, this will not only hurt your users experience but also negatively impact your search engine rankings and conversion rates. To help you improve your website speed, we’ve compiled a list with proven techniques to optimize website performance, as it’s a vital aspect of your online success.
In this article, we’ll explore the importance of website speed and provide you with actionable website optimization tips – from reducing page load times to improving server response, we’ll cover it all.
What Is Website Performance?
Website performance refers to the speed, responsiveness, and overall user experience of a website. It encompasses various factors such as page load times, server response times, and the efficiency of content delivery. A well-performing website ensures that visitors can access information quickly and effortlessly.
To enhance your website’s performance, consider the following website speed optimization techniques and implement the necessary improvements:
1. Leverage Browser Caching
The first tip on how to improve page load speed is to take advantage of browser caching. Browser caching memorizes the resources that the browser has already loaded. This means that when a visitor goes to another page on your website, and the new page is using the same resources as the previously visited pages (e.g. your logo, CSS files, etc.), those resources do not need to be loaded again.
As a result, the browser will not initiate a new connection to fetch these resources, but instead, it will load them from its local cache. This is because the browser already memorized and saved them. This is quite useful for speeding up a website, as when you leverage browser caching, the necessary caching files will be stored locally.
Browser caching is enabled by default on all our servers.
2. Ensure Brotli/gZIP Compression Is Enabled
Next on your list should be to ensure that Brotli or gZIP compression algorithms are enabled on your server. Brotli and gZIP decrease the size of the data that is being transferred between your server and your visitors’ browsers by compressing images, CSS, and JavaScript files. When your visitor’s browser receives the compressed elements, it decompresses them before rendering. This significantly lowers the size of information that is being transferred, providing your website’s pages with a strong load boost.
Explore the difference between Brotli and gZIP compression algorithms and how they speed up your website. Both Brotli and gZIP are enabled by default for all websites on our servers.
3. Use the Latest Available PHP Version
Staying up to date with the latest PHP version is also essential for having a fast-loading website. Newer PHP versions often come with performance improvements, so it’s recommended to use the most recent version available for your website (assuming that it’s been extensively vetted for stability and safety). Switching between PHP versions is made easy through your Site Tools > Devs > PHP Manager. You can also leverage our managed PHP service to have your PHP updated automatically by us, as long as we have verified the new version is safe and stable.
4. Utilize Server-Side Caching
Utilizing a server-side caching system is another crucial factor for website performance optimization. We offer server-side caching in three layers: NGINX Direct Delivery for static content, Dynamic Cache for dynamic content like PHP scripts, and Memcached for the results of database queries. You can find more information about our SuperCacher tool to optimize your website’s caching capabilities.
5. Implement Lazy Loading
To further improve website performance, consider implementing lazy loading – a technique that ensures images and other resources load only when they’re about to appear on the screen for your visitors. It’s super convenient for longer pages with many media items, as they will be loaded more quickly and smoothly. This means that non-essential content is deferred until it’s nearly visible, significantly improving the overall load performance of your site.
However, it’s important to apply lazy loading only to elements that are below the fold (the part of the web page that the user must scroll to see). If used on above-the-fold elements, it can slow down the rendering process and negatively impact your website’s speed test results.
To implement lazy loading for images, you can use the “loading” attribute in the HTML image tag, making sure to exclude above-the-fold elements from this setting. For those who aren’t as tech-savvy, the Speed Optimizer plugin for WordPress allows you to easily enable lazy loading for below-the-fold elements.
6. Optimize Images
Images not only play a vital role in your website’s aesthetics, but in its overall performance as well. Thus, optimizing images will significantly improve website speed. By resizing, compressing, and scaling image files, you can decrease your homepage’s size, speed up your website, and improve your score on online speed testers.
Displaying scaled images is another effective way to improve your website’s performance. Instead of using images with higher dimensions than necessary, it’s recommended to resize them to match the dimensions they will be displayed in. For example, if an image will be displayed as 40×40 pixels on your website, there’s no need to keep the original file with dimensions of 400×400 pixels. Resizing the image to the appropriate dimensions reduces the file size and eliminates the need for the browser to download and scale larger images, thereby enhancing your website’s loading speed.
Various plugins and online tools are available to help you optimize your images efficiently, saving you valuable time. For WordPress sites, you can use the media optimizations in the Speed Optimizer plugin.
7. Defer Parsing of JavaScript
To further enhance your website speed optimization strategy, make sure to defer parsing of JavaScript. This means that your JavaScript files should be moved from the HEAD part of the HTML to the absolute bottom, just before the closing HTML tag. By doing so, you are allowing all other content to be loaded before the JS files are executed in the browser, which eventually makes your website load faster.
8. Minify CSS and JS files
Minifying CSS and JS files also significantly improves loading times and is among the most commonly provided page optimization tips. Minifying CSS and JavaScript files involves removing unnecessary data from these files, such as double spaces, empty lines, and comments. This process reduces the file size, resulting in a smaller amount of data being transferred to visitors’ browsers.
For WordPress, you can use the frontend optimizations in the Speed Optimizer plugin to easily enable automatic minification for CSS and JS elements.
9. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Web performance best practices wouldn’t be complete without loading your content through a CDN. This will reduce both the load on the server and the loading time of the site. CDNs are server networks that clone your site on all of their location nodes. This means that when your visitors request your site, it will be served by the closest node, rather than the location of your server. We have developed an in-house CDN service for our clients, and using it on your website is a rather easy process. You just need to enable it through your Site Tools. You can also check how to manage your CDN through the CDN tool in Site Tools.
10. Avoid Redirect Chains
The next step is to avoid redirect chains. But what exactly is a redirect chain? It occurs when there is more than one redirect between the initial and destination URLs. Each additional redirect adds extra wait time, further slowing down your website.
In most cases, such redirect chains occur when there is one redirect from the non-www domain to the www domain (both non-HTTPS), and then another redirect from the non-HTTPS www domain to HTTPS and www. The best course of action here is to combine them and create a single redirect from the non-HTTPS non-www domain (http://domain.com) to the HTTPS www domain (https://www.domain.com).
11. Minimize HTTP Errors
Another reason that could be slowing down your website is HTTP errors. If your website’s page renders a URL resulting in 403, 404, 500, 502, or another HTTP error, that might significantly slow down the website speed. Your website would try to load the faulty resource for a certain amount of time until an error is finally received as a response. You may check your website for such links using the Network tab of your preferred browser console or by using an online speed testing tool. For example, with the GTmetrix speed test tool you may review those resources in the Waterfall tab and in Pingdom – in the Response Codes section.
12. Use DNS-Prefetch
DNS-prefetch can significantly enhance your website’s speed as well. Let’s first explain what it does. DNS-prefetch reduces the wait time for DNS resolution by proactively resolving domain names before a user clicks on a link or resource. Essentially, it instructs the browser to prepare specific resources in advance, ensuring they’re ready when users request them.
This technique is particularly useful for third-party resources or links to external websites, such as Google Analytics or a content delivery network (CDN). To implement DNS-prefetching on your site, you should add it to the <head> section of your HTML file. For instance, you can include a line of code like <link rel=”dns-prefetch” href=”//cdn.example.com”> for a CDN. If you’re not comfortable with coding, feel free to seek assistance from a developer.
13. Eliminate Render-Blocking Resources
Render-blocking resources are static files, such as fonts, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, that must be downloaded before a web page can fully load. When a visitor’s browser encounters a render-blocking resource, it halts the downloading of other resources until these critical assets are processed, causing the entire rendering process to be on hold.
To determine if this issue affects your website, pay close attention to the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric in your speed report. If your render-blocking resources aren’t optimized, your LCP metric, which measures how long it takes for pixels to appear on the screen, will be higher.
To eliminate render-blocking JavaScript or CSS, you might need the assistance of a developer, if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. Alternatively, you can use the frontend optimizations in the Speed Optimizer plugin for WordPress to reduce render-blocking resources.
14. Make Sure to Use HTTP/2
As you continue applying our tips on how to speed up your website, it’s also important to check if HTTP/2 is supported. While most modern web browsers support HTTP/2, not all websites do, as it depends on whether hosting providers have enabled HTTP/2 on their servers by default. For instance, HTTP/2 is available and supported on all shared and cloud SiteGround servers.
To determine if your website supports HTTP/2, you can use Google Chrome. Simply visit your website over a secure HTTPS connection, then open the Chrome Dev Tools by pressing F12 and navigate to Network > Protocol. This will display the protocol your site is using, with “h2” indicating HTTP/2. If you don’t see the Protocol column, right-click on any header and check the “Protocol” label to make it visible.
15. Optimize Your Homepage
Last but not least, having a large homepage –containing lots of heavy images, audio or video files – can significantly impact your website’s loading speed. To optimize your homepage, ensure that only necessary resources are included, and follow the aforementioned practices of using well-optimized and scaled images. Additionally, embedding videos from external sources, such as YouTube, rather than uploading them directly to your website, helps improve performance.
Why Does Website Performance Matter?
Website speed plays a crucial role in user satisfaction, search engine rankings, and business success. Here are a few key reasons why it’s important to prioritize your website performance:
User Experience – Slow-loading websites frustrate users and lead to high bounce rates. A fast and responsive website keeps visitors engaged, encourages longer browsing sessions, and increases the likelihood of conversions.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Search engines like Google consider website performance as a ranking factor. Websites with faster loading times tend to rank higher in search results, attracting more organic traffic.
Conversion Rates – Improved website speed leads to higher conversion rates. Studies have shown that even a one-second delay in page load time can significantly impact conversion rates, resulting in potential revenue loss.
Mobile-Friendliness – With the increasing use of mobile devices, optimizing web page speed for mobile users is crucial. Mobile-friendly websites that load quickly and provide a seamless user experience perform better in terms of user engagement and conversions.
Implement These Website Optimization Techniques on Your Site
By implementing these website optimization techniques, you can significantly enhance your website speed, resulting in faster loading times, improved user experience, and better search engine rankings. Remember to regularly monitor your website’s performance and make adjustments as needed to ensure optimal results.
Website Performance FAQ
Which Tools Can Measure Website Performance?
Website performance can be measured using various tools and metrics. Key performance indicators include page load times, time to first byte (TTFB), speed index, and resource sizes. Monitoring tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and WebPageTest provide insights into your website’s performance metrics. Here’s an example of a page speed report:
How to Speed up Your WordPress Website Like a Pro – Video Tutorial
What Defines Good Website Performance?
Good website performance is characterized by fast page load time, low bounce rate, and seamless user experience. Aim for a page load time of under three seconds, as research has shown that longer load times lead to higher bounce rates and user dissatisfaction.
How Long Does It Take to See SERP Improvements in Website Performance after Implementing Optimizations?
The time it takes to see improvements in website performance after making optimizations can vary. Although immediate results will be visible in new performance tests, search engines may take longer to notice them, as they need time to crawl and reassess your site. The extent of optimizations and the complexity of your website also affect how soon you’ll notice significant improvements.
Updated: November 2024