7 Tips for Decreasing the Load Time of a Website

Even the most devoted customers can get annoyed at a page that takes too long to load. By speeding up the loading time, you can ensure that your customers and potential customers will stick around long enough to make a purchase. Try these tips to make your page load faster.

Use optimized images

Your graphic editing program will most likely have the tools to optimize your images for web use. With just a few clicks, you can shrink your images by 80%. The quality is basically the same but with far fewer kilobytes.

Choose static images over animations

If you can accomplish the same thing with a static image as you would with an animated graphic, then you should choose the static image. They take considerably less time to load.

Use thumbnails that can be clicked for a larger image

Thumbnails are just a smaller version of your picture. Many times a larger picture is not even necessary. However, you can offer your shoppers a larger image if they click the image. Your page will load faster and the content is still there.

Adjust your table so that your page loads gradually

When all of your content is placed within two table tags, then your page will wait to load until every piece is ready. If you divide your content into smaller groups, then pieces will load more quickly, giving your shopper a chance to stick around for the rest.

Place all of your images in a common file

When you keep your images in the same file, you reduce the chances of having duplicate images. Your browser will find your image more easily, and they will load more quickly.

Test your hosting company servers

Some servers are just slower than others. Test yours to make sure a slow server is not your problem. If it is, you may want to make some changes.

Limit database queries

You don’t have control on the amount of queries and calls to a database. You can, however, limit the number of queries allowed on each page. Keep the information on your home page brief, and make it easy for customers to know where to click to find the information they need on subsequent pages. This strategy is worth it for your home page to load quickly.
A slow loading website can mean a potential loss of customers, while a web page that loads quickly make it easier for prospects to see your information quickly and get hooked. Test the load time of your website often and from different browsers if possible to ensure that no sales are lost on a slow load time.