10 Ways To Streamline Websites And Reduce Download Times
Who wouldn’t like faster, better websites? Yeah, we thought so.
A fast-loading website is an essential attribute for any modern company. With an ever-increasing number of websites competing for attention spans that are inversely decreasing, and search engine algorithms penalizing slow-loading sites, optimizing websites for rapid display has never been so important.
Simple in theory, but what does this really mean in practice?
Below are 10 highly recommended techniques for streamlining corporate websites, which can all help to minimize the time period between initial requests and completed page displays:
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Design for mobile devices.
Most internet traffic is dispatched to mobile devices, where design efficiency is absolutely critical. A website that looks good on a four-inch screen will probably look good on a 24-inch screen, but the opposite isn’t always true. Designing for mobile also encourages efficiencies in coding and use of graphics, etc.
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Test every available browser.
Although HTML5 has introduced greater standardization into the online experience, Android’s standard browser will deliver very different results from Safari, or Edge or Dolphin. Beta-testing all the main web browsers may identify display problems that can be rectified before the site goes live.
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Have a minimalist homepage.
As a website’s shop window, the homepage is where most traffic goes first – 40% of visitors go no further. This should be the most streamlined and quick-loading page, yet it’s often the most bloated. Concentrate on a brief introduction, and save multimedia content or lengthy exposition for other pages.
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Split content across sub-pages.
Following from the previous point, avoid adopting a style-heavy, one-page site with links that jump down to different sections. These are data-intensive and require loads of formatting – one of the biggest drains of device resources. Do ensure sub-pages can be easily accessed from anywhere on the site.
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Resize and compress images.
Even smartphone JPGs can be three or four megabytes, and RAW/BMP/TIF files are several times larger. Resize and convert image files using free editing software, crop out unnecessary edges, and reduce files to 200KB or less. As long as they don’t pixelate on a large screen, they’re up to the job.
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Don’t autoplay content
. As well as making unwary audiences jump, auto playing content is resource-intensive and bandwidth-hungry. It can freeze page loads, with the potential to significantly delay page views on sluggish mobile connections. It should always be up to site visitors whether they play multimedia files, even those hosted elsewhere…
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Use embedded third-party files.
Another way to potentially accelerate download times is by using files hosted on third-party platforms. Rather than hosting your own video, for instance, YouTube’s super-powerful servers can deliver it while your own hosting provider is supplying the HTML and text. This dual-access approach is very efficient.
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Avoid tables.
Another benefit of HTML5 is its ability to display content without requiring tables, which typically require extensive rendering and often ended up looking inconsistent on different browsers. Tables are an inefficient way to display content, but WYSIWYG HTML editors are helping to eliminate any need for them.
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Reduce the number of plugins.
Many people get carried away when using WordPress, adding loads of plugins whose fringe benefits don’t justify the system resources required to operate them. Consider whether existing WP sites can be streamlined or if multifunction plugins are available, and only install new ones if they really add value.
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Strip out unnecessary code.
Older websites may have been coded inefficiently, containing redundant chunks of code that still have to be downloaded and reviewed. The return of minimalist web design (often referred to as New Brutalism) is helping to avoid unnecessary elements or stylistic excesses, but look out for superfluous coding.