Speed is one of the most important factors when ranking high in search engines, especially Google. When your website is slow, it does not achieve its best SEO ratings and will also be unfavored by users.
47% of customers expect a website to load in two seconds at the very most. 40% will abandon it altogether if it takes longer than three.
(thedrum.com).
If you want conversions, then you need to consider how fast your website is loading, and if it is slow then you need to find out why this is. With search engines penalising slow websites and analytics showing that it leads to high bounce rates, it is vital to assess the performance of your website and improve your metrics to attract and retain users and get those extra sales.
The reason website speed for users is more important now than ever is because we live in an age where we’ve become accustomed to getting results fast and receiving constant simulation and instant feedback.
Many of us can’t go more than eight seconds without some form of external stimulation
(business.com)
Keeping the interest of your users should be acheived primarily with engaging content, however, if your website doesn’t load quickly enough then they won’t even see that content and will move on to a potential competitor, meaning lost sales and a damaged reputation.
How do I make sure my website is fast?
Website performance can be negatively affected in a number of ways, including;
- Caching issues
- Slow hosting
- Server misconfigurations
- Too many high-res images/files
- Too many plugins and add-ons
- 404 errors
- Inefficient coding
- Too many adverts
Image Size
If you need to streamline your site then images may be a good starting point to consider. When using images for your website, make sure they are optimised for the web by using a DPI no higher than 72 and try not to use images any bigger than 2400x1600px. You should also use optimisation tools such as https://tinyjpg.com to reduce file sizes without affecting quality.
Mobile First
Websites should also be optimised with a mobile first approach as this is how many customers now browse the web. With mobile data being slower than broadband and in same cases more expensive, it is important to respect your customer’s time and money by only loading appropriate and optimised assets rather than trying to deliver the same desktop-like experience. Ensure that all elements of your site (such as your menus, buttons and images) all function correctly on mobile and don’t cause it to load any slower.
How can we help?
If this all sounds a bit too much hassle, FoodE can help! All FoodE sites are optimised for performance and across different devices, with advanced caching techniques, streamlined code, and reduced plugin bloat compared to standard eCommerce builds. Our recommended hosting provider also offers an upgrade which enhances website speed by up to 30%.