Why Page Speed Tests Matter
If you haven’t already heard, Google has made a number of changes to the metrics that determine how websites are ranked in the search engines. Page loading times have become an increasingly important metric. Here is why page speed tests matter and what you should do to make sure that your site is up to par.
Running a Page Speed Test
Running a page speed test will test your site so that you can see how well it is working for visitors to your site. Many sites provide recommended values for page loading times that you should pay attention to and make sure that your site can achieve. If you run a test and your pages take too long to load then it is probably time to re-evaluate your website code as well as your hosting provider. If there are issues, do what you can to resolve them.
When it comes to selecting parts of your site to optimize for loading time, focus on the pages that typically lead to sales or conversions. These pages include checkout pages for ecommerce sites, your home page and any sign up or landing pages. By optimizing these pages first, you can guarantee an increase in the amount of traffic to your website as well as more sales almost immediately.
The Factors The Affect Speed
Many of the factors that slow down website loading times are simple to fix. The items that make sites load slow include JavaScript, large images and ETags and expires headers. Switch your website or install plugins that will allow your site to load static pages instead of having to make calls to the server. With images, use image compression to reduce the sizes of large images so that they load slower.
Using asynchronous and deferred JavaScript execution, you will allow your site to load faster because you are reducing the amount of code that needs to be initially processed while the site is loading. Most people need just the basics to use a website. Therefore, if there are JavaScript items on your pages that really don’t need to be there, get rid of them.
Switch to Responsive Design
If you haven’t already done so, you should have your website redesigned using responsive design immediately. Many site loading issues are due to poorly coded pages with outdated code syntax. By updating your website using responsive design, your website will reflect the latest practices for design as recommended by Google. In addition, it will likely allow you to eliminate many of the issues in your current code that is resulting in the slow loading pages.
A web designer can help update your website using responsive design so that it not only loads well on desktop computers but also on mobile devices. Mobile traffic is become the largest source of traffic for online visits so it is important that you website is easy to use and loads quickly for those mobile visitors.
Is your site’s loading time hurting your site’s user experience. Infintech Designs can help you determine if your site is running at optimal rates. Click here to get in touch and let us review your website today.
