Let’s take a look at some effective techniques and tips on how to speed up website load times. We’ll look at optimizing images, minimizing CSS, JavaScript and HTML, using caching and CDNs, and optimizing server response times.
Format
Each image format has its own advantages and is suitable for certain types of images. For example, JPEG (or JPG) is suitable for photographs and images with many shades of color. It provides good compression and preserves image details. PNG – the most suitable format for images with transparency or text. It preserves sharper lines and is a good choice for logos and icons.
Compression
Image compression tools help to reduce the size of image files without significantly reducing the quality. This removes redundant information such as unnecessary metadata and hidden colors while maintaining the visual quality of the image. Here are some popular compression tools: Kraken.io, TinyPNG, iloveimg.com, Compressor.io, etc. You can also enable image conversion to WebP format. According to the company it provides 26% reduction in image size compared to PNG format and 25-34% reduction compared to JPEG format.
Deferred Upload
Deferred image loading allows you to load images only when they become visible on the user’s screen. This is especially useful for pages with many images or long pages. There are different techniques such as:
- Lazy loading (lazy loading). Allows images to load only as the page scrolls. Plugins and libraries such as LazyLoad or Intersection Observer API help with this.
- Image loading optimization plugins. There are various plugins and extensions for content management platforms (CMS) that automatically apply delayed image loading or optimize the loading process. For example, WP Smush for WordPress.
Optimizing your site’s code
Another way to optimize is to reduce the size of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files by removing comments, extra spaces, and line breaks. Combine CSS and JavaScript files into a single file to reduce the number of requests to the server. This can be done using build tools such as Webpack or Gulp.
It is also recommended to place the CSS code at the beginning of the page and the scripts at the end. This approach allows the browser to start displaying the page before all the scripts are loaded, which reduces load time and improves the user experience.
Avoid using inline CSS and JS code. Instead, you should take CSS and JS code to external files. This allows browsers to cache these resources and makes the page load faster.
Using caching and CDNs
Enabling caching on the server allows static resources such as images, CSS and JavaScript files to be stored on the client side. In doing so, the resources are loaded and cached by the user’s browser, allowing the resources to be reused without having to be downloaded from the server on each request. This significantly reduces page load time for repeat visits and improves performance.
Use a CDN (content delivery network) to distribute copies of content to servers located in different regions of the world and provide site acceleration. A CDN works on the following principle: the closest server serves user requests, which reduces download time. When a user requests a resource from a website, he gets it from the nearest CDN server rather than the primary server.
When resources are cached on the client side and distributed across CDN servers, you have the ability to deliver content with minimal latency and provide fast access for users anywhere in the world.
Minimize redirects and broken links
Avoid overuse of redirects on your website. Redirects add an extra step when loading a page, which can slow it down. Check your URL structure and coding to make sure they are optimized and minimized. Try to use direct links where possible and avoid redirect chains.
Regularly check your site for broken links and fix them. Broken links that lead to non-existent or inaccessible pages can negatively impact user experience and loading speed.
Cloud provider and server
When choosing a hosting provider, it is advisable to pay attention to their performance and reliability. A well-chosen hosting service with optimized infrastructure, high bandwidth and low latency can significantly improve server response time.