The loading time of a website is crucial for the user experience and the Search engine optimisation (SEO). A fast-loading page leads to a higher conversion rate and a lower Bounce ratewhich ultimately determines the success of your website. In this article, you will learn how to improve the loading time of your website by applying practical tips and proven strategies.
Basics of website performance
Before you start optimising your website, you should understand the factors that influence the loading time. These include the size and number of files, the latency of the server and the quality of the network used to access the website.
Some important metrics for measuring website performance are:
Time to First Byte (TTFB): TTFB is the time that elapses from the user's request to the Server until the first byte of the response is received. It is an indicator of the response speed of the server. A short TTFB is important in order to start loading the website quickly and to offer the user a fast response.
First Contentful Paint (FCP): FCP measures the time until the browser displays the first visible content of the page, such as text or images. A fast FCP is crucial for signalling to the user that the page is loading and that content will be available shortly.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): LCP measures the time it takes to fully load and display the largest visible element on the website. This is usually an important image or a block of text. A short LCP time means that the main content of the page loads quickly, resulting in a better user experience.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): CLS is a measure of the instability of a website's layout during loading. A high CLS value indicates that elements on the page change their position during loading, which can lead to an irritating user experience. A low CLS value is important to ensure a stable and pleasant presentation of the page.
First Input Delay (FID): FID measures the time between the user's first interaction with the page (e.g. clicking or typing) and the browser's response to that interaction. A short FID is crucial to ensure that the page responds quickly to user input and enables fluid interaction.
These metrics are referred to as Core Web Vitals labelled. To measure the performance of your website, you can use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse and WebPageTest.
Optimisation of images and media
Images and media often make up the largest part of a website's file size. By optimising these elements, you can significantly improve the loading time of your website.
Selection of the correct file format: Modern image formats such as AVIF and webP offer better compression than traditional formats such as JPEG and PNG without compromising image quality. You should therefore definitely use these formats.
Compression and size adjustment: Use image compression tools such as ImageOptim or TinyPNG to reduce the file size. Adjust the dimensions of the images to the size of the viewport to avoid unnecessary pixels.
Use of lazy loading: Lazy loading loads images and media content only when they scroll into the user's visible area. This reduces the initial loading time and improves the user experience.
Reduction and optimisation of CSS and JavaScript
CSS and JavaScript are crucial for the layout and interactivity of your website. By optimising these files, you can reduce the loading time of your website.
Minimisation of file size and number of requests: Use minifier tools such as UglifyJS for JavaScript and CSSNano for CSS to reduce the file size. Reduce the number of file requests by loading only the required scripts and stylesheets.
Combine and summarise files: Combine several CSS or JavaScript files into a single file to reduce the number of HTTP requests. Tools such as Gulp or Webpack can help you to efficiently combine and optimise your files.
Asynchronous and differentiated execution: Mark your scripts with the attributes async or deferto delay the execution of the scripts until the page is fully loaded. This prevents JavaScript from blocking the loading and rendering of the page.
Use of browser caching and content delivery networks
Browser caching and CDNs can significantly improve the loading time of your website by efficiently providing static resources such as images, CSS and JavaScript.
Browser caching: Browser caching saves a local copy of website resources in the Cache of the user so that they load faster on repeated visits. This reduces the loading time and the server load.
Implementation of cache control and Etag: Use the cache controlHeaderto define the caching guidelines for your website resources. Etag headers help the browser to decide whether a resource needs to be downloaded again or whether the cached version can be used.
Selection and installation of a CDN: A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of servers that delivers your website resources from a geographically close server to the user. This reduces latency and improves loading time. Choose a suitable CDN provider such as Cloudflare, Fastly or Amazon CloudFront and set it up for your website.
Server optimisation and web hosting
The performance of your server and the quality of your web hosting provider have a very high influence on the loading time of your website.
Server response time: A fast server response time is crucial for a short loading time. Make sure that your server is not overloaded and that sufficient resources are available to ensure a fast response time.
Selection of a suitable web hosting provider: Choose a web hosting provider that is tailored to the needs of your website. Consider factors such as server locations, available resources and scalability. The hosting provider should use SSD hard drives for their servers.
Optimisation of server configuration and database queries: Customise the configuration of your server to improve performance. This includes activating compression, configuring caching and optimising database queries.
Responsive web design and Mobile First-approach
A responsive web design and the mobile first approach are crucial for a good loading time on different devices and screen sizes.
Importance of responsive web design for loading time: A responsive web design ensures that your website is optimally displayed on different devices and screen sizes. This improves the user experience and reduces the loading time on mobile devices.
Mobile first strategy: The mobile first approach means that you first optimise your web design for mobile devices and then adapt it to larger screens. As more and more users access the internet via mobile devices, such an approach can improve the loading time and user experience for the majority of your visitors.
Implementation of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): AMP is an open-source project that aims to load web content faster on mobile devices. By creating AMP versions of your website, you can further reduce the loading time on mobile devices and improve the performance of your website.
Analysing and monitoring website performance
Monitoring the performance of your website is crucial in order to recognise problems at an early stage and make continuous improvements.
Important tools for monitoring the loading time: Tools like Google PageSpeed InsightsLighthouse and WebPageTest can help you to monitor the loading time of your website and identify bottlenecks. Use these tools regularly to evaluate your website performance and make optimisations.
Interpretation of the results and identification of bottlenecks: Learn how to interpret the results of your performance measurements and recognise potential problem areas. Identify bottlenecks that affect the loading time and develop strategies to eliminate them.
Planning and conducting regular performance audits: Conduct regular performance audits to ensure that your website continues to load quickly and follows the latest best practices. Check the implementation of the optimisation strategies mentioned above and adjust them if necessary.
Conclusion
A fast loading time is crucial for the success of your website. By implementing the optimisation strategies presented in this article, you can improve the loading time of your website and boost the user experience and SEO rankings. You can measure the performance of your website here: https://pagespeed.web.dev/