Making a great first impression on consumers is something all business owners should be passionate about. Having an appealing and functional website is a must for any business trying to compete in the modern marketplace.
During the website development process, you will need to focus on the design and security features your new site will have. Often times, business owners will use enterprise access management solutions to restrict the access their team has to highly sensitive information. Failing to properly protect sensitive information like your site’s source code can lead to major security issues in the future.
Once you have deployed your new website, taking the time to monitor its performance is essential. If you start to receive complaints from consumers regarding slow load times, you need to fix these issues before they begin to drive potential customers away.
Check out these tips for speeding up your website.
1. Think About Using a Content Delivery Network
As your website gets more traffic, it will become harder and harder for it to load in a timely manner. Did you realize that 79 percent of online users stop using company’s services after a bad website experience? Instead of losing business due to slow load speeds, you need to think about using a content delivery network.
In essence, a content delivery network allows you to deliver content in a faster and more efficient manner. These systems provide users with web content based on their geographic location. Generally, the companies that offer these networks will have a series of cloud-based servers at their disposal. When a user tries to access your site, the content that loads on the page will be provided by the closest possible server. This makes the pages load faster and leaves your audience feeling satisfied.
2. Optimizing the Images on Your Website
One of the most common causes of slow website page load speeds is larger picture files. The larger the file is, the more time it will take the website server to load it. While having appealing images on your website is important, you need to avoid letting them slow down load speeds.
Luckily, tools like JPEGmini and Kraken allow you to shrink the size of these files in no time. By going through and optimizing each of your image files, you can speed up your website significantly.
3. Be Mindful of How Many Plugins You Are Using
WordPress is one of the most popular website building and hosting programs on the planet. One of the best features that come with WordPress websites are plugins. These plugins give your site more functionality and are easy to download and use.
However, having too many of these plugins running simultaneously can lead to your website slowing down significantly. Taking some time to look at how many plugins are being used is important. Reducing the number of plugins you are using can be beneficial on a number of different levels.
4. Using Too Many Fonts Can Be Problematic
Some business owners have a tendency to go a bit overboard when it comes to the appeal of their website. Having an appealing website is a good thing, but having too many fonts or images can affect the site’s functionality.
The more fonts you use on your website, the slower it will ultimately load. Each new font will require a separate HTTP request, which can be problematic. Sticking to 3 main fonts on your page is the best way to avoid this problem.
Seeking out the help of a reputable web designer is essential. Attempting to build a website without this type of professional help will lead to lots of mistakes being made.