Our attention span is on the verge of extinction. You’ve probably already heard of the research that suggested that, on average, the human attention span is only 8.25 seconds, shorter than that of a goldfish.
As our attention wanes, the need for businesses to be innovative, unique, and remarkable intensifies. Yet, while striving for spectacularity, many forget about the very foundation of evangelizing onlookers into satisfied customers – being at customers’ disposal right when they need them.
To help you build a website that converts, we’ve asked some of the top web design companies in New York why website speed is so crucial for UX.
They shared their tips and tricks on how to create a fast, reliable, and beautiful website. Let’s dive right in!
Website speed determines your Google searching rankings
As of 2018, website loading speed is one of the direct Google ranking signals on mobile devices (i.e., 2020 for desktops). The Search team’s decision was not surprising.
Namely, studies have shown that even a one-second delay in website load results in an 11% decrease in page views and a 7% loss in conversions, among other negative effects on user experience.
Users expect your website to load in less than two seconds, and by the time loading reaches three seconds, 40% of users would have already left your website.
There’s innumerable evidence of how and why website speed directly affects user experience, website SERP ranking, and ultimately, your business growth, but you’ve got the picture – speed is essential.
Therefore, let’s review six professional tips to creatively and efficiently speed up your website.
1. Mobile-friendly & Responsive Design
Mobile accounts for at least half of the global web traffic, though some sources suggest the share could be even larger, up to 70%. Either way, webmasters observe a steady rise in Internet usage via mobile devices, and the trend doesn’t seem to be waning.
So, users are visiting your site via mobile, but is your website ready to cater to their needs? That’s where responsive design comes into play.
Responsive design is a web design approach focused on building a website where pages render adequately regardless of devices and window/screen sizes. In other words, responsive design is all about consigning ‘pinch to zoom’ into oblivion.
Another way of ensuring your visitors’ amazing user experience is mobile friendliness. But what does it actually mean to have a mobile-friendly website?
Well, mobile-friendliness considers a variety of elements that can affect the loading speed of your website, and ultimately, user experience. For example, think of your font and button sizes and proximity. Can users read your text easily? Will they click the wrong button?
How about navigation – are users able to find and access the menu smoothly? Take into account vertical hierarchy as well – if your page is long, users might get bored from scrolling, so be strategic and put all the most essential info at the beginning.
Choose a Good Hosting Provider
Take your time to really research and compare the features and performance of different hosting providers. Even though you can change your website host at any time, it sometimes can be a hassle, so it’s best you make the right decision initially.
Also, opt for a dedicated server instead of a shared plan and enjoy the speed and security of your website.
Go for a Custom Design
There’s so much wrong with building your website using prebuilt WordPress themes.
The lack of performance and security, generic looks, surplus code, and elements and features inadequate to your business are only some of the downsides of choosing to go more affordable when building a website.
Business is a serious venture, and it requires investment. In this digital age, there’s no better investment than partnering with some of the best custom web design companies and create a website design tailored to your business.
Leverage Caching
Caching is an effortless and effective method of speeding up your website for returning users.
You can choose from a variety of plugins, add expire headers that tell the browser how long a version of a page should remain in the browser’s cache, or opt for some other caching technique.
Create a Unique 404 Page
For entrepreneurs, spending their time and money on designing a 404 page seems ludicrous. But put yourself for a moment in your users’ shoes.
You land on a generic 404 without any CTA to return you to the website – what do you do? Well, if you are among 73.72% of people who arrive on a 404 error page, you will leave the website never to return.
On the other hand, when users land on a 404 page that dons your website design, a message explaining where they landed, and a call to action that will return them to your site, you can be confident you’ve done an amazing job in improving your website quality and performance.
Optimize Images
Neither last nor least – image optimization. All images on your website ought to be in the correct format and of the right size.
To minimize the page loading time, optimize images, i.e., lower the file size in software or an online compression tool. Throughout the process, make sure that the image quality is unaffected.
To Sum Up
Here are some wonderful ways to improve your website loading speed in 2021, yet, be aware there are many more useful methods, such as fixing broken links, using CDNs, managing redirections, etc.
Consult your webmaster and together make the best choice for your website’s speed, performance, and user experience.
