A website that loads too slowly can cost you potential customers. And now that Google factors site speed into its search rank algorithm, it could affect your SEO. If your website is moving at a sluggish speed, the following might be to blame.
Overfull Server
Your website's turtle pace could be caused, at least in part, by being hosted on a server overloaded with websites, which limits your website's bandwidth. Switch to a dedicated server, and you'll notice a difference in website speed. At CyberMark, we keep our hosting servers purposefully underloaded for this very reason.
Too Many Databases
Pulling data from multiple databases can cause your site to run slower. Consolidate your databases as much as possible to speed up your website.
Bloated Code
Large, complicated code, particularly for sites that use tables in their layout, can impact load time. If your site currently uses HTML, consider using cascading style sheets (CSS). CSS cleans up and consolidates HTML code to create a simplified site that runs up to 50 percent faster and uses a lot less bandwidth. If your website is already using CSS, consider grouping like styles to decrease load time up to 20 percent.
Large Image Files
The bigger the image size and the higher the resolution, the larger the file size will be. And the larger the file size, the longer it will take to load on the website. Reduce image load time by reducing the size, colors and/or quality of your images.
Lots of HTTP File Requests
When a web page is loading, every object (images, Flash, scripts, etc.) on the page must send a request to the server. The more requests that need to made, the longer the load time. You can reduce the number of file requests and load time by paring down your website with fewer images and scripts, and/or, whenever possible, you can consolidate style sheets and JavaScript files. CSS sprites are also very beneficial for reducing HTTP requests. When building a website CyberMark uses CSS sprites.
Internal Scripts
If your site uses JavaScript or CSS, move your JavaScript and CSS to external files to quicken your website's speed.
You can check the speed of your website using free tools such as Page Speed, YSlow or WebPagetest. These sites also help you identify the reasons for slowdowns and recommend fixes.
If slow speed is bogging down your website, CyberMark can help. Our web development team can diagnose and repair issues affecting your website speed. We also offer dedicated web hosting. Contact us today for more details.
Keep up with the latest Internet marketing trends, tips and strategies by following CyberMark on:
