Speeding up success: Why site performance matters

Research shows that users are increasingly intolerant of slow-loading websites, with even a one-second delay resulting in up to a 20% decline in conversions [1]. Back in 2006, Amazon found that for every 100ms in added page load time they lost 1% in sales [2]. In 2010, Google made site speed a factor in their search rankings [3] and, since then, site performance has only grown more influential. Optimising for performance is now a large part of optimising for SEO, and optimising website speed has become more crucial than ever for businesses striving to stay ahead of the curve.

But why does speed matter so much? First impressions are everything online. A lightning-fast website not only enhances user experience but also signals professionalism and reliability. Moreover, search engines like Google consider page speed as a ranking factor, meaning slower websites may find themselves relegated to lower search result positions, and this could have serious detrimental effects on your business.

At Driven, we understand the critical role website speed plays in online success. That’s why we prioritise speed optimisation in all our web development projects. By default, we implement a range of optimisations to ensure our clients’ websites load quickly and efficiently.

We utilise Flywheel to host our sites, which is renowned for its lightning-fast hosting infrastructure. This ensures that our clients’ websites benefit from top-notch performance and reliability right from the start.

Additionally, we take measures to reduce HTTP requests wherever possible, streamline browser caching, and optimise code to eliminate unnecessary bloat. These efforts help minimise load times and enhance overall site performance. But these are all the technical things that we take care of before a website has even seen the light of day.

You may be thinking however, “my site is already live” or “I don’t want to build a new site” — read on to understand what the most impactful optimisation is that you as a content editor can make for sites after they go live.

Another key part of ensuring your site ranks highly in search engine algorithms is adding new content regularly in the form of blog posts, case studies, and modifying content to hit certain keywords. This naturally involves uploading images to your site. Images are not usually optimised when taken directly off your company’s asset library, meaning they can be far bigger than what is required for the web, and large, uncompressed images are a common culprit of slow-loading websites.

There are multiple methods we can use to optimise images, and it firstly depends on whether you are optimising images that are already on a website, or images that have yet to be uploaded.

For images already on a site, plugins such as Smush or ShortPixel can retrospectively optimise images, and can automatically optimise images that are uploaded. But these plugins are not free, but can be useful for a one off, image heavy site.

For images that are about to be uploaded, you could use an application such as Figma, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, or Affinity Photo. Photoshop allows for batch editing if you have many images that need optimising. There are also online image compression tools such as TinyPNG, JPEG Optimizer, or Squoosh to reduce the file size of their images without significant loss of quality. These tools typically allow users to upload images directly to their platforms and download the compressed versions quickly and easily.

Website speed optimisation is not just a nicety; it’s a necessity in today’s digital landscape. By prioritising speed optimisation, businesses can enhance user experience, boost search engine rankings, and drive better business outcomes. At Driven, we’re committed to helping our clients achieve success online by delivering lightning-fast websites that captivate audiences and drive results.

Get in touch with us today to learn how we can optimise your website for speed and performance.

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