Are you tired of watching paint dry while waiting for your website running slow? If your website is taking its sweet time, you're not alone. Unfortunately, a slow website is more than just a nuisance. It can also lead to lower search engine rankings, higher bounce rates, and a frustrating user experience for your visitors.
A slow website can be a real problem for both website owners and users. It can cause irritation and annoyance or even drive potential customers away. Visitors will likely click away when a website takes too long to load and look for a faster alternative. Which can result in a high bounce rate--a measure of the number of visitors who leave your website after only viewing one page.
Regarding the impact on user experience, a slow website can affect your search engine rankings. Search engines like Google consider website speed when determining where to rank your site in search results. If your website is slow, it may be harder for search engines to crawl and index your content, leading to lower search engine rankings.
But don't despair! With a bit of detective work and technical know-how, you can get to the root of the problem and learn how to fix a slow website to keep it running at lightning speed.
What is page speed?
Page speed is a crucial metric for the success of a website, as it reflects how quickly and efficiently a website loads for its users. It is time for all the content on a page, including images, text, and videos, to be fully loaded and displayed to the user.
A fast page speed is essential for delivering a positive user experience, as users expect websites to load quickly and efficiently. A website running slow speed can lead to increased bounce rates, as users are likely to leave the website if it takes too long to load. This can tremendously impact a website's success, decreasing traffic, lower search engine rankings, and reduced conversion rates.
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website Teejay Art
Last but certainly not least, let's talk about search engines. They're like the internet's gatekeepers, determining which websites get the glory of ranking at the top of search results. And what do they look for? You guessed it, page speed. A lightning-fast website is like having a VIP pass to the front of the line, ensuring higher visibility and more traffic. So, don't let your website be the last one picked for the internet's big dance. Make sure it's quick on its feet and ready to impress users and search engines alike.
To achieve website greatness, page speed optimization is non-negotiable. It's like a secret recipe to success. The ingredients? Shrinking images and media files, whipping your code into shape, and using a top-notch, fast-paced hosting service. These key steps will ensure your website loads at lightning speed, delivering an exceptional user experience and paving the way for overall website triumph. So, don't settle for mediocrity, take your website to the top by optimizing its page speed. Keep on reading to more about how to fix a slow website and gain more customers.
The value of fast website load times
- User Experience
A slow website can frustrate users, causing them to leave and look for faster alternatives quickly. A fast website, on the other hand, provides a smooth and enjoyable user experience, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.
- Search Engine Optimization
Search engines like Google consider website speed as a ranking factor. A slow website can negatively impact your search engine rankings, leading to fewer visitors and potential customers.
- Conversion Rates
A slow website can lead to a high bounce rate, which is a metric that measures the percentage of visitors who leave after only viewing one page. A high bounce rate can also result in lost sales, as users may abandon their shopping carts or leave before completing a desired action.
- Brand Reputation
A slow website can harm your brand reputation by making users think your business is outdated or unreliable. A fast website, on the other hand, can build trust and credibility with users.
- Mobile Optimization
With the increasing number of mobile users, website speed on mobile devices is becoming increasingly important. A slow mobile website can lead to higher bounce rates and lower engagement on mobile devices. If your website is not optimized for mobile viewing, it can be one of the reasons why your website is slow.
That said, website speed is crucial for providing a positive user experience, improving search engine rankings, increasing conversion rates, building a solid brand reputation, and optimizing mobile devices.
Here are ten common culprits for website running slow and what you can do to put the pedal to the metal:
1. Bulky Images
Large images can bog down your website, making it feel like you're driving a tanker truck instead of a sports car. The solution? Compress your images and reduce their file size to speed up page loading times.
It is best to follow the image size specifications to cater to the size of the images and not contribute to slow website loading. Take a look at our guide to learn more about the required dimensions for different image holders.
Image taken from Strikingly
2. Outdated Technology
Running on outdated software is like driving a horse and buggy in the digital age. Make sure your website is running on the latest version to ensure maximum performance.
3. Overcrowded Plugin Party
Too many plugins on your website are like inviting too many guests to dinner parties. It can slow down the whole shebang. Consider disabling or uninstalling plugins that you don't need.
4. Unoptimized Database
An unoptimized database is another one of the reasons why your website is slow. It’s like a cluttered closet - it's hard to find what you need, and everything is just a mess. Use database optimization tools to keep things tidy and running smoothly.
5. Slow Hosting
A slow hosting provider is like having a flat tire - it can slow you down and impede your progress. Consider upgrading to a faster host or optimizing your current setup.
Here at Strikingly, we continually upgrade our site rendering technology to improve speed when testing with Google PageSpeed Insights. Most Strikingly sites now score above 90% on the Google PageSpeed test.
Image taken from Strikingly
6. Bloated Code
Excessive code is like carrying too much baggage on a trip. It can weigh down your website and slow it down. Use minification tools to eliminate redundant or unused code.
7. Video Overload
Unoptimized videos can be a real drag on your website's speed. Reduce file sizes, convert videos to a web-friendly format, and host them on a third-party service to get your website moving again.
8. Bandwidth Bottleneck
Limited bandwidth can be a real pain for website speed. Consider upgrading your hosting plan or optimizing your network configuration to boost your website.
Strikingly's Pro plan offers unlimited bandwidth as part of its hosting services. Unlimited bandwidth means that users are not restricted by the amount of data they can transfer through their website and can handle as much traffic as their website receives without incurring additional fees.
9. Script Overload
Too many external scripts can slow down your website like a traffic jam on the highway. Minimize the number of scripts, use asynchronous loading, and reduce the size of scripts to clear the road.
10. Indexing Issues
Unindexed columns in your database can slow down your website like a pothole in the road. Make sure all columns are appropriately indexed to keep things moving smoothly.
By identifying and addressing these common reasons for a slow website, you can get your website running at top speed and provide a better user experience for your visitors. So, let's rev up those engines and get your website moving like a Ferrari!
Impact of a slow website to your business
A slow website can significantly impact a business, affecting everything from search engine rankings to customer satisfaction. In this fast-paced digital age, website speed is more important than ever. A website that takes too long to load can quickly drive potential customers away, causing a major loss in revenue for the business.
- Bad SEO - The first thing to consider is search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google and Bing consider website speed when ranking websites in their search results. A slow website can negatively impact your SEO, causing your website to appear lower in the search results. Low ranking can lead to fewer visitors to your website, resulting in lost sales and lower profits for your business.
- Unhappy customers - A sluggish website is the digital equivalent of a long line at the grocery store - nobody wants to be stuck there. When your website takes its sweet time to load, users are likely to get antsy and hit the road, resulting in a sky-high bounce rate. And as if that wasn't enough, search engines also take note of high bounce rates, interpreting it as a sign of a poor user experience. Before you know it, your website is tumbling down the search engine rankings, and traffic is scarce. Therefore, you have to ensure your website is quick on its feet to keep users engaged and search engines happy.
When it comes to keeping your customers happy, website speed is more important than you think. A slow website is like serving a cold cup of coffee - it's just not satisfying. Frustrated customers can quickly lose trust in your business, leading to lower satisfaction levels and fewer repeat visitors, therefore we have to fix slow website loading to keep our customers. And let's face it; repeat customers are the lifeblood of any successful business. Don't let a sluggish website drain your customer base and hinder your success.
- Lost sales - Slow page loading can be the difference between making a sale and missing out. Think about it, when a customer is ready to buy, they expect a seamless experience. If your website takes forever to load, they're more likely to bail and head to a competitor's site. And that is a recipe for lost revenue. Don't let a slow website hold you back. Common culprits such as bulky images, snail-paced servers, and an overabundance of plugins can all contribute to a slow loading time. Stay ahead of the game by regularly optimizing your website, compressing images, speeding up your server, and streamlining your plugins to the essentials only.
Having a slow website can have a significant impact on a business. It can negatively impact SEO, user experience, customer satisfaction and lead to lost sales. To avoid these problems, it's crucial to optimize your website regularly, enable caching, upgrade software, and optimize your database. By taking these steps, you can ensure that your website is fast, providing a positive user experience and increasing your chances of success.
Ways to avoid slow page loading
To learn how to fix a slow website, follow the tips and tricks in this list!
- Compress Images: Compressing images can reduce the file size of images, improving page loading speeds. You can use several free online tools to compress images, such as TinyPNG or Kraken.
- Delete Unused Plugins: If you have plugins on your website that you don't use, it's time to get rid of them. Removing unused plugins can free up resources and speed up your website.
- Upgrade Hosting: If your website is running slow, it might be time to upgrade your hosting. A better hosting provider can provide faster server speeds, improving your website speed.
- Enable Caching: Enabling caching can significantly improve the speed of your website. Caching stores frequently requested data, reducing the number of requests to the server and speeding up your website.
- Optimize Database: Regularly optimizing your database can improve the performance of your website. You can use many database optimization techniques, such as removing redundant data, optimizing tables, and indexing columns.
- Minimize Code: Minimizing the amount of code on your website can improve page loading speeds. This can be achieved using minification tools or eliminating redundant or unused code.
- Upgrade Software: Upgrading to the latest software version can improve your website's speed. Newer versions often have performance improvements that can help speed up your website.
- Optimize Videos: Optimizing videos for the web can significantly improve page loading speeds. You can do this by reducing the file size of videos, converting videos to a web-friendly format, and hosting videos on a third-party service like YouTube or Vimeo.
- Increase Bandwidth: Increasing the bandwidth available to your website can improve website speeds. Upgrading your hosting plan or optimizing your network configuration is one way to do it.
Image taken from Strikingly’s Pricing page
- Optimize External Scripts: Optimizing external scripts can help speed up your website. Minimize the number of external scripts using asynchronous loading and minimize the scripts' size.
To sum it up, a slow website can be a major roadblock to success. The consequences are far-reaching, from frustrating users to losing customers to decreased search engine rankings and revenue. Don't let a slow website hold you back. Take control by regularly optimizing your site, compressing images, speeding up your server, and streamlining your plugins to keep your website quick on its feet. After all, a fast website is a happy website, which means happy customers and a thriving business. Therefore, put your best foot forward and make sure your website is lightening quick!
