What Is Page Load Time?
Page load time is the time taken to load a web page fully when a user clicks on the link. The unit of measurement for page load time is ‘seconds’. This is a website performance metric that needs to be optimised if the load time is more than what it should be. The ideal page load time is between 0 to 2 seconds.
What Causes High Page Load Time?
High page load time is caused by large CSS, HTML and JavaScript file sizes, unnecessary characters, spaces and unused codes. Too many redirects can also increase page load time. Besides JavaScript rendering blocking, too many images and videos that are not optimised also contribute to slow page loading times.
The reasons for the high page load time are not limited to what we have mentioned. These are not the only possibilities. Even poorly written codes, ineffective caching and bad hosting can become a reason for slow page load time. Website owners often neglect the plugins and widgets that they use on their websites. These can be one of the major contributors to increasing the page load time.
The first step in PageSpeed optimisation evaluation is taking a 360° view of your website.
How To Fix Slow Pages
Different factors may contribute to the slowness of an individual web page. To optimise page load time, begin by identifying why an individual page is slower than others.
Your website’s slow pages can be fixed in the following ways:
- Using Trusted Hosting Services
Trustworthy hosting services act as a foundation for your website and web pages. This needs to be the first action when you want the web page and the website to be quick. Free and paid hosting options are both available, to begin with. But not all free hosting services are guaranteed for the long run. It is always a better idea to opt for paid web hosting services to avail the maximum benefits.
Unoptimised images occupy more than 50% of a web page. It is understood that images are needed. But just uploading images haphazardly will not work. It is important to choose the right image size, image type, and alt name for the image. Optimising images is regarded as one of the major factors for PageSpeed optimisation. JPEG image format is preferable over PNG or GIF format.
- Working On Unoptimised CSS
When you optimise JavaScript and leave the CSS as it is, you haven’t completely optimised the code structure. CSS is also code that needs to be optimised. Long-term unoptimised CSS code obstructs the visibility of other elements, which results in a slow-loading page. The best option is to reduce the size of CSS files. This can be done by combining the different CSS files into one. In case you have just a few CSS files, that will work too. In that case, no optimisation will be required.
CDN is an independent content distribution network. This distribution network comprises different individual servers that are based across different geographical areas. When a website uses a CDN service, the network stores copies of the website which makes it easier and quicker for users from different locations to access the website. This service is always the best when targeting international markets.
A web cache is a space where web pages that have been opened once by a user get stored. When you enable caching, the browser accesses the particular web page from the cache first. This increases the page load time to a great extent.
Coding for a web page and a site needs to be accurate. Bulky codes take up too much space and increase the page load time. Make use of only necessary codes and avoid line breaks or unnecessary characters in the codes. Remove all the elements that are not needed. This will help in PageSpeed optimisation.
- Reduce Excessive Ads And Pop-Ups
Too many pop-ups and animated ads take up a lot of space on a web page. When a web page is loaded, all these elements add up to the page loading time. Avoid too many pop-ups and ads to speed up the process.
- Reduce Excessive HTTP Requests
Using unnecessary JavaScript, CSS, and other image files creates too many HTTP requests. Excessive HTTP requests take time to process while allowing a web page to load. Reducing the HTTP requests is another way to PageSpeed optimisation.
- Identify The Bulky Plugins
Many website owners do not pay attention to the plugins they use for the website. Bulky plugins often act as the main source for a slow-loading web page. It is recommended that you identify the plugins that will work well for your website and then go ahead with those rather than changing those in the future.
Redirects are used by almost all websites. Redirects should be used when necessary. Adding redirects now and again and ending up with multiple redirects for a particular web page will only increase the page load time. To reduce the number of redirects needed, it is best to plan well in advance when working on the URL structure.
Does PageSpeed Affect Bounce Rate?
Yes, of course! A user is not going to wait for your web page to load. In this digital era, no one likes to wait. Users tend to abandon a web page when it takes too much time or even when all the elements are not loaded because they know there are more options just a click away from Google for the same search query.
PageSpeed is a very important factor in reducing the bounce rate along with relevancy for a particular search query. All of these are interconnected. With a fast PageSpeed , relevant content on a web page has more chances of ranking for a search query, thereby retaining the user for a longer time and reducing bounce rates.
PageSpeed Optimisation Services From Reposition!
If you think your web page has relevance but can’t cope with the competitors, check the technical performance of the page. A delay of a couple of seconds to load a page in comparison to other relevant pages on Google can affect the conversion rate.
Contact Reposition for PageSpeed optimisation services to match the quick results from your competitors. Our team is here to help you enhance your web page performance to make it more visible.
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