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Is your website slow? Then give it a speed optimization!

Does your website need to be competitive in the battle for those coveted high rankings, clicks and conversions? Then the speed of your website is a parameter you simply cannot overlook.

I'm sure you know the scenario; you click on a page, the page loads - but in short, it's too slow. So you click away again and on to next suggestion on your Google search.

But how long does it take you to decide to click through? 

I'll tell you.

3 seconds. And 3 seconds doesn't sound like much - but nevertheless, those 3 seconds are crucial for whether you look elsewhere. Pn the same way, if the scenario plays out on your website, your potential customers will also end up at your competitors."

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Webamp The team
Webamp The team
- Specialist
Last updated: 12. dec. 2022

Why does your website need to be fast?

There are several reasons why your website needs to be fast. And now I am well aware that as a SEO specialist I will naturally think SEO into most things. But the speed of your website has most importantly - actually matters for your rankings on Google.

And let's face it - most people know that the top of Google is where you want to be. 

To be specific, a fast website gives you the following advantages:

Contributes to user-friendliness

You can't say search engine optimisation without saying usability - and a slow website is simply not usable. The speed of your website is now one of Google's Pagerank factors. If your website is fast, it contributes to usability - and Google rewards that with higher rankings.

Increases your conversions 

In addition, a user-friendly page will optimise your conversions. Ready-to-buy visitors have neither the desire nor the patience to wait for your page to finish loading. Instead, they go to your competitor.

Creates a lower bounce rate 

If your website is slow, I can already tell you that you probably have a relatively high bounce rate. And a high bounce rate indicates that you're failing to retain your visitors. And one of the reasons for that may be that your visitors don't even get to read your content - they get too impatient.

Why is your website slow - and what can you do about it?

There are several reasons why your website might be slow - and often it's a combination of these. Below I come up with 5 parametersthat most often come to mind when I look at the speed of a website.

  1. For large image files
    Images on websites are hugely important as they help to retain the user while visually reinforcing your points and messages. But it's just as important that they don't take up too much space - at least if you want a fast website. As a rule of thumb, an image should ideally be no larger than 100 kb. If you're not an expert Photoshop user, there are several drag'n'drop programs that can do the job for you - such as Short pixel and Image Compressor.

  2. All files are loaded at the same time
    If a page has many files to load, this can affect how fast it loads. One solution to this problem is to make use of Lazy Loading. In short, Lazy Loading means that your files are loaded as the page is scrolled. For example, if you have an image at the bottom of a page, it won't load until your visitors get there. This way, not all your content is loaded at the same time, which increases speed and provides a better user experience.

  3. Caching
    Caching is a third parameter that can influence the speed of your page. In short, caching means that as soon as a user has already loaded your page once, all CSS, image files and Javascript are saved. This way, it does not need to be loaded the next time a user visits the page. If you have a WordPress website, there are several different plugins to enable caching - for example WP Rocket.

  4. Code takes up too much space
    It can have a negative impact on speed if your code takes up too much space. Here it is important to minify your CSS and Javascript - without compromising functionality of course.

  5. Your server is not fast enough
    There is a big difference in how fast a website loads, depending on the web host. If you have either a bad or a slow web host, you should switch to a faster one hosting solution. Because in the end, it has an impact on whether the previous parameters optimise your website.

How to check your website speed

There are several tools to check the speed of your website. You can use them if you suspect that your website is slow. Below I give you 2 different tools you can freely use to check if your website has speed deficiencies that are keeping you from being at the top of Google. 

  • Google Pagespeed Insight
    Pagespeed insight is Google's own tool. If you want a quick insight into how your website is performing, this tool is perfect.

  • Pingdom
    If you want a slightly more "nerdy" - but also in-depth - analysis Pingdom is an excellent tool that you can use freely.

Both tools come with explanations for the different concepts and solutions you can choose to implement or change on your site.

Want help making your website faster?

I hope it made sense to you why it's important to have a fast website. If you need help giving your website a look, feel free to contact Webamp today. Here, our SEO specialists and web designers are ready to give your website a speed check - and not least give it a speed optimisation if it can't keep up with the competition.

Get help with your SEO strategy

A good start is half the battle. Bad beginnings are.... well, not good. If you don't have the resources to put together a well thought out SEO strategy, feel free to drop me a line at seo@webamp.dk or get in touch with one of my colleagues at info@webamp.dk.

Learn more about SEO, and increase your online presence

Whether you're a generalist or a marketing specialist, our SEO specialists have put together some great advice for you on our blog.

Learn more about SEO in Webamp Academy.