Improving Download Speed - Optimize Website
Improving download speed of webpages is important to the success of a website. Internet users are impatient with slow websites and will move on if the webpage takes too long to render (also known as download). There are a few things you can do to improve download speed of your web pages which include implementing techniques to optimize web site performance. This article will suggest some ideas on how optimize web site performance and improve web site download speed.
Improving Download Speed of Images
Images can take a long time to download. To improve download speed:
- Optimize images to the smallest possible size without loosing a lot
of quality.
Use a graphics program to optimize the file size for images.
Using the correct size of image instead of a larger one manipulated with HTML coding will improve image download speed.
- Use as few images as possible on the page.
The more images you have on a page, the longer it will take to completely download the web page. E.g. Ever visit a photo gallery page? One with lots of images that have not been optimized for the web will take a long time to load.
- Include the width and height attributes of the image.
The browser will know how much space to allow for the image and carry on rendering the rest of the page.
- Include image alt attribute
This gives the visitor an idea what the image will be about once it is loaded as the text in the alt attribute will be shown with the place holder X.
The image alt attribute is required as of HTML 4.01 if you want to validate your HTML coding.
- Recycle images throughout your site.
After the initial use of the image the other pages will appear to download faster because the browser has already downloaded it to the visitor's internet cache.
Improving Download Speed of Multimedia Features
Multimedia features are another area that needs attention when improving download speed.
- Cutting down on or eliminating multimedia features like animation, sound and other multimedia features like videos will improve download speed of your webpage(s).
Reduce HTML File Size
Extra coding contained in the webpage will add to the file size, thus adding to the download time of the webpage. To improve download speed and optimize the website:
- Move formatting attributes to an external stylesheet.
A lot of the presentation attributes for HTML elements have been deprecated as of HTML 4.01 anyways, so why not reduce your HTML file size now by using an external stylesheet instead of inline styles, internal stylesheet or outdated element attributes.
- Delete coding no longer required.
This can happen when you are experimenting with different things and then decide to eliminate them.
- Look for more efficient ways to present the same look with less coding.
Using the stylesheet for manipulating the presentation and location of web page elements would reduce the HTML file size, thus optimize the web page.
Improving Download Speed of Tables
Tables can be hard for the browser to render. The browser processes all the code contained in the table before rendering it on the browser screen. To improve download speed when using tables optimize website files as follows:
- Specify the width of the table and each of it's columns.
As of HTML 4.01 all presentation attributes for the tags used to create tables have been deprecated. Move these to your stylesheet. This will help reduce the web page file size also.
- Reduce the number of tables in the page.
Less is better. This goes back to finding other ways to present the web page elements using less HTML coding.
- Look at ways to give the same presentation without the use of tables.
HTML coding can be manipulated through the stylesheet. If you learn how to do this instead of using tables when optimizing the website, the web page file will be smaller.
- Avoid nesting a number of tables.
If you must use tables, the contents of the table cell can be manipulated with the stylesheet instead of putting table inside of table, inside of table.
Articles Related to Web Page Download Speed
- Websites Loading Slowly Surveys show that Internet users are very impatient people. They will not wait for slow websites to load unless they know why. e.g. They are visiting a photography gallery with high quality images that they know will be worth the wait. So, why do web pages load slowly?
- If you intend to participate in Google Adwords, beginning March 2008,
how fast your website downloads will influence your performance with Adwords.
...Users value ads that bring them to the information they want as efficiently as possible. A high-quality landing page should load quickly as well as feature unique, relevant content. Fast load times benefit advertisers as well, since users are less likely to abandon a site that loads quickly. ...
How does load time affect my landing page quality? - Google AdWords Help Center
- Web Performance Best Practices - Techniques to improve web page speed issues shown by Google's Page Speed Firefox/Firebug add-on.
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Improving download speed of webpages is important
to the success of a website. Some ideas to optimize web site performance
and improve web site download speed.
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