Internet users aren’t known for their patience. If you make them wait – for information, for downloads, for anything, in fact, they will click away from your website. If you have a company website and you hope to boost your business online, the tiny attention span of many Internet users must be a key concern for you. In order to make sure that viewers like your website and visit often, you will want to build your website for speed. In order to do this, you will have to:
1) Reduce graphics, Flash and scripts. All of these significantly increase file size and slow your download time down. If you are working with a web design firm – and if you want professional results, you must be – make sure that your design team understands that you want simpler design and fast download speeds. If you are having trouble scaling down, go back over every graphic, Flash, and script and ask yourself whether it contributes to your business goals. If the answer is no, be ruthless in removing the offending item from your website.
2) Optimize your HTML and script code. Unwanted tags and unused scripts add nothing to your site and slow down the speed at which your page downloads. Ask your website design professionals to remove unused scripts and unwanted tags and you must notice a speed difference right away.
3) Consider different computers. Sure, your website downloads fast on your state-of-the-art company computers, but check out your site at the local Internet café or library, where older computers are the name of the game. Can someone with an older computer and slower Internet connection access your site easily?
4) Use Server Side Include (SSI) files where you can. SSI files reside in the web server cache after they are accessed the first time. This means that your website downloads faster for repeat visitors.
5) Don’t overlook organization. Your website may download quickly, but if website users cannot find the information they want quickly, you will still be trying their patience. Organize your navigation system so that it is easy for viewers to find the information they want, and include a site map for easy navigation as well. Divide your matter into manageable chunks and use headlines and sub-heads with keywords to permits viewers to quickly scan pages to find the information they want. If your site is matter-heavy, work on your matter so that it is split up into manageable pieces that are not too large – and not too small. No one wants to wade through hundreds of pages to find information, but having to go to a new page every paragraph is annoying, too.