Slow Page Download Solutions for Webmasters & Designers

Slow Download Page Speed Ramifications 

I have on a number of occasions deserted the page offering solutions I had queried for. We human beings have a short attention span, and this is most visible on the SERPs when the page is slow to download. In the case of the Internet, speed matters whether we download a web page, an image or download video, or a pdf file. 

Page Speed is dependent upon many elements or attributes that a web page comprises. Besides losing the visitors the page if not able to download within 3 seconds is bound to lose at least 50% of the visitors. This is a substantial loss and calls for a solution:

 What to Do? Solutions for Slow Page Download

• Replace Animated GIFs with HTML5 Videos
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• Serve Images in Next-Gen Format
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• Efficiently Code Images (Specify Height & Width) 
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• Reduce Initial Server Response
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• Eliminate Render Blocking Images

Animated GIFS though are interactive and effective but slow down the page speed and require uninterrupted Internet connectivity. It is better to convert them to HTML 5 Videos or replace them entirely with videos. Remember images take up nearly 21% of a web page weight.   

Unlike the next-gen image formats like PNG and JPG GIFs cannot be compressed (they accept only lossless compression) hence only a milli-second image can blow out to a size of many megabytes. Slow frame rates and bad color representations are other drawbacks.   Animation technology uses more storage and memory space. It uses more bandwidth.

*Lossy filter compression reduces quality and lossless filter compression requires rendering to the original on the webpage. Tools = Photoshop, FileOptimizer, or ImageOptim, Adobe Affinity.

HTML 5 Videos do not require plugins like Flash they can be effectively played on the browsers. HTML 5 Videos exhibit splendid colors, are light in weight, and offer a better experience to the visitors. 94% of video compression formats use MP4 Format. While OGG and WebM are not that popular. Autoplay and creating a loop is easy with <video> encoding in the case of HTML5. 

The next-gen image formats are more popular these days, especially their compressed formats. But compress them only if they are very large and are visibly slow to download. While compression is required it may slightly mar the quality. Use Google WebM instead.   

Always optimize images for a better UX Experience due to faster download. Small file size also saves on the bandwidth and the CPU Process from extra load.   

The best image compression tools are Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo. For WordPress sites there are many plugins available for image optimizations examples:

• Imagify Image Optimizer
• ShortPixel Image Optimizer
• Optimole
• Optimus Image Optimizer
• WP Smush
• TinyPNG
• ImageRecycle 

Reduce Initial Server Response

Server Response time is that taken to download the result page after the client request is made on the browser. The faster is the response the better is the User Experience (UX).

For better server response do the following

• Fast Web Hosting Service
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• Use CDN Content Delivery Network 
• (Close Target Audience) 
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• Page Should Load within 3 Seconds

Good Server Response Time

• 0-7.2 ms Blocking
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• 7.2 ms to 18.3 DNS Lookup
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• 25.5 ms to .7ms connecting 
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• 26.6 ms sending to 111.8 ms Waiting 
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• 138.4 ms to  0. ms receiving
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• 988.0 ms DOM Loading
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• 1.22s 1st Contentful 
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• 1.22 1st Paint 
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• 1.52 s onload
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• 2.02s fully loaded

Best Practice for Good Page Download Speed

• Do Not Over Load WP Theme
• 
  
• Delete Unused Plugins, Deactivate others not in use to reduce CPU Usage
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• Use the latest PHP or the programming Language 
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• Minify Scripts like External files, Java Scripts and 
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• Configure Caching
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• Cache first–process later 

*Remember Static Contents download fast while dynamic contents are slow to download. 

Eliminate Render Blocking Images

Render blocking resources are always in the critical path when download is taking place. They are in the header section or above the fold. 

Usually the resources are: 

• Image first to be downloaded
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• CSS Next to be downloaded
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• Java Script 

Your visitors are staring at a blank while the loading is going on this is certainly going to frustrate the visitors to the website. Although there should be minimum executable files in the critical path  sometimes they are unavoidable hence:

• Reduce files in the critical path i.e. above the fold.  
• Optimize the image without losing the quality
• Link CSS to HTML.  <link rel="style.css" href=“style.css"> 
• Combine all CSS Files into one and do not use the import method for the call. 
• Check How Java Script is loading Use Page Insight Tool 
• Insert Java Script at the bottom of the HTML away from the critical path 
• Use W3 Render Cache to remove render-blocking in WP. 

These are some of the suggestions please take the help of tech experts to use some of the suggestions as a webmaster.  The best solution is to make a content-rich simple website with few attributes. 

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Uday provides a search engine optimization service for digital marketing. He provides website content and content for authoritative links. He also works as SEO Content Writer for digital companies on a remote WFH basis.

He also teaches digital marketing in his home town Jabalpur. He can be contacted at: 

pateluday90@hotmail.com

09755089323          

Search Intent A Point to Ponder

Keyword Research & Analysis : Understanding Intent 

When you  are optimizing a page or a piece of content for a keyword you should definitely know what intent is that phrase going to fulfill. Whenever we are in the process of optimizing a website we make a keyword analysis and make a list after extensive research that we would use throughout the campaign. But just having a robust list is not enough...we have to know what intent does each fulfill. 

What is intent?

Well it is a common word that signifies a purpose behind an action. Similarly people use search terms on the SERPs with an intent. The search is mostly for finding information, seeking a specific website dealing with the topic the user is searching for, seeking news or intent to purchase online. 

So you may ask what is your site or rather that specific webpage you are promoting about? Does it fulfill and intent? Is it an eCommerce site or is it an information website? Hence once you are aware of this aspect you will narrow down the list of terms you   have assiduously created. In short the terms you have used to optimize the web page should be justifying what your page offering. People searching for knowledge or information should not be landing on your eCommerce page.

But it is not so simple for sometime related ages can lead to business conversion but than do you have the bandwidth to be that extensive. For example: 

You have a site on wildlife resort with a page on accommodation and one on the resort itself. Than for additional information you will also have a page on destination which is an information page and not meant for conversion. But if your destination page ranks well without putting too much time and effort all the better because user seeking information will land on the page and may move on to other important pages of the website. Well still you may not get a conversion but surely advertisement has taken place. It could create an awareness about  the property or in future.....   

But certainly you should understand the intent behind each term in your list and then give shape to your campaign. Hence optimize a page using a term that solves its purpose. Just do not go for high volume terms since they may not be fulfilling the purpose of the page. 

Also the contents should be aiming at the purpose as well. For a product page the contents should be persuasive speak about the attributes of the product or products and convert the visit into a purchase. In case if informational pages the research should be intense and the information contained should be unique and solve the visitors queries. Although the visitors understands the page offering better whence they go through the site comprehensively nevertheless on page focus should never be compromised.      

Paying attention to the intent behind each term will enable you to understand the campaign that your SEO consultant is shaping. Even when you content writer is creating pages you can instruct him the purpose of your website. Most of the clients who go for  cheap website design and development do not pay attention to this aspect and the final result is totally unproductive. 

The crux of this content is that it should be shaped accordingly to the purpose of the visitors and not search engines. Sometimes targeting prime phrases could be a futile exercise usually long term phrases act as best conversion piece or deliver on niche information about a topic. 

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Uday provides Internet Marketing Services (SEO)
Write Contents for Websites in English
Runs Digital Marketing Classes in Jabalpur

Contact: pateluday90@hotmail.com

Mobile: 9755089323

Author