What is page speed?

Did you know that a one-second delay in loading time can lead to a noticeable drop in sales? In today’s digital world, where people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, the speed of your website can be crucial to the success of your business. This article will explore what page speed is, why it is so important, and how it affects your website.

Understanding page speed

Load time refers to the time it takes for a website to fully load. It is a critical part of the user experience, as faster pages generally lead to better usability, engagement and more conversions. Your page speed can be measured in several ways:

• Load time: The total time it takes for a website to display all its content.
• Time to first byte (TTFB): The time it takes for a browser to receive the first byte of data from the server.
• First contentful paint (FCP): When the first text or image appears on the screen.
• Core Web Vitals: Core Web Vitals are a set of user-focused metrics from Google. They include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which measures loading performance, First Input Delay (FID), which measures interactivity, and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which measures visual stability. Improving these metrics can lead to a better user experience and improved search rankings.

Why is page speed so important?

Page speed is more than just a technical measurement, it’s a crucial factor that affects page performance. Here’s why:

1. Improved user experience: Fast pages improve the overall user experience, making it easier for customers to navigate and find what they need. A smooth, fast experience increases the likelihood of a purchase.
2. Higher conversion rates: Research shows a direct correlation between page speed and conversion rates. According to studies, a one-second delay in loading time can lead to a 7% decrease in conversions. For an e-commerce store, this means a significant loss in sales.
3. Better SEO ranking: Google considers page speed as a ranking factor. Faster websites have a greater chance of ranking higher in search results.
4. Reduced bounce rate: Slow pages frustrate users, leading them to leave before they even see any of your products or content. With the increased popularity of social media, people have shorter attention spans than ever, making fast loading time necessary in 2024 to keep potential customers engaged.

Influencing factors

Several factors can affect page speed, but by focusing on these key areas, you can get started and begin optimising your website:

1. Server performance: The quality of your hosting service can have a big impact on page speed. A robust, high-performance server can handle more traffic and deliver content faster.
2. Browser caching: When a browser caches resources, it reduces the need to reload them every time a user visits the page. Properly configured browser caching can lead to faster return visits.
3. Minimise HTTP requests: Every element on a web page, including images, scripts and stylesheets, requires an HTTP request. By minimising these requests, you can speed up the page load time.
4. Content impact: Different types of content, especially large images, scripts and CSS files, can slow down your loading time. Using tools like ImageOptim or TinyPNG to compress images can significantly reduce loading times without compromising quality.
5. Content Delivery Network (CDN): The user’s location and connection type can greatly affect page load time. Implementing a CDN like Cloudflare or Akamai helps deliver content faster by caching it on servers closer to the user.

Page speed on mobile

Optimising for mobile devices is crucial as more and more users visit websites via mobile. According to Google, 53% of mobile users leave a page that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Mobile users have different expectations and behaviours, often seeking quick answers or smooth shopping experiences. A slow website will disrupt this, leading them to move on to faster alternatives.

Make sure your website is built with responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes, and remove any render-blocking resources such as large JavaScript files that can slow down mobile loading times.

How to improve your page speed?

Improving your page speed is not just a technical task but a strategic move that strengthens your company’s online presence. Here are some concrete steps to improve your page speed:

1. Choose a reliable hosting provider: A good hosting provider can significantly improve server response times. For a WooCommerce site, choosing a host specialising in WordPress can provide additional benefits such as built-in caching, automatic updates and integrated CDN solutions.
2. Optimise images and media: Use image compression tools and choose appropriate formats to reduce file sizes. Slow loading can also be improved by only loading images when they are visible to the user.
3. Enable browser caching: Configure your server to set appropriate caching headers.
4. Minimise and combine files: Reducing the number of CSS and JavaScript files by combining them can reduce the number of HTTP requests. Minification removes unnecessary characters from these files, further improving speed.
5. Implement a CDN: A CDN can significantly reduce latency by delivering content from a location closer to the user. This is especially beneficial for international audiences.
6. Asynchronous loading: Implement asynchronous loading of JavaScript files to allow the page to load other elements while the scripts load in the background. Additionally, use browser hints like pre-connect and dns-prefetch to speed up resource loading.
7. Real User Monitoring (RUM): Real-time monitoring tools, such as Google Analytics, provide insights into real user experiences on your website. This data can help identify performance issues specific to your target audience.
8. Automated testing: Regular use of automated tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix can help maintain optimal performance by providing detailed reports and suggestions for improvement. These tools help identify areas that need optimisation and monitor performance over time.

For more technical details on how to improve your page speed, read our in-depth article on website optimisation.

Optimise with Qala

Optimising your page speed is crucial to providing a great user experience. After thousands of hours of development, we’ve created a powerful solution we call Qala. Qala offers an optimised WordPress and WooCommerce environment, designed to ensure fast loading times and reliable performance. With its strong infrastructure, Qala reduces server response times, streamlines content delivery and minimises downtime, all of which contribute to faster load times. Built-in features, such as efficient caching and content optimisation tools, further improve page speed.

For businesses striving for a high-performance website, Qala offers not only speed improvements, but also the scalability needed to grow and adapt.

The importance of a fast website

In conclusion, page speed is an important part of a successful e-commerce strategy. Ensuring your company’s website is fast and responsive will lead to better user experience and higher conversion rates. By focusing on key areas such as server performance, image optimisation and the use of CDNs, you can create a more efficient and profitable online presence.

Want to know how to keep your WordPress site secure in 2024? Read our top tips and advice here!

If you’re interested in how Angry Creative can help you improve your website’s speed and overall user experience, fill out the form below and contact us!