Are you an entrepreneur aiming to build an online presence? In that case, a fast, reliable website is imperative.
It’s no secret visitors expect quick load times and smooth experiences – now more than ever. If they don’t receive them, they will move on to the competition. However, it isn’t just about a better user experience. Improving site performance also revolves around boosting SEO rankings and conversion rates.
To help, here are various proven tips every entrepreneur can use to speed up their website and stay ahead of the competition.
Optimize Images for Faster Load Times
Think of large, uncompressed images as anchors that drag your website’s speed down dramatically. That’s why optimization is vital. Firstly, and when needed, resize images to the correct dimensions for your website. Then it’s about compressing them by using a suitable tool to automate the process. Additionally, it’s wise to switch to next-gen image formats like WebP, which offer smaller file sizes without compromising visual quality.
Image optimization is one of the easiest yet effective methods to make pages load faster.
Set Up NGINX for Efficient Traffic Handling
Your server setup plays a key role in website performance. Because of this, entrepreneurs seeking to boost efficiency should consider setting up and optimizing NGINX.
When you correctly configure NGINX, your site can handle higher traffic volumes with lower response times. Configuration involves steps that range from optimizing SSL protocols to enabling gzip compression. Although if you put in the work for a smart server configuration, it paves the way for a fast website, even as your audience expands.
Also, keep in mind that NGINX is particularly good at managing static files and concurrent connections. This makes it ideal for growing businesses.
Minimize HTTP Requests
Images. Stylesheets. Scripts. No matter the element on your webpages, they require an HTTP request to load. The more requests, the longer it takes for your pages to fully display. This highlights what you need to do to boost performance: minimize these requests.
Here’s a quick rundown on ways to achieve this goal:
- Combine CSS and JavaScript files where possible.
- Utilize CSS sprites for images
- Eliminate unnecessary plugins
- Incorporate lazy loading
Remember: fewer requests mean faster load times. This then directly contributes to a better overall user experience.
Enable Browser Caching
When a user pays a visit to your website, their browser of choice stores static resources like images and JavaScript files. That means the next time they visit, the browser pulls these files from local storage instead of going through the process of downloading them again.
With this knowledge, it’s easy to see why enabling browser caching significantly reduces load times for repeat visitors. To keep your site snappy and efficient, expiration dates for different file types in your server configuration or CMS settings can automate this process.
Prioritize Mobile Optimization
Did you know more than half of global web traffic comes from mobile devices? The shift from desktop usage means it’s important to change focus if you haven’t already. Simply put, a site performing well on desktop but lagging on mobile loses a massive share of potential customers.
A mobile-optimized platform guarantees you’re meeting customers in the right place.