When it comes to having a great website, performance is as essential as the looks. The main issue is how fast the site is, and developers can achieve this using different tips and tricks.
The process of designing a fast website with fast pages has no silver bullets. It has to do with adherence to the line of code in every downloaded font and image because each new design pattern introduced can potentially slow down a page and the entire site.
A key to achieving a quick site is keeping things simple; simplicity in elements such as plain text and small-sized but clear imagery is the best route to take. However, using simple plain text and imagery is unlikely to create a great and lasting user experience. So the secret to getting it right starts with being aware of the performance costs that come with your choices when adding things.
- Focus on your Images Images
Think through the images because what you use will be among the factors that slow down the site. So, you should ask yourself the following question before adding an image:
- Does the image add to the overall user experience?
- Can it be small and is that particular size effective?
- Is the image modifiable (e.g., transparency) to help reduce its file size?
- Will the image size suffice in aspects that require a smaller viewport as well as a large one?
- Is it possible to load it after working on the rest of the page?
From the above questions, it is apparent that your first objective should be to consider working with smaller, less complicated images and as few or them as possible.
- Reuse Existing Images
More and more website owners are recognizing and appreciating the significance of pattern libraries and style guides. They are meant to help increase consistency in the designs, to make maintenance more manageable, and lower the overall costs. Moreover, the reuse of existing patterns requires less code thanks to the pattern libraries, and this means less work and quick loading time. So instead of adding new carousels when you already have two that have individual behavior and style, look at what how you can rework the behavior and style so that you can reuse the two carousels. It will also be advantages for the web user since it will mean a few interactions behaviors and styles to learn.
- Watch Those Fancy Interactions
The addition of interactions and animations can help enhance the experience and usability. But the addition also means extra coding. As such, it is wise to consider the overall benefits of the interactions and animations for the user. Also, you may have to prototype before you decide on what interaction to add because the amount of code required is never that obvious.
- Think Twice About Third-Party Plugins
According to April Gillmore, CEO of ClickFirst Marketing, the inclusion of third-party plugins such as social media buttons and Google maps can help save time in navigation or introduce complex functionality. However, that inclusion comes at a price. The plugins work in different situations and can solve numerous problems, which is beneficial; but they can as well be a huge addition that bloat the site slowing it down. Therefore, you should consider the overall costs against the benefits.
- Embrace Native Elements
Be it the need to recreate the behavior or change the styling of a native element in the website design; there always is the need to add code. Given this, it is necessary to weights the importance of such a trade-off. For instance, introducing a custom styled select box may be a fantastic idea, but it can turn out to be a lot of work due to the extra code required. So opting to leave a native element as it is may help save time and effort while also keep the site performance at the peak level.
- Be Mindful Of Fonts
Every browser has to download every font and image used in a website, and this is an issue to having in mind when creating a custom font. The style and weight of the font impact how quickly the font will be downloaded. The more you add, the longer it may take. As such, it is better to stick to the system fonts while also considering if they support your brand. If you have to work with custom fonts, go for few and light ones and try to pick them from the same library. Mixing things from Google Fonts and Typekit, for instance, can increase the download time.
- Collaborate With Your Developers
In as much as there as basics in the development and designing of a website, web developers always strive to make custom improvements that have significant impacts in having a fast web design. As such, it is wise not only to understand how browsers work to know the things that slow down sites but to also link up with other developers and know which new solutions they have that address the said challenges. Sharing ideas with other web developers is one of the best approaches to finding practical solutions that improve the user experience and enhance the overall design performance of a website.
- Create A Perception Of Speed
The need to make improvements on the user experiences often push for the need to change the imagery, interactions, and fonts but this also adds weight to the pages therein the entire website. However, it is possible to increase the speed but arrange the different elements to that they can load in the correct order. For starters, think about the users and what features in the design are most important to them. It may be the page title, the large logo, or page navigation. It will take out the need for the user to wait for other things they do not need to load.
By implementing the above tips, it is possible to have a website that meets your aesthetic expectations and still be lightning fast.