Calgary Web Designer Discusses Why Your Web Site Has the Need for Speed

Google has indicated site speed (and as a result, page speed) is one of the signals used by its algorithm to rank pages.

According to Backlinko, site speed matters in search rankings. Based on data from Alexa, pages on fast-loading sites rank significantly higher than pages on slow-loading sites. Details here …

But getting higher rankings in Google isn’t the only reason to pay attention to how long it takes your pages to load. Many people have found that faster pages both rank higher and have better conversion rates.

Page speed can be described in either “page load time” (the time it takes to fully display the content on a specific page) or “time to first byte” (how long it takes for your browser to receive the first byte of information from the web server).

Are People Leaving Your Site Because It’s Too Slow?

Page speed is also important to user experience. Pages with a longer load time tend to have higher bounce rates and lower average time on page. Studies show that longer load times can result in fewer conversions:

“Several studies have shown that investing in site performance can yield positive ROI as just a small increase in page loading time can significantly increase online sales. Not only do slow loading pages have lower conversion rates but they also affect how users perceive online brands. For instance, most users that experience slow page loading times are less likely to purchase again from the same site.” (Source: http://www.icrossing.com/uk/ideas/slow-pages-lose-users)

How to Test Web Site Page Speed

These tools can help you test the page load speed of your web site:

• Firebug – Use this tool to analyze your page’s performance in Firefox.

• PageSpeed – Get browser extensions from Google for both Firefox and Chrome to help you identify issues that are slowing down your site.

• YSlow – This Firefox add-on features a grading system to help you quickly see how well your site is performing and offer insight on how to improve your site speed.

• WebPageTest.org – provides a report on how a page is performing

Google’s tool — PageSpeed Insights

Page Speed Insights measures the performance of a page for mobile devices and desktop devices.

The PageSpeed Score ranges from 0 to 100 points. A higher score is better and a score of 85 or above indicates that the page is performing well.

Click here to test your site in Google

Some advice from Google on how to improve your mobile page speed:

• Avoid landing page redirects

• Enable compression on web server

• Leverage browser caching

• Minify CSS

• Minify JavaScript

• Minify HTML

• Optimize images

• Prioritize visible content

• Reduce server response time

• Eliminate render-blocking JavaScript and CSS in above-the-fold content

More details here …

Increase Your Speed and Improve Rankings and Conversions

If you need help improving the speed of your desktop, mobile, or responsive web site, reach out to Fusion Creations Inc., a Calgary web design firm focused on mobile-friendly web design, web marketing, and search engine optimization.