Website optimization to improve performance

Have you ever visited a website and it takes forever for the site to load, so you get frustrated and exit out? Or when you try to visit a website from your phone and none of the content loads correctly? Maybe you can't even click on anything. It might mean this website's optimization to improve performance was not done.

I come across websites with these issues all of the time. These are problems that affect a lot of sites, unfortunately. It ends up making the entire user experience unbearable and you end up losing potential clients. But there are a few simple things you can do to make sure that you meet your business needs.

Website Optimization is the process and strategies that improve the overall performance of your website. It can help drive your business goals, increase leads, drive traffic, or even increase the number of conversions. Essentially, the goal is to improve your site by making sure it functions for the user as efficiently as possible.

Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can check for that will make a huge difference:

1. Decrease image file sizes to improve performance

If you have a photo on your site that is only displaying at a width and height of 400px, however the actual image size is 2000px. Your site is rendering that huge image and it will greatly increase the load time of that entire page. Decrease the size of your images before uploading them to your site to the actual size you want the photo to display. The smaller the image size, the better.

2. Create clear Calls-To-Action

You want to have clear calls to action across your site! Also called CTAs, calls to action give your audience a clear and authoritative action to take when on your site. You want to make sure that your user knows exactly what you want them to do next.

Do you want them to buy a product? Do you want them to book a call? If you aren't sure about what to say, there are plenty of options to get you started! Go ahead and add CTAs across your site.

3. Correct headline Structure for better readability

SEO readability by search engines is extremely important to drive your SEO. A simple thing you can check for is whether or not you are using the correct headline structure throughout the page. Use only a single H1 tag and order the other heading tags sequentially, from top to bottom. Only paragraph text should have paragraph tags. Doing all of these things will make it easier overall for search engines to read the content on your website, which will boost SEO.

4. Mobile Optimization to improve performance

A majority of sites are accessed through their mobile devices these days. If your website is not optimized for mobile devices, and you cannot read or use your site correctly on a phone, it will immensely increase your bounce rate, and in the end, lose potential customers.

5. SSL Certificate

SSL certification is what displays as the lock icon to the left of your URL. What this does is verify your identity so that it is known that you and your site can be trusted. So, if your site displays the words "Not Secure" instead of the lock icon, it means your site is not secure. You may see a sharp increase in lost leads or sales because customers may think that their data may not be safe with you.

In short, creating a website for your business is not where the work ends. Strategic design & development must go into the site. So, that you can meet your business goals and get the customers you want. Take the time to optimize your website for better functionality, faster load times, and better SEO. Fortunately, the steps outlined above are just a few simple things you can do to optimize your website today and improve performance.