When we browse the internet, we love to see the information appear in our browser at high speed and as soon as possible. We don’t like to wait even at the subway stop, much less when we surf the internet. This is something so important that a discipline has been created within the digital world called WPO which stands for Web Performance Optimization.
Now, let’s consider the importance of having an optimized website!
Many studies have been created on the advantages of a fast website, as well as the perils of slow loading. The following studies indicate interesting facts:
- Many years ago, Amazon proved that if they reduced the load time of their web pages by a tenth of a second, their sales would increase by 1%.
- Walmart observed the same benefit as Amazon after completing a project to improve the loading speed of its web pages.
- Google was able to verify that if the results of your search took half a second longer to load, then the searches were reduced by 25%.
- Firefox reduced the average loading time of its pages by 2.2 seconds and increased its downloads by 15.4%.
When creating a website, we should always put ourselves in the place of the visitor, since the visitor is the one where all the content we publish on our site is aimed for.
In fact, the user not only searches for useful information on the sites he visits but also searches for the easiest and most comfortable access routes to that information. That is why this time, we will talk about the importance of having a fast and reliable website for the user.
Want to know how a fast website adds overall value?
Good first impressions!
Internet users are more likely to trust a site which loads quickly. This is because users are growing impatient, and we live in an age where the demand for superfast loading speed has become a priority. Everyone prefers fast internet, and so it goes without saying why they would not like a faster website.
More traffic!
Once your website has created a good impression on a user with its faster loading speed, the same user would be likely to revisit and share your content in their community circle. There are already plenty of websites having a slow loading time, and if your site manages to stand out, it would be remembered and preferred by people.
Search Engine Optimization!
Another clear advantage of having a fast website is the positive evaluation made by the main search engines, such as Google and Bing.
It is known, from an SEO analysis that the main search engines take into account certain factors when assessing the relevance of one site against another. These factors are referred to as links or back-links, domain authority, among others.
Most of us are interested in appearing in the results of Google. Search engines tend to emphasize on getting links as well. The major factor remains the loading speed, which is very much taken into account by search engines, and it makes sure that its users have a smooth internet browsing and enjoy even more speed.
Some of the reasons why your website could be slowing down…
Many factors can answer the question as to why a web page is slowing down? The rebound effect is an aspect that is increasingly taken into account by website analysts, as well as by external entities such as search engines or even advertisers looking to advertise their products and services on a particular website.
The bounce effect is simply the average time that visitors spend on your website, a factor that can be interpreted as the relevance that the visitor gives to the content that is published on your website.
If your website is full of advertising, which makes it difficult for the visitor to navigate comfortably through the different sections of your website, that will cause the visitor to desist from using your website as a source of information and resort to an alternative. It causes the web pages slow to load and the bounce rate to be higher.
The same happens when the loading speed of your site is extremely slow since the user will choose a site that responds quickly to their requirements, both to navigate and to make use of the functions contained in the site.
The slow loading of a website may be due to various factors, such as the excessive amount of content on each page, large size images, the use of programming languages incompatible with the main browsers, as well as a web hosting service.
Always use trusted hosting services like BionicWP, which has a sound reputation for being a top WordPress hosting, site security, and maintenance provider.
Top 5 Reasons to Optimize a website
1. Greater usability
The website is easier to view and use by users, who can find the information they need in a matter of seconds.
Facilitating access is important, but it is no less than the point that within the web, you can move with agility and ease. This is achieved if everything is well indicated, and you have to take a few steps to reach a destination.
How do you get to a section in a large warehouse before, following the signposts or looking for it on our own? By optimizing your website, you will get a better user experience and greater usability, something that your visitors will appreciate and consider to visit you again repeatedly.
2. Better structuring of the content
The structuring of the information and content offered on the website is improved by performing a total re-organization of the content (menus, sections, categories, products, etc).
Thus, locating specific information is easier when the content is organized into groups, and these are divided into subgroups, and thus until individualizing the articles, products or services you offer.
3. Higher quality content
The content and information offered on the website are of higher quality; that is, it has a higher informative value and causes a greater interest in users, favoring their loyalty.
For content to be of quality, it must provide all the necessary information about a product or service and dispense with the unnecessary. If you don’t want your users to look the other way, don’t tell them stories. Get to the point.
4. Better indexing of information
Thanks to the better structuring of the content and the best quality of it, the indexing of all the information published on the website are faster and more efficient, which makes all Internet search engines find the website.
Indexing is sorting the data to make indexes. If, when structuring the content at different levels, each section is assigned a clear and specific name, then you can easily obtain complete listings that use the search engines and are very practical for users.
5. Better link ratio
The relationship of links to other websites is more controlled, which will avoid possible broken links in the future. The inclusion of links of interest is something that we all appreciate as users, but these have to work out, so as not to frustrate us.
Think about it.. who has not been disappointed when they go to a link and find it broken?
Let’s face it. The speed of your website can literally make or break it. Speed affects not only your traffic but also your conversions, page views, sales and all your reputation. When you do it faster, you are improving your business and helping it grow.
Optimization plays an important role in the success of your online business and should become a top priority if your goal is to stand out from your competition. Accelerating it will not only bring positive results when it comes to conversions and visits to the page, but it will also provide a better user experience for your visitors.
And, the conclusion is that happy visitors become recurring visitors! 🙂
