Limited internet speeds count as one of the things that affect load times. It is something that is out of your hands as a business. But there are still many things besides speed that affect load times of webpages. One of them is choosing the best hosting for Australia, while the other seven are listed below.

7. Is your hosting package delivering?

Even with all of the bells and whistles intact, a slow hosting service is not worth it. Uptime and speed are the two most important things when choosing a service. Before your website suffers a massive slowdown, ask yourself if the hosting service is up to the task.

6. Old plugins are bad

Old plugins tend to stick around and cause compatibility nightmares. Sometimes it can be a plugin that wasn’t properly deleted. The references left behind can still be active and will trigger a slowdown when you least expect it. Keep your plugins updated, and follow through with removing old ones.

5. JavaScript is no toy

JavaScript is an intelligent programming language but needs to be used with care. Misusing JavaScript on a website is something that will always come back to haunt you. Instead of fixing multiple issues caused by a year-old update, ensure that java is handled correctly the first time. This also applies to all programming languages used on your website.

4. Use cache

This is more of a user-side setting, but it doesn’t mean you can’t optimize it from your end. Most web browsers are set up with good cache settings so that the webpage loads faster. Keep this in mind when designing content for your website. A page that automatically loads high resolution images will more than likely be redownloaded on a different visit. Keep the default pages and images at a compatible web friendly resolution. For higher resolution choices, make sure they load up in a separate instance.

3. CSS sprites is a good alternative

Speaking of images, you can ease the pain on your hosting server and the client-side browser by using CSS sprites. This is best used on a page with several images that need to load simultaneously. Besides offering a smoother experience, it combines all of the images into a single image. This works wonders for the previous tip with the cache.

2. Compress content when possible

Images, video and even webpages themselves can be compressed into a smaller size. Some servers offer this function as part of their service – always use it when available. For an alternative, use a plugin if there are compatibility issues.

1. CSS can be heavy

Just like JavaScript, CSS can be heavy when misused. One way of dealing with heavy CSS is by removing extra line breaks or space. Technically, all of the invisible coding junk on a page that has no use should not exist. If it stays, then the only function it serves is wasting resources.

Wrap up

Getting the fastest load times is possible by following the above tips. Some of them may be harder to implement than others, but they are all worth it. With good webpage content and solid loading speed, your brand will be remembered the right way.

Photograph by ColossusCloud