How to boost website performance in Singapore?

There are billions of websites, and everyone is competing to be ranked the highest for Google search query results. According to research, 47% of web users prefer websites to load in 2 seconds or less. 60% of these surveyed users said they would leave a website due to loading speed. Most users will likely exit the site and start looking for alternatives if the loading time is more than three seconds.

Many websites today load in under a second; therefore, a website’s data loading is crucial because it affects the user experience significantly. Avoid having a website that causes the entire site to load slowly because of a few images. Let us share more in this article on how to boost web performance in Singapore.

1. Minimise HTTP requests

Every component required to render a web page sends an HTTP request to the server. Browsers typically limit the number of parallel network requests, so if requests are queued, some will be blocked if the queue is shorter. Therefore, the first step would be to remove unnecessary requests.

Remove unnecessary images, JavaScript files, stylesheets, and fonts. For WordPress websites, remove unnecessary plugins as they often load additional files on each page.

Website developers can bundle assets, notably CSS and JS files, to lessen the HTTP request overhead. They can also combine smaller images into one large image using CSS sprites. To display the required image, change the background-position CSS attribute.

Limit HTTP requests as much as possible to make a web page load faster without affecting quality. The web browser uses HTTP requests to fetch different parts of the page, like images, stylesheets, and scripts, from a web server.

2. Load JavaScript and CSS asynchronously

There are two ways to load scripts, such as JavaScript and CSS: synchronously or asynchronously. Improve how files load on a website by consolidating and minifying them.

Scripts that load synchronously do so one at a time in the order they appear on the page. On the other hand, some of the scripts will load concurrently if they load asynchronously. The reason is that a browser loads a page from top to bottom, and asynchronously loading files can speed up the website.

When it reaches a CSS or JavaScript file that is not asynchronous, the loading will halt until the entire file has loaded. The browser might continue loading other parts on the page simultaneously if that same file were asynchronous.

3. Optimise and reduce Image Sizes

Graphics are widely used on many websites, and a website’s performance will be slowed down if images are not compressed or when using excessive resolution.

When different picture sizes are optimised, the browser can choose the best image for the screen resolution. The time to optimise the size of the images is when the website is loading the optimal resolution across all device kinds.

Compressing the image files before submitting them to the website is one of the best techniques to optimise photos and increase loading speed. Other online alternatives include TinyPNG, Compressor.io or picture editing software like PhotoShop to compress images.

Image optimisation helps with website loading speed. Image optimisers and compressors are widely available online for free, and they can be used to reduce the resolution, compress files, and reduce the size of photographs.

4. Enable memory caching

Caching helps access data quickly, and it can be used in two ways: a browser cache to keep data locally or a super-fast key-value store to preserve data keys and values.

The components of web pages visited are temporarily saved in a cache on the hard drive. This implies that the browser can load the page on the next visit without making another HTTP call to the server.

The HTML file, stylesheets, javascript files, and graphics must be downloaded the first time visiting a website, and it may take up to 30 components and 2.4 seconds.

Only a small portion of the website has to be downloaded on subsequent visits once the page has been loaded and the various components have been stored in the user’s cache.

According to Theurer, 40–60% of daily visits to a website arrive with an empty cache, so having a fast-loading website for new users is essential. Activating caching can shorten the wait time for recurring users, improving the customer experience.

5. Lazy-loading

Lazy loading allows for the loading of images after the content is visible to the user. In this manner, the user can access the page to read the important contents first as they wait for the images to be uploaded.

After the user has access to the website, lazy loading forces the user to fetch the final sections of the website. By allowing the browser to focus on loading the critical resources, lazy loading can help with the user experience and conversion rates.

For WordPress websites, there are plugins available that can help with lazing loading for websites.

6. Reduce redirect

A redirect occurs when a link directs users from one website to another. Redirects increase the time it takes for a website to load by a few hundredths of a second. Every second counts when developing a performance-optimised website. Although occasionally inevitable, redirects should only be used if it is relevant.

Therefore, it is recommended to limit them to a minimum. In fact, according to Google, site owners should try to reduce them as much as possible.

Look for redirect chains or redirects that lead to additional diverted pages. The redirects should be reviewed to determine if it is necessary and helpful for the users. This can reduce unnecessary additional queries, reducing the time it takes for pages to load.

Conclusion

A crucial component of website development is understanding how to enhance website performance. Although getting a website load time can sometimes be difficult, it will significantly improve overall performance.

The development and publication of websites are now a more than one-and-done endeavour, given the level of data and technology. A website must continuously optimise itself to stay ahead of the competition and keep consumers satisfied enough to return. Give a website its best chance of success by starting with the suggestions in this article and working toward improving website performance.