The short answer: A slow website loses visitors, rankings and sales, and the problem is worst on phones using 3G. Test your pages with Google's PageSpeed Insights and a speed-testing tool, then fix the usual causes: oversized images, too many plugins and scripts, no caching, weak hosting and no compression. Small changes often make a page dramatically faster, and a faster page is better for visitors and for Google.
You click a link on your phone. The screen stays white. You wait, tap again, wait some more and, in the end, you press the back button and choose another result.
Your customers do exactly the same with websites. In September 2016, Google published a study of mobile web data and reported that 53% of mobile visits are likely to be abandoned if a page takes longer than three seconds to load. It also found that the average mobile page took about 19 seconds to load over a 3G connection.
In Bangladesh, where most people reach the internet through mobile data, and 3G is common, speed is not a luxury. It decides whether customers stay or leave. This article explains how to measure your website's speed and how to fix the most common problems.
Why Does Speed Matter?
- Visitors leave. People are impatient, and a slow page makes your business look careless.
- Mobile data costs money. A heavy page uses up a visitor's data allowance. Many will not wait for it, and some will not come back.
- Google uses speed. Page speed has been a ranking signal since 2010, and Google says it cares about the mobile experience. Slow pages are likely to rank lower than fast ones.
- It affects sales. A fast, smooth website converts more visitors into enquiries and orders.
- It saves you money. A light website needs less from your server, so it can run well on simpler hosting.
How to Test Your Website's Speed
Test your home page and two or three important pages.
- Google PageSpeed Insights. Enter your address and it scores your page for mobile and desktop and lists problems, with suggestions. Start with the "mobile" results.
- GTmetrix or Pingdom Website Speed Test. These free tools show how long the page takes to load, how big it is, how many files it needs and which files are slowest.
- WebPageTest. This free tool lets you choose a location and a connection speed, so you can see what a visitor on a slower connection experiences.
- Chrome's developer tools. In Google Chrome, you can slow your connection to a 3G speed and watch your page load, which feels very different from loading it on fast Wi-Fi.
- Your own phone. Open your site on mobile data and count the seconds.
Write down the results before you change anything, so you can see what improves.
The Most Common Speed Problems and Their Fixes
| Problem | Why it hurts | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Huge images | Photos straight from a camera can be several megabytes | Resize to the size needed and compress them |
| Too many plugins and scripts | Each one adds files and work | Remove those you do not need |
| No caching | The server rebuilds every page for every visitor | Use a caching plugin, or server caching |
| No compression | Text files are sent at full size | Turn on GZIP compression |
| Too many separate files | Each file takes a request | Combine and minify CSS and JavaScript |
| Slow hosting | The server answers late | Choose better hosting, closer to your visitors |
| Heavy sliders and videos | They load large files at the top of the page | Replace with one good image, or load the video only when played |
| External widgets | Chat boxes, social buttons and fonts load from other sites | Keep only those that earn their place |
| Old PHP version | Your site runs slower than it needs to | Ask your host for a current PHP version |
Step-by-Step: Make Your Website Faster
1. Fix your images first
Images are usually the heaviest part of a page, so they are the biggest quick win.
- Resize each image to the largest size it will be shown at. A photo that is 4000 pixels wide does not need to fill a 400-pixel space.
- Compress it. Tools and plugins can reduce a file's size a lot with little visible loss of quality.
- Use JPEG for photographs and PNG for logos and graphics with flat colours.
- Do not use a slideshow of five large photos at the top of the home page if one will do.
2. Turn on caching
Caching stores a ready-made copy of each page, so the server does not have to build it again for every visitor. If you use WordPress, plugins such as WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache can do this. Many hosts also offer server-level caching.
3. Compress and minify
GZIP compression shrinks text files before they are sent. Minifying removes spaces and comments from CSS and JavaScript files. Many caching plugins can do both, and your developer can set them up on the server.
4. Reduce what the page loads
- Remove plugins you do not use.
- Limit the number of fonts and font styles.
- Avoid loading large scripts for features that few people use.
- Put heavy items, such as videos and maps, below the first screen or load them only when a visitor asks.
- Ask whether each third-party widget is worth its delay.
5. Use a content delivery network (CDN)
A CDN keeps copies of your files on servers in several places, so visitors receive them from a nearby one. Cloudflare, for example, has a free plan, and it can also provide HTTPS, as I explain in Why Every Website Should Move to HTTPS.
6. Choose good hosting
Cheap, overcrowded hosting can slow even a well-built site. Look at uptime, the speed of the server from Dhaka and the PHP version, as described in How to Choose a Domain Name and Web Hosting Without Getting Cheated. PHP 7, released in December 2015, is noticeably faster than older versions, and it is worth asking your host whether it is available.
7. Clean up your database and theme
If you use WordPress, an overloaded theme and a bloated database can slow pages down. Choose a lightweight, well-built theme, and as I explain in WordPress or Custom PHP: Which Is Right for Your Business Website?, be careful of themes that bundle dozens of features you do not use.
8. Test again
After each change, run the same tests and compare. Keep the changes that help and undo any that cause problems.
Speed and Mobile Go Together
A fast website helps with another factor that Google checks: whether your pages are usable on a phone. Read Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly? for the checks, and use the speed steps here to make the mobile experience smooth.
A Quick Website Speed Checklist
- I tested my main pages with PageSpeed Insights and a speed tool
- Every image is resized and compressed
- Caching is turned on
- GZIP compression and minified files are in place
- I removed unused plugins and scripts
- I replaced heavy sliders and auto-playing videos
- My hosting is reliable and fast from Dhaka
- My host offers a current PHP version
- I tested the site on a real phone using mobile data
- I will test again after each change
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast should my website be?
As fast as you reasonably can make it. As a goal, aim for your main content to appear in a few seconds even on 3G, and keep the page as light as possible.
Will a faster website help my Google ranking?
Page speed is one of many signals, so you should not expect a miracle. But a fast page keeps visitors, and Google looks at the experience people have on your site.
Can I fix speed myself?
Some steps, such as resizing images and installing a caching plugin, are easy. Others, such as server settings, usually need a developer or your hosting company.
Does a CDN help in Bangladesh?
It can, especially if your server is far away. A CDN with locations near Bangladesh will deliver files faster. Test before and after to see the difference.
Why is my site slow only on my phone?
Phones have smaller processors and slower connections than computers. A page that loads quickly on office Wi-Fi may take much longer on mobile data. Always test the way your customers use it.
What is the most common mistake?
Uploading large, uncompressed photos. It is also the easiest one to fix.
Want Your Website Faster?
If your website is slow and you are not sure why, I can help. I design and develop websites for businesses, and I can test your pages, find the biggest problems and fix them. Send me a short message with your website address.
