Besides quality content and the aspect of PageRank,
the loading speed of a website is of importance, not only for readers but also for Google. One of the algorithms used by Google to determine the relevance of websites in search results is the loading speed of a website. Therefore you must make sure that it loads fast once clicked by visitors.
Statistics say that 95% of internet users would not allow more than three seconds for a website to load, so if your website needs more time loading you will only gain five visitors out of hundreds.
How to Optimize the Loading Time
Before starting any repair process, it is better to know the factors that influence the uptime of your website. In the case of a blog, the loading time is influenced by two categories of factors:
- The ones that are strictly connected with the blog (the dimension of pages, the size of files and pictures, etc).
- The hosting service.
When a truck is full and heavy, it will travel slowly, and when it is empty, it moves faster and the same goes with a website. You need to observe your website. In the case of a blog, the principle is the same; you should remove as many useless widgets, photos, and details as possible, but still offer relevant content and a nice appearance.
Use only plug-ins and widgets that are really needed. Although it is not visible, every blog has a certain dimension that determines the loading time. A lot of plug-ins could result in a reduced speed.
Optimizing the Images Uploaded on a Blog
Before loading the images into your theme, you can change the image dimensions by reducing the size of the respective files. If you want to change the characteristics of elements that are already on the blog, you can use a plug-in that takes care of this. Use a premium theme, created by specialists, even if you need some money for it. For Bloggers, you can use specialized websites that develop themes, such as Press75, ThemeForest, while for WordPress, you will have thousands of themes to choose from on their main website.
Of course, make sure to use a cache plug-in – such plug-in allows the storing of blog pages that were already seen by a visitor, so when he wants to come back to a previously visited page, the transfer will be made instantly.
Hosting
When you choose a host for your website, you should give importance to their performance and resources. The majority of hosting companies host tens and thousands of websites on the same server, which can greatly affect the speed of your website indirectly. If the number of visitors on your website grows and you see that any other method is ineffective in increasing its speed, you should consider upgrading your hosting package, even if this means paying more.
