Clicking a single link seems like a very simple task to perform. But behind your screen, there are actually hundreds of requests that are instantaneously pinged around the world, just to bring the texts and images in front of you. These speedy multiple processes can flawlessly occur in a few short seconds, yet within this span of time, there are multiple processes that can go wrong as well.
One of the most infuriating times is when your blog loads so slowly – enough to make you want to throw your computer out of the window. When it does finally respond, you are already overwhelmed and frustrated with the situation. Then, you start to feel like the content you are trying to access is simply not worth the time.
This is how your visitors feel when your site tends to load too slowly. It is imperative that you find the problem and fix it immediately to prevent losing your precious traffic. Here are just some of the probable causes as to why your blog is loading as slow as a snail.
1. Unoptimized Images
One of the most common causes of poor blog performance are poorly optimized images. Regardless of their file format, large files take unnecessary space on your server. Because of this, it takes a while for users to access your blog.
Optimizing your photos without compromising their quality is essential to your rankings. So you shouldn’t abnormally crop, compress or shrink down all your photos just to ensure that you have a fast-loading blog.
2. Server Performance
When a user is trying to access your site, the first action that happens is that the user’s browser will send a ping to the server where your blog is housed. The browser is technically knockin on your server’s door, asking for all the data and information it needs so that your page can load.
But when the performance of your server is poor, it will take a while for the browser to receive a response. This is why finding the right server is one of the crucial steps in establishing a blog, so get this step right.
3. JavaScript-based Functionality
Every time someone is trying to access your content, it makes a new connection. If you have several JavaScript-based functionalities, the overhead can get significantly large. The more browsers that attempt to access your server, the more overworked it becomes. Once it reaches this point, your site will start to lose its speed.
One of the remedies here is to combine your JavaScript files into single file with CSS. One per file type is good enough to decrease the number of requests required to fetch the information needed.
4. Inefficient Server Side Caching
One of the most effective methods in improving web application performance is server-side caching. The problem is, not all cache implementations are created equal. What you can do is check your plugins and see if you are using more than one caching plugins.
Ideally, you should only be implementing these one at a time to avoid internal conflicts among the plugins. If you are using WordPress, do not install any plugin without conducting a quick inspection of your site. Most hosting providers offer their own caching solution to their customers.
5. Creating Bulky Codes
Using codes inefficiently can cause them to bulk up and create a roadblock for your site. Many CSS coders space out their codes to make them readable. Although this is convenient for you or for your coder, at some point, these will get bulky and will affect your blog’s speed performance.
Give some thought in eliminating excess spacings and line breaks. You can get rid of them while still maintaining readability. Doing so will shrink file sizes, condense your codes and maximize your site speed.
Website performance plays a vital role in keeping a steady flow of traffic. If your blog keeps loading, you will eventually lose your audience. But if you know some of the basic steps to remedy this problem, you can perhaps patch up the loading issues and find the time to dig deep into the root cause of the problem to finally resolve it.
Don’t let your visitors keep waiting. Equip yourself with the knowledge you need and give your audience the experience they deserve.