When it comes to running a website, speed and ease of use are a top priority. In the age of super-fast internet, users’ expectations tend to be high and their level of patience quite low. People will typically wait between 5-10 seconds for a site to load. Any longer and you risk them assuming there’s an issue with your site and they may abandon you for a different one with a faster response.
The problem often originates from your site’s server, also called a web host. A web host is a company that offers you space to hold your website and all your files so that people can access them online.
Sites created with WordPress, for example, need to be hosted on a server. WordPress provides you with various tools like templates, themes, and plugins to create an interactive forum, online media gallery, or an e-commerce site. The more complicated and dynamic your content, the more it is prone to issues of sluggishness and functionality. Which is why it’s important to get the best WordPress hosting service for you.
Once you’ve established your hosting service’s reliability and you still experience slow loading times, you can run a diagnostic of several factors of the content itself that may be bogging you down. Here are a few issues you should look at and how you can fix them:
A content delivery network (CDN) are servers distributed over a geographic network. Depending on your server’s size, the more people that try to access and download information from it, the more bogged down it gets. Overwhelming a server’s capacity slows down its ability to share data leading to a poor user experience. A CDN distributes your content across several servers thereby allowing more people to access your site from different points. Talk to your hosting service about deploying a CDN.
Plugins are extensions on your site that increase its functionality. WordPress offers thousands of plugins that you can add to your website like forms, galleries, or shopping carts. Unfortunately, plugins are not always updated and as a result, it can cause your site to malfunction as it hogs resources and tries to sort through errors. Streamline what you need for your site, eliminate ones that aren’t being used, or check for updates or improved versions.
Dynamic content refers to the ability of your site to adapt to the preferences of a user. If someone is frequently visiting your site, content on your page may reflect information that they’ve previously already provided like email or geographic location. This takes more time to load than if you had a static page that won’t tailor itself to your visitor. Reducing this may make the site have a less personal experience, but it will improve waiting time.
If you’ve addressed the issues above and you’re still experiencing long loading times, it might be time to compress some of your data. You can compress text, image files, and code. There are several compression tools you can use online, or you can seek the services of an experienced WordPress hosting provider.
Slow loading time is the bane of an internet browser’s existence. Speed is key if you want to keep customers on your page or if you want to convert them into sales. Optimising your site to ensure that loading times are kept to a bare minimum will increase your chances of providing a positive user experience.
There are many ways to organize and streamline your content to make it easier and faster to be processed. At the very least, you should choose a WordPress hosting site that can tailor fit a hosting plan to your needs and help your site offer a better, smoother user experience.
At HostedWP, we offer clients managed WordPress hosting in Australia. Inquire with us today for a safe and secure hosting and maintenance plan that’s right for you!
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