Why Is Website Performance Critical for Your Online Business?

What Influences a Website’s Performance?

In general, there are a number of factors, including site size and complexity, hosting, image optimization, use of third-party code (such as analytics tools or plugins), and speed user login.

Google PageSpeed uses two main indicators to determine the site’s score - speed metrics and user metrics.

Speed metrics refer to the time required to load and display the content of the page, as well as the time required to allow interaction with it.

These include:

• First Contentful Paint (FCP) → the time required to display the first content of the page.
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) → the time required to display the largest content of the page.
• Time to Interactive (TTI) → the time required to allow interaction with the page.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) → the measure of content instability, i.e. how much content elements move during page loading.

User metrics refer to the user's experience and how he interacts with the page content. 

These include:

• First Input Delay (FID) → the time it takes to allow the user to interact with the page, such as the time it takes to click a button.
• Total Blocking Time (TBT) → the time during which the page is blocked and the user cannot interact with it.

Google PageSpeed Insights evaluates these metrics and provides a performance score, which can be used to determine how well the site is performing in terms of speed and user experience. The score is from 0 to 100 and the higher it is, the better the site's performance.

How Can Website Performance Be Improved?

Image Optimization

One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve website performance is image optimization. This can be achieved by reducing the size and resolution of the images used on the site so that they are smaller and easier to load.

It is also important to use appropriate image formats such as JPEG or PNG and avoid heavier formats such as BMP or TIFF.

In addition, it is recommended to use WebP and AVIF. These formats can be used by reducing the size of image files and the loading time.

Code Optimization

Another important aspect is code optimization. You can achieve this by removing unused or redundant code, as well as by using compressed and minified code. In addition, it is important to avoid the excessive use of third-party code or plugins that can slow down the site's performance.

Another optimization technique is critical CSS, the technique that involves the fast and priority delivery of the necessary CSS to render the basic content of the page. This is important for optimizing site performance, as CSS can affect page load time, especially on mobile devices or weaker connections.

Here are some details about the critical CSS implementation:

• Identifying critical content → The first step in implementing critical CSS is identifying the critical content of the page. This is the basic content of the page that must be rendered as quickly as possible to provide a good user experience.
• Writing Critical CSS → Critical CSS should only contain the styles needed to render critical content and should be as small as possible. It can be done by using a critical CSS library or by manually creating a portion of CSS.
• Delivering non-critical CSS → After the critical CSS has been delivered and rendered, the non-critical CSS can be delivered. You can complete this by using an asynchronous loading technique or by delaying its loading until the critical content has been rendered.

Cache Management

Using the cache can significantly improve website performance. You can achieve this by temporarily storing information from the website on the user's device so that they are not downloaded every time the website is accessed. This can reduce loading time and improve user experience.

Appropriate Hosting

Choosing the right hosting is also important. It is recommended to opt for quality hosting, with high bandwidth and fast and stable servers.

Using a Simple and Clean Design

A simple and clean design can significantly improve website performance. Using a limited number of images, fonts, and colors can reduce the size of the site and improve loading time.

You should also avoid the excessive use of visual effects or animations, which can slow down the site's performance.

Performance Testing and Monitoring

Testing and monitoring website performance is crucial to identify problems and fix them in a timely manner. There are a number of tools available, such as Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. You can use them to evaluate site performance and identify issues.

All these optimizations are great for SEO (search engine optimization) because the site's performance can affect its ranking in the search results. Google has explicitly stated that site performance is a key factor for ranking in search results and that sites with better performance will rank better.

In addition, site performance can indirectly affect SEO by impacting the user experience and bounce rate. If users leave the site due to slow loading or an unpleasant experience, this can negatively affect the site's ranking in search results.