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Have you ever heard the tale of the hare and the tortoise? You know, the one where the slow turtle triumphed in a race over the arrogant, speedy rabbit? Well, it’s a lie. Going slow never got anyone anywhere fast. That’s just common sense and good business.

OK, you got us. You can reap the benefits of taking some things slow, like eating, aging, and walking down precipitous stairs while bringing swords. But when it comes to SEO, there’s nothing worse than going slow.

So get ready because it will be a high-speed ride to higher rankings.

Why Is Having a Fast Website Important?

Would you rather wait more than two days for your parcel, send snail mail instead of a text message, or twiddle your thumbs waiting for a website to load? No one in their right mind would want to do that. Who has time for that? Certainly not your prospective customers.

Faster-loading pages boost your site’s performance, increase Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix scores, and rank better in search results.

But exactly how much does page speed affect SEO? A slow-loading page speed can lead to:

A 7% decrease in conversions.
11% fewer page views.
A 16% drop in customer satisfaction.

And with every second, those numbers become more and more appalling:

Bounce rates can increase by a massive 103% after only a two-second delay.
53% will abandon a site that takes longer than three seconds to load.
79% of unsatisfied shoppers, due to the site’s load speed, are less likely to buy again.

How Can I View My Page Load Speed?

Several online benchmarking tools measure page load speed. They can also show you how big and resource-intensive your site is and suggest refinements. Best of all, you can use them all for free.

Google PageSpeed Insights conducts separate tests for desktop and mobile, differentiating load time into different stages.
GTmetrix gives an overview of the size, page load time, and resource allocation, just like YSlow.
Pingdom offers a similar service to GTmetrix.
WebPageTest is a bit less user-friendly than the others but tends to be more insightful. Of note are its advanced options, which consider how a site performs in different browsers.

When running these tests, select test locations closest to your audience’s physical location, as this will give the most relevant results.

Now that you know your site’s page load speed, let’s see whether you’re clocking a reasonable time.

How Fast Should My Website Load?

Generally, your pages should completely load in three seconds or less.

If your speed is around three to five seconds, you’re not entirely in a bad place, but your pages are performing less favorably than expected by today’s mobile-first standards. Anything over five seconds is considered poor. But no matter how fast your site loads, it could always benefit from a boost.

You should also pay attention to your time to first byte (TTFB). (WebPageTest and PageSpeed Insights show this data.) TTFB is the period browsers wait before they accept the first byte of data from a server. Google suggests a TTFB of 200 milliseconds or faster.

Here’s more insight into page load speed goals:

Pingdom found that most pages load in under 3.21 seconds, on average.
Google says 53% of users are only willing to wait three seconds for their phones to load before moving on to another website.
Akamai found that the average mobile page load speed of 2.4 seconds leads to the best conversion rate.

But how can you improve your page load speed to attain the goal of three seconds or faster?

What’s the Best Way to Boost Page Load Speed?

Several factors can affect page load speed. Some strategies can be done right away and have an immediate effect. Others will take time and testing to see the benefits.

Here are some of the best methods:

Enable gzip compression.
Optimize images.
Turn on browser caching.
Minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Lessen HTTP requests.
Reduce server response time.
Consider implementing a CDN.
Bonus: Make WordPress-specific improvements.

On your mark! Get set! Boost!

1. Enable gzip compression.

Compression decreases the size of your files, allowing faster downloading. It’s one of the simplest and fastest ways for page load speed optimization. Using gzip for compression is almost a norm, though Brotli is an alternative but popular method. When enabled, gzip can bring down the size of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript up to 70%. (Run a gzip test to see whether you have it enabled.)

Most WordPress all-in-one performance plug-ins grant you the option to enable compression automatically. You can manually enable compression by adding some code to your .htaccess file for those who are more hands-on or using a different CMS.

2. Optimize images.

Some of the typical culprits contributing to large page sizes are images. Generally, your pictures should be adequately sized and optimized according to the following:

Under 100 kilobytes.
Set to the exact size the picture will be shown.
Saved as JPG (unless it’s transparent, in which case use PNG).

With image compression comes a notable decrease in quality, so don’t let your desire for faster load times adversely affect the quality of your website’s design. But at the very least, if your website has a 600-pixel width, for example, don’t upload a picture that’s 2,500 pixels wide.

Optimize images before uploading them using Photoshop (paid) or GIMP (free). For added compression, you can also utilize an online optimizer such as TinyJPG. If you want another option and use a CMS like WordPress, Smush and EWWW Image Optimizer are good backup plug-ins. Some plug-ins also grant you the ability to enable a “lazy load” feature that gives priority to above-the-fold content and only loads your pictures when a visitor scrolls down — drastically reducing requests your server receives.

3. Enable browser caching.

When visitors return to your site, their browser redownloads files like scripts, images, and style sheets — unless you’ve enabled browser caching.

With browser caching, static files are saved on the user’s browser. So the next time they access your site, they don’t need to download anything again, so your page loads much faster.

If you’re using WordPress, caching is relatively easy. Plug-ins like WP Rocket and W3 Total Cache guide you through all the needed steps and set it up for you. Just make sure to use only one of these plug-ins at one time. Also, enabling caching manually is a bit more complicated.

4. Minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Minification removes redundant or unnecessary code without affecting performance. This includes eliminating code comments, lengthy function names, spacing, and so on — all things that aren’t visible to the user but weigh down your load speed.

WordPress plug-ins like WP Super Minify, WP Rocket, and W3 Total Cache are ideal for novice web developers to achieve minification. You will need to perform manual minification for other CMS and advanced admins. Some tools that can help are:

HTML Minifier.
YUI Compressor or CSS Minifier.
JSCompress or JSMin.

5. Reduce HTTP requests.

This is a big one. Although it can get tricky, don’t let it scare you. Reducing requests is the ultimate goal of page load optimization. You should try to keep the number of HTTP requests below or around 50.

There are a lot of methods to streamline these requests, as well as speed them up.

6. Reduce server response time.

Changing servers is something you should do with seriousness and on the fly. But your hosting server plays a crucial role in load time, so knowing whether you have the best setup goes a long way.

Above all else, consult with your provider to ensure your servers experience sufficient uptimes, give enough bandwidth, and are located close to your target audience. If not, consider switching to a different hosting service.

Some other vital things to consider:

PHP version
If your site is PHP-based, you should use PHP 7 or higher. The easiest method to learn which PHP you’re using and which needs to be upgraded is by calling your hosting provider. But please remember that changes in PHP can affect some WordPress themes and plug-ins. You can quickly reverse your server’s PHP if anything seems faulty.

HTTP/2
HTTP/2 is a server-side protocol that can vastly improve site speed and efficiency. Not all sites utilize HTTP/2 when they can. You can use various online tools to check whether your server can support HTTP/2. Then, contact your hosting provider to know what options you have.
Hosting type
Most small businesses use cheaper shared hosting servers (like Bluehost, GoDaddy, and HostGator). Larger enterprises that see lots of site traffic typically need more powerful virtual private servers or direct servers to distribute their content. Decide which category you fall under using your budget and performance as metrics.

7. Consider implementing a CDN.

Content delivery networks are perfect for pages that serve many international locations or are looking for a speed boost to their regular hosting service. These third-party paid services not only give you HTTP/2 support, but also vastly reduce request times by hosting your files across an extensive network of global servers.

Some unique CDN options include:

Cloudflare.
StackPath.
CacheFly.
Google Cloud CDN.

Only some sites need a CDN (despite what GTmetrix might suggest), so we recommend executing the other strategies on this list first. Consider CDN a feasible option if your load times still need to catch up.

Bonus: WordPress-Specific Improvements

Other factors could contribute to your page load time if you use WordPress. You’ll want to address these issues along with the other methods listed above.

Reduce plug-ins.

Plug-ins are fantastic and can do a lot to enhance the speed of your site. But using the wrong plug-ins can have an adverse effect, and too many plug-ins installed can cause issues, drastically slowing down your site’s performance.

That’s why it is essential to:

Routinely update and maintain your plug-ins.
Routinely remove any unnecessary or unused plug-ins.
See whether there are lighter or faster alternatives.
Identify plug-ins with redundant functionality.
Remove plug-ins for tasks you can easily do manually.

For example, suppose you have a Google Analytics plug-in installed. In that case, you’d be better off adding the snippet by yourself, through Google Tag Manager, or through the Insert Headers and Footers plug-in (which is much smaller than the former).

To help locate issues, an excellent plug-in assessment tool like Page Performance Profiler can identify which plug-ins are taking a toll on your page load speed. (Don’t forget to remove it when you’re done.)

Clean your database.

Over time, WordPress databases can get bogged down by saved drafts, post revisions, and other stuff your website doesn’t need to function. Occasionally cleaning this clutter can help boost your site’s speed. Some all-in-one performance plug-ins also have this capability (similar to WP Rocket), or you can utilize the WP-Optimize plug-in.

Update CMS and theme.

Ensure you’re always using the latest versions of your theme and WordPress install. (Don’t forget to back up your site before doing so.) If your site is still sluggish after updating and making all the changes above, you might consider trying a new theme entirely. While themes make your site look better, they can bring a lot of baggage that can bog down your site.

Fast Page Load Speed Is More Essential Than Ever

If you happened to miss it, Google is entirely mobile-focused these days. And it’s not about to shift any time soon, so your pages must load as quickly as possible.

We all have short attention spans — and they’re only growing shorter by the second. If your page doesn’t load quickly, plenty of cat videos can and will. So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to start! Implement these page speed and page experience improvements right now because SERPs wait for no one.

Danny Shepherd is co-CEO of Intero Digital, a 350-person digital marketing agency that offers comprehensive, results-driven marketing solutions. Danny has more than 20 years of experience directing paid media strategies, optimizing SEO, and building solutions-oriented content and PR. He leads a team of experts in web design and development, Amazon marketing, social media, video, and graphic design.

Business owners like you are always looking for ways to effectively attract their ideal buyers. In a cluttered and distracting online world, it helps to remember the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.

You may not be able to hold your perfect buyer’s attention long enough for them to read 1,000 words about your product or service but, with the right website imagery, you don’t have to. The right images can meaningfully boost your conversion rate, so taking the time to choose or create the right imagery is very important when setting up a website for your company.

In this article, we’ll cover exactly how you can strategically use website imagery to attract your perfect buyers and get more conversions.

Evoking the right emotions can encourage people to click ‘buy’

If you can inspire the right emotions in your target audience, they’ll be far more likely to click that checkout button. Emotions can play an important role in shopper behavior, as most of us know from our own experiences of impulsive shopping. Merchandisers in brick-and-mortar shopping environments work hard to evoke emotions that compel people to shop, such as excitement, joy, or aspiration. And, the same techniques can be applied to websites through the effective use of imagery.

For example, images of people looking joyful using your products can excite your perfect buyer, or images of people looking distraught because of a problem that is addressable with your product can make your perfect buyer feel understood.

To get an idea of what this looks like in action, take a look at one of IKEA’s holiday homepage images.

As a furniture and home goods retailer, they use this image to tap into the warm, cozy feeling of being home around the holidays. Their own products are incidental in the image, since the focus is on the little girl decorating the gingerbread house. However, the image likely inspires shoppers to make their home cozier in time for the holidays, which they can do with some new IKEA purchases.

For another example, check out the images that the dance fitness company Zumba uses on its homepage.

Since their primary product is exercise videos, they use images that tap into the feeling of being energized and enthusiastic, which is exactly what their product is designed to help people do. Those who want to experience a fun, joyful exercise class will be enticed by the emotions conveyed in the image.

Humanizing your business will help you forge stronger connections

People don’t want to feel like they’re spending their money with a faceless corporation. Instead, they want to know they’re supporting real people. Images can help put a human face to your business, reminding your perfect buyer that there are real people on the other end of the transaction.

Displaying images of your team can offer an excellent way to do this. Whether you include headshots of everyone or action shots of people at work, you’ll help buyers relate to a more humanized version of your business.

For example, take a look at the About Us page on the website of The Tinker Law Firm PLLC.

If you experience the misfortune of having a medical malpractice experience and are seeking legal representation for your case, you’ll be far more likely to feel connected to a firm that includes images of its team who can assist you. For a law firm, professional headshots are perfect for this, as they show that the people behind the company are experienced, intelligent, and ready to help. This will then ensure prospective clients feel comfortable reaching out.

For other businesses, a different approach to team images might be better suited. For example, take a look at how Option One Plumbing showcases its team.

If you’re having a plumbing emergency, you probably want to contact a team that looks ready to jump into action to come help you. This image humanizes Option One Plumbing by showing the many people on whom their clients depend to fix plumbing disasters, but it also conveys preparedness, which will further help attract their perfect buyer.

It’s much easier for a shopper to feel a stronger connection with a brand after getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the people who make it a reality, than if the only image they have to connect with is a logo. In turn, they’ll also feel better about buying from you, because most customers want to feel they are contributing to the livelihood of a team rather than just lining corporate coffers.

Use imagery to show exactly how your products or service work

Shoppers like making informed choices, and imagery can convey a lot of information quickly and effectively. For some products or services, it makes a lot of sense to demonstrate how they work through imagery rather than with descriptions.

Product photography is the classic example of this: product photos have come a long way, with eCommerce brands cluing into customer preferences for more detailed product shots, resulting in higher conversions.

A level up from static images with respect to the amount of information conveyed, GIFs and graphics can show your product in motion, which can be compelling to buyers.

Finally, lifestyle photos of your products being used can provide buyers with more information about how the product can fit into their day-to-day lives.

The more accurate a customer’s understanding of how your product or service works, the less likely they are to have unpleasant surprises when they get it, and the fewer returns you’ll experience. Additionally, when they receive your product and it matches their expectations, you will establish a great foundation for customer trust and loyalty.

For some products, such as software, animated GIFs can be particularly enriching. For example, take a look at how ActiveCampaign demonstrates their sales CRM.

On the service page, a GIF goes through the key actions a customer might carry out when using the CRM software. Someone just landing on this page might not feel inclined to watch a lengthier instructional video, so a quick GIF very quickly conveys exactly how the product works, encouraging prospective buyers to learn more or test it out themselves.

Mobility aid company Stander provides another example of how images that show how a product is used can push buyers along the path to conversion.

Since they have a variety of mobility aids, someone new to the product category might feel overwhelmed by the options. But, thanks to images that demonstrate how each product category can help, website visitors can identify the product for their needs at a glance.

Help website visitors to imagine themselves using your products or services

If customers can visualize themselves using your product or service, they’ll be more compelled to make the purchase.

One effective way to make this easy is by using images of people who represent your target audience using your products. The key is to use “real” people rather than aspirational, unrelatable models because most people are far more likely to feel connected to the former.

In your imagery, consider using people of different ages, sexes, and backgrounds. Depending on what your product or service is, it may make sense to use models who look like they have a certain hobby or profession that your perfect buyer has, too.

A good example of this in action comes from Aura Systems, who make aura cameras and software.

In this case, the image they’ve chosen to demonstrate their product will help young women interested in photography, auras, and chakra readings to recognize that this product is great for them, and to envision themselves using it.

Another tried and true method that many startups use to boost sales and ensure website visitors can imagine themselves using their products is by using UGI, or user-generated images. Since UGI features real customers and comes off as more authentic than staged images, it tends to be highly relatable.

Clothing brands especially benefit from this type of imagery, since people want to see what clothes will look like on those with similar body types. For example, ASOS uses the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe to collect UGI that features on their website.

In addition to UGI, another surprising approach that can work well for helping customers imagine themselves using your products is by providing content that features your business owner or other members of your team using it.

For example, take a look at the Cobalt Intelligence blog.

This type of content and imagery goes beyond just using staff images to humanize your business; by showcasing a relatable member of your team walking them through using your product or service, it encourages visitors to see themselves using it too. And, after all, who understands the intricacies of your products or services more than those who’ve created them?

Use visuals to show off your company’s personality

Images can also be an effective tool for conveying the unique personality of your business. Showing off your personality makes your company unforgettable and makes it easier for your perfect buyers to feel connected to it. Just as people with vibrant personalities tend to stick in our minds, brands tend to do the same.

The right personality to convey through your images in order to attract your perfect buyer will depend considerably on what your business does. For example, a kids’ toy company will probably want to convey a happy, colorful personality, while a law firm should be polished, professional, and trustworthy.

Toys “R” Us lives up to the happy, playful personality expected of a toy company through its use of colorful and child-like doodles. This shows that you don’t necessarily need photographic images to convey your personality; illustrations can also do the trick

When choosing images to showcase your personality, start by brainstorming what you want to convey. Once you have a few words that are strongly associated with your brand, look for images that relate to those words for you. If you can work on this with a team, you’ll have the best chance of coming up with images that accurately convey the right personality for your brand.

If you succeed, your perfect buyer will be able to glance at your website and immediately understand your personality. For example, take a look at the fine jewelry website Mejuri.

The visuals effectively convey an unexpectedly fresh and youthful personality that isn’t typically associated with fine jewelry. It’s something that is sure to appeal to their target audience of young women, and it shows that the brand is simple, elegant, and classically stylish. This is sure to encourage the right people to make a purchase.

Final words

Attracting your ideal buyers is an ongoing goal for all businesses, and the power of imagery in helping you reach this goal shouldn’t be overlooked.

From evoking emotions and humanizing your business to showcasing how to use your products and conveying your personality, the right images can do a lot of heavy lifting to ensure your website converts like a charm.

Author bio

Aaron Haynes is an entrepreneur, digital marketing enthusiast, and occasional SEO writer. With more than a decade of experience in business development, Aaron helps businesses and agencies develop and grow a data-driven yet nimble approach to search engine control. You can find more from Aaron on Twitter and LinkedIn.

7 Ways to Improve Page Load Speed