No matter how powerful your server or the content on your pages, your user's slow internet connection impacts how long they will pay attention. This means you need a fast loading website under any bandwidth situation.
The truth is, even if your users have high-speed Internet, it doesn't mean it works. So how do you make your site accessible? How to make your website load faster?
Why A Fast Loading Website Overcomes Visitors Internet Problems
Understand that most last-mile problems slow down a connection first before failing altogether. This means your visitors are more likely to experience degraded conditions before they lose your site altogether. Many don't even know THEY are having a problem, just that your site seems slow.
(I know) I've talked about this before when pointing out the most important thing about your business website, and YES, this design topic is critical!
Behaviorally when a visitor finds a slow website, they move to another. If your website is slow, your copy, design, and everything about it must work twice as hard. That means you lose money on sales visitors were ready to make and never hear from leads prepared to learn more.
Now imagine a customer is price shopping you and your two biggest competitors. They are heavy into research, comparing features, and suddenly have a last-mile issue. Who gets the blame?
Understand, last-mile issues can include dead links from network traffic, their hosting provider, internal problems, or even their slow computer. The Last mile issues interrupt visitors, but you get the blame.
At this point of critical decision, if your visitor chooses between a graphic and flash-laden competitor's site versus your fast loading yet professional resource, where do you think they will stay?
This Mindset Helps Your Website Load Faster
So-called design professionals criticize me because I encourage clients to create a website that works just fine at 56k. Even if you have primarily corporate customers, what is your site going to be like when they want to look up someone over a CDMA network or shared WiFi on a rainy day.
If you want to be there for your customers, if you are providing value in your business website, then make it easy to access at lower speeds. The most significant advantage this approach offers is when visitors last mine conditions are optimal, they get to your site even faster and have a consistent experience.
Because I've worked on the systems administration and hosting side of the business, I know many things can go wrong. Fast loading sites have small page sizes, using design elements that don't hog but instead add to usability.
What happens when you design for poor last-mile conditions? I often see conversion rates jump up, and more sales and leads for business website. Not because the content was improved, but because visitors actually hang around long enough to see it.
Of course, if you have crappy content, delivering it faster isn't going to improve anything. This is an optimization method you use after you get your first set of conversion and have steady traffic to your site. Designing for an unpredictable last mile enhances your best copy writing, landing pages, and e-commerce catalogs.
Last-Mile Connection Issues Make Bulky Websites Load Slowly
A perfect example of a last mile issue is what I frequently face (and most of the surrounding blocks here in Norfolk VA) with Cox Communications. Almost every day, two or three times a day, I get transmission errors — the line doesn't go out, it just gets slow.
As you can see, this problem happens regularly, my error count is in the 1000's and because of where I live, I don't have access to Verizon Fios or another high speed subscriber service. Fortunately, I don't spend all my time in the home office.
What To Consider In Your Website Template Design for Fast Loading Websites
There are many technical ways to make your website faster, however, without the right design approach you'll spend more for less. A slow user connection reduces the amount of your page that can be delivered quickly.
Users have a low tolerance for the page load. Consider these insights that help your web pages load faster under even degraded conditions. You don't have to look pretty to get sales, but the page must load fast.
- Ability for your content delivery network to cache.
- Simple light weight design, focus on text and images.
- Most important content at the top of the page.
- Focus on lead generation and sales first.
- Remove what doesn't lead to solving customers problem.
Think about your visitors last mile, when they have problems they will blame it on your site or worse wander off to your competition. Design your website for speed, under any condition, and you'll be ready to serve customers and generate leads from your website better.
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