Website Optimization

The management and upkeep of a website is a constant and important process that should not be overlooked. With this in mind, it is also just as important to discuss what exactly this entails, and the exact steps that should be taken. This of course, is none other than page size optimization. Page size refers to the total file size of a website when it is downloaded, including image, script and code. These various different files all rack up to a total amount of data, which can be found by use of external services or websites. Among the heaviest contributors to page size are plugins, videos, JavaScript files and marketing software, and it can be easy to be carried away using these and completely disregard its impact on the page size.

Web page size and its management are important for a number of reasons. If a websites page size is too large, it could negatively effect its load speeds, or the amount it takes for a website to fully display when visiting it. This in turn affects audience retention, causing most potential customers to click away due to impatience. This also applies to mobile web searching, another huge role in customer traffic, and an area where websites generally take longer to load. A higher page size also means increased costs to run the website. Hosting the website will become more expensive due to a need for more bandwidth, or data required to keep the website up.

The best page size optimization practices are those that strike an equilibrium between quality and quantity. Image files that are used on your website should be compressed or resized. If done correctly, an image can lose up to half its file size. Unnecessary fonts should be avoided, as custom fonts potentially increase loading time. Generally, one should keep resources at a minimum, and avoid adding redundant and unneeded content to a website.

It is recommended to learn where different where different files belong as well, and the most appropriate place to use them. Among the more basic of these are PNG JPG and GIF files. JPGs should be reserved for displaying photographs or other such works. They display all colors in an efficient size. PNGs are better used to show general flat images for your website. They support transparency and details, while showing images in a roomy file size. GIFs on the other hand are more basic, and should be used for more simpler graphics that need animation. Once these rules are understood and the basics of page optimization are comprehended, an ideal path to success can be realized.