Uptime.com Blog

6 Ways to Improve Website Performance

There are several benefits to having a well performing website, including increased traffic, optimal uptime, and higher search engine rankings. Here are a few strategies that you can implement in order to improve your website’s overall performance.

Minimize HTTP Requests

An HTTP request occurs each time your web browser fetches an HTML, CSS, Javascript or image file from the web server. Because each single HTTP request adds to your website’s loading time, it is important to minimize these requests. In order to achieve this, be sure to include only the files you need on each page. You can also Combine CSS or Javascript files to lower HTTP requests.

Optimize Images

Since loading images can consume valuable time, keep your images as small as possible, reduce the color depth to the lowest acceptable level, and remove image comments. Additionally, remove unnecessary images from your webpages wherever possible.

Minify Your Source Code

Minification is the process of removing unneeded characters from the source code without altering its functionality. These characters can include tabs, spaces, comments, and new line characters. Doing this helps reduce the file size, thereby increasing the website’s speed.

Decrease the Number of Plugins

By removing unnecessary plugins from your site, you can increase your site’s speed while significantly reducing the risk of crashes and security issues.

Minimize Redirects

Because redirects create additional HTTP requests and increase a page’s loading time, you should avoid them whenever possible. In instances where a redirect is unavoidable, do not require more than one redirect to get to any resource.

Use a Website Monitoring Service

Website monitoring services, such as Uptime, are a useful way to stay on top of any issues or downtime your site may be experiencing. In addition to scanning for viruses and checking for malicious software and other security threats, this service also provides detailed reports that allow you to identify any possible site errors and correct them immediately.

Michael Esposito