Designing the very best website possible involves plenty of work and consideration. From functionality to aesthetic charm, brands must aim to cater to their audiences in a plethora of ways. With no specific blueprint for what exactly each audience prefers or desires, this can ultimately be a long-term learning process.

However, in the case of speed, there is a universal demand for peak performance. The speed at which your pages load impact a variety of factors, and could be considered one of the most important design elements for any website when weighing everything together.

As such, we’ll take a look at what website speed can impact and why it’s vital that your pages load as quickly as possible.

Speed Impacts Reception

Not all visits to your website are equally good. Some people inadvertently may end up there, while others find it and find value in it. Page speed – particularly on mobile devices – plays a huge role in determining exactly who will stick around, purchase products or engage with content. If a page loads too slowly, many will simply leave and look for a comparable solution elsewhere.

Especially for those who are coming to your website for the first time, a slow page can leave a bad first impression. Pinging users with a bad impression can very well mean you’ve lost them forever, giving competitors who prioritize speed a greater chance of securing their loyalty.

Speed Impacts SEO

Ultimately, the speed at which your pages load don’t just matter for those currently visiting your website: it also affects future visibility. As it turns out, search engines value page speed as one of several metrics used in determining rankings in search engine results pages. The reason for this is fairly simple, and relates to the ease of use and appeal for those who use search engines.

With a clear correlation between page speed and rankings in search results, it is safe to assume that page speed should be improved wherever possible. Studies show that as much as ten percent of traffic is lost for every additional second beyond two seconds that it takes a page to load. Particularly for those using mobile devices, page speed is an important factor in effectively finding the information and solutions needed while on-the-go.

How to Improve Page Speed

First and foremost, the best way to ensure page speed isn’t a problem is to select a quality hosting solution; sometimes, the problem originates from where you choose to host your website. If and once that isn’t a problem, there are other factors that can improve outcomes.

Enabling compression on files and images will ensure that pages have less data to load, thereby reducing load times. The use of content distribution networks will help balance out traffic and ensures people access your website from a server as close to them as possible. Reducing the number of plugins installed on your website – particularly with WordPress installations – can also have a meaningful impact on page speed.

Ensuring that your website and its pages are pinging users as quickly as possible is essential for multiple reasons. Whether it impact user impressions or SEO, the reasons for improving page speed are clear – and easily accomplished.