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Comprehensive Tips to Speed Up Your Website Design
Simplicity in Design
The simpler the design, the faster the website. What is meant by simplicity here is avoiding complexity, not compromising on the beauty of the site. You can still be creative while keeping the design simple and free of unnecessary elements. Avoid adding components that aren’t needed or adding extra features that can be omitted. Furthermore, poorly planned and excessive use of animations can severely damage your website’s speed and performance. Use animations within reasonable limits and don’t overuse them everywhere, as they can strain the browser in terms of speed and performance.
Minification of Code
You should minimize the size of your JavaScript and CSS files, as this will significantly improve your website’s speed. In some advanced designs, you can save more than 500KB just by minifying the code. So, pay attention to this point because it’s crucial. Don’t worry about modifying the files – when you learn any task runner or work with SASS, you write the code normally, and the output from the language will be minified. Therefore, the minified version is only used by the browser, while your editable version remains simple. There are many online tools that can minify your code – just search for "Minify Code" on Google and try different tools.
Image Compression
Images are one of the main factors that can slow down your website if not properly compressed. I’ve personally tested many sites, and just by compressing the images on the homepage, you can save more than 2MB. Imagine the difference in website speed after compressing the images! This is a very important point, and there are various ways to compress images, whether using task runners, online tools, or software like Photoshop to automate the compression. Just make sure to compress the images in your design, regardless of the method. Also, make sure to specify image dimensions to save the browser from having to calculate them.
Use Font Icons Instead of Images
If you have icons that are images and there are font-based alternatives available, it’s best to use font icons. This is because they’re not only easier to modify and can be scaled to any size, but their file size is much smaller, and they reduce the number of server requests. Font icons are now essential in any design.
Reduce HTTP Server Requests
More requests mean slower loading of your website. So, you should minimize server requests as much as possible. For example, if you have many icons that can be replaced with font icons, do so immediately. If you have many icons that must be images, consider combining them into a single sprite sheet. Instead of ten separate icon requests, you only make one request for the sprite sheet. Similarly, if you have multiple small JavaScript files, merge them into a single file to reduce the number of requests. To check the number of requests your page makes, press F12 in Chrome, go to the Network tab, and you’ll see the full list of requests made by your site.
Reduce Library Usage
In some cases, you might need something very simple that can be done with just a line or two of code. Don’t call a whole library for that. In most cases, you don’t need the extra features that come with a library. For example, if you want to create a "back-to-top" button, there are many libraries that can do this, but do you really need all their options? Most users just need the button to appear and be clickable to scroll up. The same applies to situations where you’re using a UI kit library but only need one element. Loading an entire library for just one component is a major mistake. Instead, try coding it yourself to save space and reduce the unnecessary requests.
Code Quality
You need to know how to structure elements properly, arrange them correctly, and handle JavaScript events efficiently. If you're working with frameworks like Angular, ensure there are no conflicts or blocking issues on the page. Always focus on optimizing every function you write, testing its performance and speed. Avoid writing functions that already exist in the language, as built-in functions are much faster.
Here are some additional tips:
- Always place your script tags before the closing body tag to avoid blocking the page load.
- Try to avoid putting JavaScript or CSS directly inside your page. Place them either in the head or before the closing body tag.
- Avoid using inline styles. Always have all your selectors in an external CSS file.
- If you have many CSS files without a logical reason for separating them, merge them into one to reduce the number of requests.
- If you need an image but are using CSS to create it with many lines of code, avoid that. Use the actual image instead to prevent browser compatibility issues and unnecessary complexity.
Websites to Test Your Website’s Speed
Here is a list of websites to test your site’s speed and performance, which will help you improve it: