With the increase in online purchases, there are uncountable websites and streaming services, making the competition tough. The multiple platforms for people offering online services make choices difficult for purchasers and give tough competition to owners.

There are different factors that affect the brand’s online reputation, including quality, price, and website speed. That is why fast speed is non-negotiable for businesses to get successful, and website speed optimization must be the priority for website owners.

Researchers claim that a website that takes longer than 3 seconds to load tends to draw customers back. A fast-loading website gives customers a good experience as well as leaves a lasting impression. That is why website owners are recommended to use website optimization tools to check the speed and give customers the best user experience.

Why is Website Speed Optimization Important?

As discussed above, the competition is tough, and there are thousands of options available for customers. People now rely on different factors to select a suitable website which is why leaving a lasting impression is important to ensure they revisit your site. Furthermore, optimized website speed gives you an edge over competitors.

There are different factors a customer relies on, including content, website design, functionalities, and, most importantly, website speed. If the site takes longer to load, the customer will most probably switch to other options and make your efforts for the website design go in vain. Bear in mind that the results of search engine optimization are also impacted by a website speed.

Still not convinced? Below are some of the main reasons for focusing on speed optimization.

1.   Good User Experience

A website speed plays a major role in what customers or visitors will expect from your business. The first thing that visitors expect is a quick loading time which is nearly 3 seconds. It is so because a quick-loading website is expected to be more reliable than a slow one, thereby leading to an impressive user experience.

2.   Impressive Ranking

Google and other search engines give the advantage to websites that load quickly over others that take longer to load. Simply put, websites that have optimized speed for loading pages rank higher in search engines. That is why website speed optimization is essential for SEO because the higher you rank on google’s search results page, the more customers and visitors you will get.  

3.   High Conversion Rate

At the end of the day, a higher conversion rate is what every website owner desires. Furthermore, customers and visitors bounce back from websites that take longer to load. That is why website speed optimization is important to attract more customers and get successful, especially e-commerce website owners.

Luckily, there are many tools available for speed testing and optimization to deliver a better user experience.

Factors Affecting The Website Speed

Before discussing the tools that can be used for speed testing, let’s take a look at some of the major factors that affect website speed.

1.   Big Files

Bigger files take longer to load. That is why the page speed depends on the size of the assets loading. So, keep the optimum number of assets to get less bandwidth.

2.   Greater Number Of Http Requests

Every time you lead a website, it passes a request from the browser to the server. The more requests are sent, the higher the bandwidth.

3.   Render Blocking

A code like JavaScript, CSS or other types of code can also block the rendering of your website and affect customers’ experience directly.

Test Tools For Website Speed Optimization

Now that you have got the basic information of why website speed optimization is essential and what factors can affect the loading speed, let’s discuss the website speed testing tools for testing the speed and providing a better user experience.

1.   Pingdom Speed Test

It is one of the most commonly used website performance testing tools. The best part of the Pingdom is that it provides an overview of results followed by a detailed report. Furthermore, this speed testing tool allows you to run the test based on geographical location. You get suggestions to improve performance as well.

2.   Google Pagespeed Insights

Google Pagespeed Insights has been a go-to tool for website speed testing for many. It is created by Google to compare the performance of websites on both mobile and desktops, get results, and rank them from 1 to 100. The website with better speed gets a higher ranking.

This particular tool also gives recommendations for each issue that helps developers. Having said that, it is a daunting task to use the tool for beginners. Keep in mind that this testing tool does not give the leverage to select the geographical location, customize requests, etc.

3.   Webpage Test

It is an advanced testing tool for website speed optimization compared to others discussed earlier. WebPage Test is free and provides detailed results. You can get a more detailed report by clicking each result. It also gives leverage to select the browser and geographical location.

4.   Varvy Pagespeed Optimization

It is another free tool for speed testing. Varvy Pagespeed Optimization provides results in five sections consisting of CSS delivery, resources diagram, page speed issues, and JavaScript usage. It is a free tool that provides tips for a better user experience as well.

5.   Uptrends

Uptrends is also a free testing tool for website speed optimization. Apart from allowing you to select the location and browser, it also gives the leverage to choose between desktop and mobile tests. Providing results that are easily understandable, it also shows Google pagespeed scores.

Final Words

A fast-loading website is a must for businesses to get successful, but various factors can affect the loading speed of the website. Later, it becomes the biggest reason for potential customers to bounce back and drop their conversion rates. The aforementioned tools help in website speed optimization leading to better user experience, lasting impression, and a higher conversion rate.

You can either hire staff or get a website speed optimization service from a well-reputed digital marketing company. Zoom Digital is a leading digital marketing agency in Dubai that aims to enlighten your business digitally and improve reach to get a higher ROI.