10 Steps to Speed Up Your Image Heavy Website

Every second counts in the world of modern business and that is never truer than when dealing with the company website. Modern consumers expect websites to load in no longer than two seconds while over 1 in 4 will exit a website that takes over four seconds to load. When added to the fact that…

Read More

Every second counts in the world of modern business and that is never truer than when dealing with the company website. Modern consumers expect websites to load in no longer than two seconds while over 1 in 4 will exit a website that takes over four seconds to load. When added to the fact that Google’s algorithm uses page loading times as a key metric for ranking pages, this is an area you can’t get wrong.

Speeding up the speed of your image heavy website is a key aspect of the web development process. Follow the simple steps below, and you won’t go far wrong.
speedup

#1. Choose The Right Web Host

The harsh reality is that the on-page elements will count for very little if the web hosting package isn’t up to the task. In addition to slow load times, an inadequate choice could lead to the dreaded 404 messages, which will discourage users from revisiting the site.

Whether launching a new site or revamping the current one, ensuring that you have the right host for this next chapter is vital.

#2. Select The Best Hosting Option

As well as choosing a reputable host, you need the right type of hosting. Knowing the pros and cons of shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers is essential. If yours is a new website, you need to consider how your needs may change over the coming months.

Therefore, flexibility in your package is vital. Otherwise, you could face the same problems as when you select a bad host.

#3. Reduce HTTP Requests

It is suggested that a huge 80% of web loading time is consumed by downloading the various elements of the website. They are known as HTTP requests. Understanding how many your website makes will allow you to plot the next moves in style.

There are various web developer tools on the market, which can be used to list every request on the page. From here, you can note which items need addressing.

Website speed up

#4. Combine HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Files

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files are three elements that have a huge influence on the site’s appearance. Web tools and plug-ins can be used to combine the three types of files to instantly reduce the number of requests and data transfers.

Meanwhile, minifying the files by removing unnecessary lines in the code can have a positive influence by reducing file sizes too.

#5. Change The Way Files Load

When loading a webpage, the various elements can download in two ways. They are Synchronously or Asynchronously. While the former means that each item is handled in the order that is stipulated by the code, the latter uses simultaneous processes.

Simply switching to the latter option can instantly boost the loading times because it will present the information from top to bottom.

#6. Defer Larger Items

Some of your web pages may include larger files, such as JavaScript. Rather than allowing this element to delay the whole page, sending it to the back of the line allows the rest of your page to load before then showing the larger file last.

Deferring JavaScript files can be done via HTML or dedicated plug-ins on CMS systems like WordPress et al.

#7. Reduce The TTFB Delay

time to first byte

TTFB stands for Time to First Byte, and relates to the time needed for your browser to start downloading the data. This should be less than 200ms and a variety of developer tools will show you the current speed of your pages.

Several factors contribute to this, but enabling caching is probably the quickest way to make a positive impact.

#8. Use Image Compressing

Ensuring that files are at their smallest possible size without sacrificing the quality is an essential feature that cannot be ignored. Images don’t need to be shown in the original print quality, which is why using an image compressor is advised.

It’s not uncommon for this to reduce load times by up to 80%. For an image-heavy website, this step will make a world of difference. Resizing can help too.

#9. Use The Right CDN Delivery

A Content Delivery Network is essentially responsible for ensuring that images are transferred in the quickest possible time. A high-quality CDN will have nodes around the world. When a user receives the data from their nearest point, the info travels a shorter distance, resulting in fast speeds.

While this might not be the most important issue for small local businesses, any international website that uses lots of images will need to get this right for success.

#10. Be Ready For Mobile

Between half and two-thirds of all users access your website via mobile. Naturally, the small screens only require smaller images. When you select responsive images from the web developer backend through the use of ‘srcset’ and ‘sizes’ on the image tags, the speed will increase.

This is because the website will automatically select the right image size for the device in question, thus reducing data overloading and providing better user experience.

Contents.

More Insights.

A Guide To Jobs In Social Media

Because social media has become such a behemoth of an industry, multiple job roles in social beyond the traditional ‘Social Media Manager’ title have been birthed, all of which are varied, suiting a wider range of personalities and intellects. There’s also a lot more to working in social than posting videos on TikTok, as you’re about to find out. Which roles in social would suit you? Read on. Jobs in social media Within social media teams there is usually a four-tier hierarchy you can progress through – from intern/executive, to manager, to senior manager or Director, to Head of or Chief. Let’s take a look at the variety of jobs in social media.  A Social Strategist’s job is to come up with a plan informed by data and insight on what a company should do on social media, who they should be, when they should post, who they should target and so on. This is a marketing strategy, which is not the same as a content plan.  A Strategist acts as a compass telling the rest of the team which direction to go in. The strategist takes news and data, what’s happening in wider culture and society, what the brand they’re…

Read Article

Essential Copywriting Tips

Across any form of marketing content is crucial, but, and I cannot emphasise this enough, not just any content – your content needs to be compelling, clear, and actually useful in some way – whether that’s by providing information or making someone laugh.  Even before the rise of AI-generated content (more on that later), search engines were cracking down on the use of adding website content for content’s sake. They now look for high-value information rather than focusing on how much content you have. Not that you shouldn’t consider having fresh content! However, your actual copy needs to be good, engaging, and user-friendly, cementing you as a knowledge leader.  With the rise of social media and online marketing – your words are more important than ever to get across your brand or message correctly. You’re competing with thousands of others, scrolling through their tablet or phone and searching online. What you write is your best chance to engage a user.  At Click Through Digital, we understand the power of words and their impact on digital success. After all, it’s part of what we do! So, here are some essential copywriting tips that can transform your content writing from good to…

Read Article

How to Turn First-Time Buyers into Loyal Customers

Welcome to the digital era, where every click, every view, and every purchase can either be the beginning of a long-term relationship or a fleeting interaction.  With the rise of social media, the essence of commerce has evolved; it’s no longer about the single sale but about creating an ongoing dialogue and connection. At Click Through Digital, we understand the importance of not just attracting first-time buyers but converting them into loyal, returning customers. After all, isn’t it more satisfying and sustainable to build a loyal community and a returning customer base, rather than accruing one-off quick sales?  We’re here to share our expertise, and let you know how you can do just that, in a way that’s both effective and genuine. Personalise Your Customer Experience Imagine walking into your favourite local cafe, and the barista knows your order by heart. Feels good, doesn’t it? Makes you want to keep on going back, right? That’s the power of personalisation. In the digital world, this can translate into personalised emails, product recommendations, and content that resonates with the individual preferences of your customers.  Using advanced analytics and CRM tools, you can now predict customer preferences, tailor recommendations, and create content that…

Read Article

Click Through Digital’s Journey with OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity

In 2023 we announced that OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity would be CTD’s chosen charity of the year.  This remarkable charity stands as a beacon of hope, dedicated to supporting children facing brain tumours and their families, raising awareness, and funding research for better treatments. Founded in memory of Oscar Hughes, a brave nine-year-old from York who battled a brain tumour, OSCAR’s extends its support far beyond a single story, aiming to make a difference in the lives of children across the country. Their mission resonated deeply with us at Click Through Digital, inspiring us to take action and offer support and contributions to their cause. How have we raised money? No charity can do its work without funding and financial support, so in December last year, we hosted a charity casino night, a fantastic night full of fun, which resulted in raising a significant contribution of £1,136.64 to OSCAR’s. This event was more than just a fundraiser; it was also about helping raise awareness and showing our commitment to helping families in Yorkshire deal with such a devastating illness. This is why our journey doesn’t end there. We are enthusiastically participating in upcoming events such as the curry &…

Read Article

Our Ins and Outs of Marketing in 2024

We’re now coming towards the end of our second month in 2024 (HOW?!) giving us more clarity on how the marketing landscape will unfold throughout the rest of the year. Doing marketing in 2024 means trying to keep up with the ever-evolving world of digital marketing and its fast-paced trends, which is both exhausting and confusing. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of some emerging and re-emerging trends that look to dominate in the Year of the Dragon! 1. Short-form Video Takes the Throne In 2024, static imagery is so last season! You should use short-form video for everything digital marketing, ideally sprinkled with humour and on-trend vibes. Why? Because short videos are quicker to digest, readily shareable, quick to put together and you have an actual nano second to captivate a scroller.  Attention spans conquered, engagement won! 2. AI Utilised In-House 2023 laid the groundwork, but 2024 sees AI taking the throne. Daily releases of new models, such as Google’s new AI tool Gemini (formerly known as Bert, then BARD), AI creating more AI, and social platforms dancing with the tech – it’s an AI fiesta! 3. VR and AR Resurrected Thanks to Apple’s Vision Pro, Virtual Reality…

Read Article

Year-End Review – What We Have Achieved In 2023

As the year draws to a close, it’s time to reflect and celebrate the milestones, growth, and triumphs that have defined our journey at Click Through Digital over the past 12 months. 2023 has been a year filled with both personal and business achievements and exciting additions to our team, marking a new chapter in our evolution from Steve doing consultancy on his own from his kitchen table! Welcoming New Team Members One of the highlights of the end of the year was the addition of Sadie, our new and talented Marketing Manager, who has brought a fresh perspective and creativity to our strategies. Danny, our intern, also joined us, infusing our team with youthful energy (where do they find it?!) and of course his infectious eagerness to learn. We made such an impact that he’s now staying until well into 2024! Achievements On a personal level, as well as a business one, Mj, one of our marketing executives, achieved a distinction in her marketing course, showcasing the dedication and work ethic that has defined her time with us. We could not be prouder of the effort she has shown and huge congratulations Mj! You are going to go far!…

Read Article

We’re ready to help you grow your sales and leads online.

Built to perform. Smart digital that works. Drop us a message and let’s make it happen.

Get in touch