Is it that the Internet is getting slower or we are the ones getting impatient?
A lot of people these days complain about slow loading websites, Internet pages, slow download etc., but most times it is blamed on the individual’s Internet network. While this might be true sometimes, it is not entirely your internet provider’s fault. There might be another explanation for this issue, so you should stop blaming your Internet provider now.
According to CNN, the reason behind the constantly reducing Internet speed has to do with the significant increase of websites on the Internet featuring webpages with heavy-sized images, videos, embedded content, codes and other things. This heavy contents is said to be the major contributor to slower Internet loading times.
According to Digital Trends, the average site now has a size of up to 2.1MB—a whopping 100% increase from the size of websites just three years ago.
No wonder it takes longer for us to get results on the Internet!
Of course, new technology is matching this phenomenon megabyte for megabyte, making it possible for us to download files faster with VPN Download software and connecting to the Internet through 4G, wireless networks.
The following are three of the reasons some websites on the Internet are slow:
1. Unoptimized Images
Large megabytes of unoptimized images are one of the main culprits of a slow Internet. While full-sized images look cool, they consume a lot of bandwidth causing the site to slow down. We should all do our part in making the Internet faster by taking our time to resize images that we upload on our websites and blogs. You should edit the image by finding the feature that allows you to edit its height and width. Be sure to proportionally scale the image so it doesn’t look stretched.
2. Too Much Flashy Ads
Another reason some websites are slow are the flashing ads, as they slow down the speed, making for bad user experience. Fancy or flashy isn’t always fun when you are trying to increase speed. To make your browsing experience smoother and less distracting, you can download an ad blocker on your phone and computer to stop unnecessary ads. This will make your Internet improve.
3. External Embedded Media
Another major issue that is clogging up websites and generally slowing down the Internet is external media usage. Embedding videos and slideshows on sites slows down the loading speed of the site. It is better to host all content on your own server or better still—try not to embed other people’s videos and content on your site.
There are other reasons why the Internet is slow besides websites such as browser type, network congestion, and the number of other tabs you have open.
However, if you are a blogger or you run a website or business page, it would be better if you cleaned up your website and upped your speed. Don’t take any chances because the slower a web page loads, the more likely your audience and consumers will leave to check out your competitor’s website.
Here is a checklist of how to improve your website speed:
- Resize your images
- Reduce image quality
- Change image format
- Remove or reduce flashy ads
- Minimize media embedded from other sources
- Store media on your own server(s)
By using these steps, you’re more likely to increase viewership and potentially gain more leads, increasing your business prospects.
One of the best steps in doing this is to identify what is causing your website to slow down and take action to remedy it by following these tips.
Has your Internet and website been slowing down recently?
Featured photo credit: Adriana Lee via google.com.ng
