You already know that having a beautiful looking website is important. You want to give potential customers a great first impression of your company right? Of course you do, but this should never come at the cost of having a slow website. With a slow website you run the risk of your user not even hanging around for the first page to load, let alone navigating through multiple pages to purchase something or make an enquiry. Research shows that page abandonment increases with every passing second. If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, 40% of visitors will have already left (Kissmetrics).

Obviously the most important factor when it comes to website load times is the user’s internet connection. Unfortunately we can’t control this aspect, but there are a few things you can control on your website to make sure your website loads as fast as possible for everyone.
 

1. Responsive design

Designing a website for mobile first has multiple benefits, one of which is speed. We’ve talked before about the importance of having a website optimised for mobile. The simple fact of the matter is that the overwhelming majority of people are now using mobile devices to access the internet. This can cause issues with loading speeds, as WiFi internet is slower than a wired connection and 3g/4g data connections aren’t always the most stable. A website tailored for viewing on a desktop computer is only going to exacerbate speed issues. It’s for this reason that current website trends dictate a heavy focus on the mobile experience first and foremost.
 

2. Optimise images

One of the most common reasons for websites to load slowly is the size of images on the page. Of course, images are a very important component and shouldn’t just be removed. They help to tell a story and break up large blocks of text. They are also a fantastic tool to display your products and services. The trick is to use them effectively so they look tidy and professional while also loading quickly. The best way to do this is to make sure that all your images are well optimised. There a number of things you can do to achieve this: you can crop them, resize them, use thumbnails, etc. While it is important to make sure your images are of a decent quality, huge images are going to load slowly. Find an appropriate balance between file size and image resolution.
 

3. Reduce clicks

Each page on your website should have a specific goal that is able to be completed with as few clicks as possible. Don’t lead potential customers on a treasure hunt around your website to get what they want. Every time they click a link, more content is going to have to load, slowing the process down. There are exceptions of course, say if you want to link to an article on your blog with more information, or a high resolution image gallery. In general though, try to avoid this by keeping all the information on one page. If you are worried that there is too much information on the one page, break it up into easily understood sections with headlines to describe each. That way, those that need the information will be able to find it easily, but it won’t distract those who are just looking to complete a transaction as quickly as possible.
 

4. Limit objects on your page

All the various image and text components you have on  your page should be limited to absolutely what is necessary. For every object to download on your visitor's computer, a request has to be sent to the server, processed, and then sent back to the user. Too many objects on your page can increase the time it takes for the whole page to display. On the flip side, you don’t want just one big object with all your text and images in it either.That will force the visitor to stare at a blank screen while waiting for one large object to load. Those first crucial seconds of attention will have been wasted. That's why you still need to have separate blocks of information when you layout your page. That way the parts of your page which are smaller in size will load first (which is usually the text on your website) and your visitor will have something to be engaged with while waiting for the whole web page to load. Keep this in mind when deciding on content for your web page. 
 

5. Avoid auto-playing audio/video

I’m sure most of you are asking ‘Do you really have to keep saying this?’. The answer is yes. Zeald still get requests to add automatically playing music or video to websites, and we still have to explain why it just isn’t a good idea. Always give your website visitor the choice to load up a video or music file on your website. If your video loads automatically every time someone lands on your page, not only will it add to the load time of the page but it will also ruin the usability of your website. There is nothing more annoying than having to listen to the same music or video the 5th time I've landed on your page. Even YouTube gives users the choice to load up videos or music, even though the entire purpose of the site is to provide video entertainment.


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1. Having no website (or having an old one)

2. No responsive design

3. Ignoring metrics

Traffic sources

Bounce rate

Exit pages

Page views

Visits/Unique visitors

4. No call to action

 

5. Trying too hard

 

6. Using social media unnecessarily 

 

Agile vs Waterfall

In any project, no matter the industry, there are a series of steps that have to be taken before arriving at a final outcome. These steps will all follow a certain methodology, whether that’s intentional or not. In the software industry, the most common two methodologies are agile and waterfall.

 

What is waterfall methodology?

Waterfall methodology is the traditional approach to software development and put simply, looks like this:



As you can see, waterfall methodology follows a linear path from concept to product. Everything is planned out at the start, giving a clear schedule for the design and build phases. Upon completion, testing is done of the final product as a whole. 
 

Advantages

• A good record of events is kept. Every time a major task is finished, it can be approved and noted down as ‘complete’.
• Client expectations are usually fulfilled. The plan is presented to the client beforehand, so everyone knows exactly what is going to happen.
• In case of employee turnover, there is minimal project impact. The linear methodology means new staff can pick up where old staff left off. Good recording of the project supports this also.

Disadvantages

• Poor overall quality. As the deadline looms, tasks left for later become rushed and quality suffers as a result. This also leaves less time for testing, meaning overall quality is compromised.
• Poor visibility. Tasks may take longer than expected, but you won’t know until you get to them. Clients may not be able to see a product until it is finished.
• Can’t handle change. Once one task is complete, staff will move on to the next piece. Changing a previous part of the project will result in major delays, as it will affect each subsequent piece.
• Waterfall methodology is risky. Testing after the project is completed is asking for trouble. If a bug is found in a task that was completed early, it could have ramifications for each piece of the project down the line.

Appropriate for:

• When both parties are in agreement and have a clear picture of what the final product should look like.
• When clients are unable to make changes to the project as it is developed.
• When clearly defined processes and products are the final goal, rather than getting the project finished quickly.

What is agile methodology?

Agile methodology is the modern approach to software development and put simply, looks like this:

With agile methodology, we divide the project into smaller chunks and test at the end of each  phase. There can be multiple phases in progress at the same time.
 

Advantages

• Overall quality is improved. Each task is tested whenever possible. This ensures everything works correctly.
• Visibility is improved. Clients can see the product evolve as a whole, as each task develops.
• Easier to adapt to change. Due to increased visibility, everyone involved can see potential mistakes, and request changes while the task is being worked on.
• Easy to add features. If a new product is requested, work can begin on it straight away in conjunction with other aspects of the project. 
• Fewer bugs. Constant testing means bugs are fixed as you go.
• Usually runs to schedule. Because the products are tested so thoroughly with agile, the product could be launched at the end of any cycle. As a result, it’s more likely to reach its launch date.

Disadvantages

• Needs reliable staff. With a bad project manager, the project can become delayed or run over budget.
• Final product may differ from original plan. Due to the agile methodology, the finished product may look different to the original plan. The upside is that this is usually made clear during development.

Appropriate for:

• When speed of delivery is a priority.
• When clients are able to make changes on the fly.
• When you have many skilled staff that can all work independently and adapt to new situations.
• When the industry is prone to rapid change.

Why does Zeald use agile ?

Zeald uses agile methodology as it has become standard for the industry. We believe the benefits outlined above are extremely valuable and outweigh the benefits of waterfall methodology. Building a website is not like building a house, you don’t have to wait for the foundations to be built before tackling the interior. An agile approach means we can start working on all digital aspects of your business at the same time. Our digital marketing experts can begin keyword research for search engine optimisation at the same time as our developers put together your online store and our designers create the website layout. 

Agile methodology helps us to give you greater clarity on the project as it develops. This means greater flexibility and maneuverability around a project that is constantly evolving, like a website for your business. If you think your online efforts could be assisted by Zeald's agile approach, please request a free website audit.