Speed is more important for eCommerce sites than for any other type of online business. If your website doesn’t load in a few seconds, many of your customers are likely to leave. Try these tips to keep everything running smoothly and quickly.
Reduce Your Graphics
That beautiful animated holiday banner might look amazing, but it probably takes too much time to load. Speed up your website by compressing images and choosing design elements that are easy for browser to understand. Avoid animations, high definition photos, and content that isn’t immediately relevant to the products being sold.
Use Fewer Plugins
Many eCommerce sites use plugins to display product photos, show recommended items, or enhance certain aspects of the shopping experience. One or two plugins may help you website function, but an excessive amount of widgets will almost always slow things down. Many plugins rely on services from third-party providers; if their servers slow down, your site will too.
Test Your Site for Mobile Use
If your customers are trying to keep their holiday gifts secret, then there’s a good chance they will be shopping on a mobile phone. Check your site for compatibility with as many mobile devices as possible. Make sure that the pages look good, are easy to use, and load quickly.
Check with Your Hosting Provider
Is your website prepared to handle the extra holiday traffic? An increase in visitors can usually solved with more server space. Whether you’re using a normal hosting service or a content delivery network, talk to your provider about upgrading your plan to meet your new data needs.
Consult with the Professionals
From coding errors to excessive graphics, there are many reasons that your eCommerce site might be slow to load. If you’re worried about losing customers this holiday season, get in touch with us - we’ll be happy to review your site and make a professional recommendation.