In today’s fast-paced digital world, website speed can make or break your online success. Did you know that a 1-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% drop in conversions? When I first started working on AskDoGood.com, my site was dragging with over 4 MB of resources, and the load time was painfully slow, especially on mobile. But after diving into my PageSpeed Insights report and making some critical changes, I reduced my site’s load time by a whopping 60%! Here’s how I did it, and how you can too.
1. Trim Unused JavaScript
One of the biggest culprits behind slow load times on my website was the excess JavaScript, especially unused scripts. I managed to reduce 2.7 MB of unused JavaScript, which came from third-party widgets like embedded Vimeo videos and Mailchimp forms. These scripts were bloating my site without providing much value. By deferring non-essential JavaScript and only loading it when necessary, I was able to trim the fat and improve the overall speed of my site.
Pro Tip: Audit your website for any unused scripts and defer or remove them to see an instant boost in speed.
2. Limit Third-Party Resources
While third-party tools and widgets can add functionality, they often come with a cost—slower load times. For example, using Podium’s chat widget or Vimeo’s video player can be responsible for up to 17% of your site’s weight! I decided to minimize my reliance on these third-party scripts and, for the ones I needed, I made sure they were loaded asynchronously. This step alone improved my page load time by 15%.
Pro Tip: Always question if third-party widgets are worth the performance hit. Load only what’s necessary and asynchronously when possible.
3. Use Lazy Loading
One of the most impactful changes I made was implementing lazy loading for images and videos. Instead of loading all content at once, lazy loading ensures that images and videos only load as they come into view. This strategy prevented large media files from slowing down my initial page load and improved perceived load time by over 20%.
Pro Tip: Implement lazy loading on all large media files. Your users will only load the content they need, and your page will feel faster instantly.
Results at a Glance
Here’s a snapshot of the improvements I made to AskDoGood.com:
- Unused JavaScript reduced: From 2.7 MB to under 1 MB.
- Page load time improvement: From 6 seconds to under 3 seconds.
- Potential conversion boost: Up to 14%, as faster websites directly lead to better user experience.
Conclusion: Speed Up for Success
If your website feels sluggish, it’s time to clean up those heavy scripts and defer the ones that aren’t necessary. In today’s world, where user attention is fleeting, a fast website can mean the difference between success and abandonment. Ready to start your own speed optimization journey? Test your website with PageSpeed Insights and see where you can make improvements.
