15 Ways To Improve Website Performance

By Author: AKM
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One of the primary ways for potential customers to find you is through your website. However, if it is slow, clunky, or otherwise unimpressive, it does not reflect well on your company. Worse, poor sites are increasingly likely to be penalized in Google search results, resulting in decreased traffic, leads, and sales. So, how do you improve the performance of your website by web design company Kolkata in search and in the eyes of your customers?

1. Pay attention to your website accessibility
Your website should be accessible to the widest possible audience, including those with limited vision, hearing, or mobility. Follow best practices in accessibility, such as prioritizing text clarity and enabling keyboard navigation throughout. Make sure your image alt text isn't just keywords; it should primarily help those who use screen readers describe an image. Remember to subtitle your videos if you make them.

2. Create the right content
Your website must contain interesting content that describes what you do, who you do it for, and how you do it better than your competitors. Ensure that all written content ...
... is useful and that you have addressed all of the questions that visitors are likely to have. Check and update your written content on a regular basis, and use a blog to demonstrate your in-house expertise. Where appropriate, add high-quality images and video to pages.

3. Implement an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) programme
The higher your search engine ranking, the more traffic you will receive. In your site copy, headings, and titles, you must include relevant keywords. Add alt text to image files, and use custom metadata such as snippets where appropriate. Use tools such as Google Search Console to identify problems, repair broken links, and optimize your website for mobile devices. Use plugins like Yoast to help you identify and improve your website. However, don't overdo the keyword density; remember, you're writing for people, not robots.

4. Make it easy for people to navigate your website
Users will quickly become frustrated if they can't easily navigate your site. Products, Services, About Us, and Contact should be prominent in the menus. You can assist users by providing a clickable breadcrumb trail and using metadata such as tags or categories. If you have a large or complex site, include a search function and remember to submit a sitemap to Google.

5. Analyse, understand, and use your data
Metrics are critical for understanding how visitors interact with your site and why they leave. Examine your website to determine which pages have the highest bounce and conversion rates. Use successful pages to figure out why others fail. Perhaps their content is weak or optimized for the wrong keywords - people will leave if they don't find what they're looking for on Google. Consider the customer journey and ensure that each page assists people in progressing to the next stage.

6. Minimise cumulative layout shift (CLS)
A layout shift occurs when the design elements of a web page shift as the content loads. Users find it distracting and annoying, and since the Core Web Vitals update, pages with a low score have been penalized in search results. Reduce shift by giving images and other page elements height and width attributes. The Google Pagespeed Insights tool can be used to review your Core Web Vitals.

7. Lower the first input delay (FID)
Another important user experience metric targeted by the Core Web Vitals update is FID. It is the time it takes for a page to respond to a user's first input, such as clicking a 'view more' button. Long delays are inconvenient for users and increase bounce rates. High FIDs will relegate you to the bottom of the search results. Reduce the use of rich content and JavaScript in them.

8. Shorten the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
The time it takes to render the largest on-page element, such as an image or video, is the final element in the Core Web Vitals update. By keeping this as low as possible, you can improve performance and search rankings. Use rich content sparingly, avoid large files, and make sure images are appropriately sized.

9. Focus on site speed
Don't underestimate the value of a fast website by web development company Kolkata. Quicker sites provide a more positive user experience, lowering bounce rates and increasing the likelihood of return visits - or that transactions are completed in a single visit. Web hosting speed is critical, but it is not the only factor to consider. Keep in mind that some users may be using mobile phones with a poor data signal. Make certain that your images and content are appropriately optimized.

10. Remove unused plugins
Still on the topic of speed, you can improve website performance by removing outdated plugins and apps. Examine your site for legacy and unused technology. If you rely on integration with another service, such as a finance system, ensure that the systems communicate effectively and can handle peak visitor demand.

11. Focus on security
Updating your web software, plugins, and apps is critical not only for fast and reliable performance, but also for security. An insecure and outdated website, as well as lax data control policies and procedures, endangers the security of your company and its customers. A data breach can have severe financial and reputational consequences, but even minor errors, such as an expired certificate, can undermine customer trust.

12. Optimise your e-commerce platform
If you sell online, you must give your web store the same attention as the rest of your website. Make the most of SEO and UX optimizations on e-commerce platforms to streamline and support the customer journey. It's also critical to optimize a WooCommerce web store - use best practices to ensure customers can achieve their objectives.

13. Marketing and lead capture
Every retailer understands the value of assisting a window shopper. The same thing can be done on the web to engage leads and convert them into customers. Innovative businesses track, capture, and follow up on leads using inbound marketing platforms or plugins. Tools enable you to target first-time and returning visitors with relevant content or offers, increasing conversions and maximizing the value of each visit.

14. Use social media
After search engines, social media can be one of the most important drivers of website traffic, so it is worthwhile to invest time and effort in it. Create a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube and build a following by commenting on industry news, promoting your company's content, or sharing photos or videos of your work or products. Include a link to the appropriate product or landing page on your website by website design company Kolkata whenever possible.

15. Ask your customers!
Finally, nothing beats good old-fashioned customer feedback. Inquire about visitors' and customers' experiences - what was good or bad, but most importantly, how easy it was for them to get what they wanted. Inquire as to what they wished they could do but couldn't. Pay attention to the responses and put common complaints to rest.

Conclusion
To summarize, there could be a variety of reasons why your website isn't producing the desired results. However, if you improve the content and accessibility of your website, address performance issues, and target problematic metrics, your performance should improve quickly.
Concentrate on the customer journey, engaging each visitor with inbound marketing tools—audit what works and what doesn't. Repair what needs to be repaired and do more of what you do well!