If you run a business, your inbox is probably bombarded with offers that promise to revolutionize your web platforms. There are countless apps and services on the market to enhance your website, and the sheer volume of options can be overwhelming.
Sometimes, though, it’s the more subtle, strategic choices that make the most impact. We’ll take a look at two vital strategies to boost your website’s performance without a massive overhaul.
Think of your website as an organism that needs regular care as it grows and ages, rather than a static tool you can forget about once it’s set up.
Staying on top of regular updates is a good start. This doesn’t take much effort beyond periodic check-ins to ensure website plugins are up to date and still supported by the developer. Consistent updates are like good website hygiene. They support basic — but important — things like bug fixes, speed, functionality, and security.
Content management system (CMS) upgrades, on the other hand, require more initiative from you, but can provide more substantial improvements to your site’s performance. Version upgrades often include entirely new features and integrations, improved interoperability, or an enhanced User Interface (UI).
Proactively upgrading your CMS can also ensure that you have more comprehensive support and documentation from vendors. If you’re running an older version of Wordpress, for example, you may only have access to less efficient plugins that aren’t being updated anymore.
Do your homework about potential benefits and compatibility concerns, and prepare for a bit of a learning curve. Then, make sure you backup your vital data beforehand to avoid data loss in case there’s an issue along the way.
Periodic module audits can also go a long way to keep your site running smoothly. Application modules are packages of code that each perform specific functions on your website. These essential strings of code are contained in modules so they can be easily handled and arranged without breaking your website’s functionality.
Any given module should perform one specific task well, such as logging into the platform, managing data, or processing payments. You won’t get a notification if a particular module is bogging things down, though, so it’s important to run diagnostics from time to time.
If this isn’t realistic for your team to manage internally, getting a professional to audit your systems is always an option.
In recent years, it’s become increasingly important to center the overall experience users have on your platform. Effective User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design isn’t just a nice-to-have feature anymore. These elements encapsulate the visual appeal, navigability, and interactive experience of your site.
There are dozens of UX/UI trends you might tap into, depending on your industry. Generally, though, the goal is to engage your audience quickly and make it as easy as possible to access the information they need. Your site’s organizational structure, text, images, and opportunities to interact should all work together toward this goal.
Website loading speed is an important factor, especially on mobile. Fast websites are more likely to retain users, while slow ones achieve the opposite. Even a few seconds can make a difference between retaining customers and having them bounce.
To load a site, browsers need to make multiple HTTP requests from the server for various assets, such as scripts, CSS files, and images. Usually, it requires dozens of such requests, which can slow down the overall load time for a page.
Look into metrics such as Core Web Vitals, Time to First Byte, and DNS lookup speed. These will indicate where optimization may be beneficial. Consider using tools like Pingdom or Google PageSpeed Insights to identify what you can change to improve website performance. Both tools are available for free.
SEMRush Site Audit is another useful tool for finding areas for improvement. It can help you discover issues such as HTML-heavy pages, SEO issues, large images, duplicate content, and much more.
Micro-interactions are a simple but effective way to keep your audience engaged and improve their experience. The Interaction Design Foundation defines these as task-based interactions. They give feedback or responses to user actions, giving subtle cues about how to use a product.
Micro-interactions you’ve probably seen include:
Progress bars to indicate loading times.
Autocomplete suggestions when you’re using a search bar.
The three dots that appear when another person is typing a response.
As with many aspects of good UX/UI design, less is more. You can leverage these small details to communicate your brand’s personality, and provide information in its simplest, most straightforward form.