A slow loading website can hinder the success of your website. The following explains "what makes my website load slowly?" 

Does it Matter?
Yes it does matter. A slow loading website is a frustrating occurrence that visitors do not appreciate. It is believed that if your site has not loaded within 4 seconds people will leave. If the site loads slowly you will have a large bounce rate, where visitors enter and exit on the same page. The result is less traffic, no repeat visitors, decreased popularity, no advertisers and no profit. Thus slow loading is detrimental to a website.

What Makes My Website Load Slowly?
There are a number of reasons why your website loads slowly. It can be caused by your hosting company, website design or the user's internet connection. Some of the reasons for a slow loading website include:

1. The use of too much Flash technology (i.e. interactivity and animation).
2. Website coding errors.
3. Large images that have not been resized or cropped.
4. Excessive use of images or large images.
5. Web pages that have not been compressed.
6. The use of too much flash screens.
7. Very long pages can cause the site to load slowly.
8. The use of external media, such as slideshows, audio files and videos.
9. The use of background music.
10. The presence of pop up screens.
11. If the site has a lot of nestled tables or tables.
12. Too much SPAM on the website.
13. If there are too many RSS feeds on the website.
14. Issues with the web hosting company.
15. Shopping websites are database driven, which can make the site load slowly.
16. If there is a problem with the server computer.
17. If there is a problem with a users computer.
18. If too many windows are open on the user's computer.
19. If the user has a slow internet connection.
20. If the user's software is not updated.

 

Optimise Your Site
The chances are you are familiar with the importance and benefits of having a website. That's why you have a website. Unfortunately your site will not reach its potential by loading slowly. The reality is that sites cannot afford to take 10 seconds to load. Contact us, for our expertise on website design, hosting and web audits. Our experienced web team can design an effective website to suit your needs. They also provide a website audit to evaluate your site.

Conclusion
There are different reasons why a website loads slowly. Once aware of the reasons that cause your site to load slowly, it is important to rectify them as soon as possible.