Fast Loading Websites
As more internet users subscribe to DSL and high speed cable, slow-loading sites are becoming less problematic. Nevertheless, any opportunity to make a site quick to download should be implemented. There are still many users with dial-up connections and you can't afford to lose any potential traffic. Besides, the average time a user is willing to wait for a page to display, without feedback, is 10 seconds.
Download Speed
When you visit a web page, your computer must download all the files and graphics associated with it. As the total amount of supporting files in a page goes up, the total "weight" (size) of the page increases. Great designers try to keep their pages lean. This page, for example, is only 27 kilobytes total (HTML, objects, images and CSS combined). The entire page should load in less than 6 seconds on any 56KBps connection, and a little under 3 seconds for any faster connection speed.
Speed Matters
Yahoo, at one time, was a more popular search engine than Google when their site was simple. Yahoo's pages are so busy now, they have slipped below Google in popularity as a preferred search tool. Google.com is one of the most successful search engine sites on the Internet. Google's success, for the most part, can be attributted to the fact that it is fast loading, easy to use and uncomplicated.
Factors That Influence Load Time
(from slow to fast)• Movies
• Animation
• Sound
• Photos
• Complex Graphics
• Simple Graphics
• Page Text
Text adds virtually no weight to a page. The more you can accomplish with text and simple graphics, the faster your site will load.
Design With a Purpose
Keep your pages light and fast. If your business is travel or entertainment, then a site with Flash animation and sound may be appropriate, but it should still be kept as lean as possible. The most effective way to ensure a fast loading site is by implementing CSS while designing for a purpose, keeping your audience in mind, staying focused on your business and making the site user-friendly.