Why Speed Matters

First impressions count and people are primed for instant gratification. If your website is slow, your visitors will bounce, search engines will pass over you, and you could lose out on potential connections and customers.

Here’s how you can ensure your site runs like a beautiful machine.
(I’m going to reference some Squarespace steps, as it is my website builder of choice, but these tips should be helpful across the board)

Key Strategies to Optimize Your Site for Speed

OPTIMIZE IMAGES

Large, bulky images could be slowing down your website. Use a free online image compressor, like TinyPNG, to make sure your images load quickly when someone pops on to your site. Just make sure you aren’t sacrificing quality when you downsize your images (say NO to pixelated/blurry images).

MINIMIZE USE OF CUSTOM CODE

Excessive custom code can slow down your site. Stick to the features and blocks provided by Squarespace as much as possible. If you must use custom code, make sure it is clean and optimized.

ENABLE AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

AMP makes your blog posts load faster on mobile devices. To turn this on in Squarespace, Go to Settings > Blogging > AMP and turn on AMP to create faster-loading versions of your blog posts.

USE LIGHTWEIGHT FONTS

Custom fonts can add extra load time. Use web-safe fonts or Google Fonts that are optimized for the web. Try to limit the number of different fonts and weights used on your site.

REDUCE REDIRECTS

Each redirect creates additional HTTP requests and delays. Keep your URL structure clean and avoid unnecessary redirects. Check for broken links and fix them asap.

OPTIMIZE CONTENT

Overly complex layouts can slow down page load times. Focus on clean, simple designs. Avoid using too many overlapping blocks or excessive animations. Remember KISS (Keep it simple, silly!)

ENABLE CACHING

Caching stores parts of your website in a visitor’s browser, so it loads faster on subsequent visits. Squarespace automatically uses caching, but other platforms may not (or may, always best to check!)

Bonus Tips for a Speedy Squarespace Site

LIMIT THE USE OF HEAVY FEATURES

Features like complex forms or heavy third-party integrations can slow down your site- Use them sparingly.

KEEP PLUGINS TO A MEDIUM

While Squarespace doesn’t have plugins like WordPress, avoid excessive third-party integrations that could slow down your site.

REGULARLY UPDATE CONTENT

Ensure your text, images, and other content are up-to-date and optimized.

MONITOR PERFORMANCE

Use tools like SEMRush to regularly check your site’s speed and identify areas to work on.

Think of your website like a constant project in motion. Unlike your social accounts, you have full and total control of it. Optimizing your site for speed will help it perform at its best - it could lead to more brand recognition, more connections, and more sales.

Cheers,

- Katie Mont