How to improve site speed on a mobile device

The second a potential customer lands on your website, they’ll be able to tell whether the experience will be a positive or a negative one. How do they do this so quickly? What do they base their decision on?

Your website’s speed.

But this isn’t just a desktop concern – in our mobile-first world with a sluggish mobile site, you can wave goodbye to potential customers. In fact, a mere two-second delay in page load can lead to a 53% bounce rate, and 80% of online shoppers say they wouldn’t return to a slow website. The stakes are high, and optimising your mobile site for speed is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.

Why mobile speed matters more than ever

Mobile web usage has surpassed desktop, accounting for over 50% of global internet traffic. This means the majority of your audience may be experiencing your brand through their smartphone. And on these smaller screens, with occasional unreliable connections, even the slightest sluggishness can be magnified.

A fast mobile site isn’t just about avoiding frustrated users and abandoned shopping carts. It impacts crucial metrics like SEO rankings, conversion rates, and brand perception. Google prioritises mobile friendliness and page speed in its search algorithms, meaning a slow site risks getting buried in the depths of search results. Additionally, faster loading times can lead to higher visitor engagement, improved conversion rates, and ultimately, greater brand loyalty.

How to improve mobile site speed

Now that we’ve established the critical importance of mobile speed, let’s dive into some concrete ways you can optimise your site for a lightning-fast mobile experience.

1. Choose a high-performance hosting provider

Your hosting provider serves as the foundation of your website’s performance. Opt for a reputable provider specialising in speed and optimised for mobile traffic.

Look for features like Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) that cache your website content closer to users, reducing load times across geographical locations. You should also look for clear metrics on the host’s uptime guarantees, average server response times, and their commitment to mobile-specific optimisation techniques.

2. Optimise images for mobile

Images are often the heaviest elements on a page, significantly impacting loading times. Resize images for mobile screens, compress them without sacrificing quality, and consider using next-gen image formats like WebP that offer superior compression with equal visual fidelity. The result will be a visually striking page that loads quickly.

3. Minify code and resources

Minification involves removing unnecessary whitespace, comments, and formatting from your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. This reduces their size, leading to faster downloads and rendering. Several online tools and plugins can automate this process for you if you’re unsure how to do it yourself.

4. Leverage caching mechanisms

Caching stores static website elements, like images and scripts, on users’ devices, eliminating the need to download them on every visit. This dramatically improves page load speeds for returning visitors.

5. Prioritise above-the-fold content

Content that users see when they first load a page is known as ‘above the fold’. It’s the part of the site they see without having to scroll, and could include a clear, captivating headline, a concise value proposition, or a prominent call to action. Every byte and millisecond counts, so prioritise the content that hooks users and keeps them engaged, leaving the rest to appear as they scroll further. Defer non-critical elements like animations or scripts to load later in the background. Doing so could help to minimise wait times.

6. Avoid feature overload

While bells and whistles might seem enticing, excessive plugins, scripts, and animations can weigh down your site and increase the time it takes to load. You could analyse what’s truly essential for your mobile experience and eliminate extraneous features that hog resources.

7. Implement Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

AMP is a Google-backed initiative that creates lightweight versions of web pages for faster loading on mobile devices. While not suitable for every website, AMP can be a valuable tool for content-heavy sites. The pages usually need to be created by web developers, though there is an official WordPress AMP plugin. To activate it, download the ZIP file via GitHub and upload it as a new plugin to WordPress.

8. Monitor and test regularly

Website performance is not a one-time fix. Use page speed tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse to measure your site’s performance regularly. Identify areas for improvement, test different optimisation strategies, and continuously refine your approach for optimal mobile speed.

Summary & final remarks

Optimising your mobile site for speed is an ongoing process, but the rewards are undeniable. By prioritising a fast, seamless mobile experience, you’ll not only boost your ranking, conversions, and user engagement, but also build a lasting brand reputation for performance and reliability.