How Big is Too Big When it Comes to Custom Web Design?


When it comes to websites, size does make a big difference. Smaller websites download faster for those who request them online. The size of a website is determined by physical file sizes and not actual sizes of the page appearing on the screen.

Given that every second counts while downloading the web-page, custom web design teams focus on optimal size rather than cumbersome sites that are hard to load. The abandonment rates of web pages, according to research, happens only after seconds of waiting time. Internet surfers are impatient when clicking a link, so when websites slow almost instantaneously, viewers don’t hesitate to press the back button.

  • Why Big Sites Create Big Problems?

Web pages typically comprise elements like the HTML code, style sheets, images, JavaScript, media such as video, flash, audio etc. as well as custom fonts. Apart from typically small HTML codes and style sheet codes, the file size of remaining elements can be large depending on how web pages have been developed.

JavaScript contains plenty of functions to make up special features of the website such as rotating banners, form validations, hover-overs and pop-ups. JavaScript can take up file size, especially for ecommerce sites with bespoke functionalities. It can be a challenge to reduce size without breaking functionalities, without the expertise of a web design team.

Images can vary depending on size, quality, and file type. Web pages without a vast number of images can perform badly from the conversion point of view. But webpages that need detailed imagery must have graphics optimised for quick page loading speeds. Video encoding methods like MPEGs crunch data under specific conditions. Additionally, custom fonts are bigger in size, if different weights and styles are added.

  • How Custom Design Can Help

A web page is oversized, when images and text are too cumbersome and large in file size. Image optimisation and simple copies are the keys to success. Web pages can use gigantic images and then tell browsers to shrink it down so it looks awesome in design, without impacting website speed.

Getting rid of massive banner or background images that are over-elaborate is also important. Using plain backgrounds or removing banners can impact conversion rates, too so split testing is advisable. Adjust the quality of the images, remove unnecessary metadata and focus on reducing image size. Graphics contain  plenty of hidden data like SLR camera settings and geo-locations. Using image sprites also helps.

  • What is the Perfect Website Size?

So, how much is too big when it comes to custom web design? The ideal web page size has no consensus. Even if one gets closer to the answer for certain websites, answers will change across time as attitudes and technologies change. The ideal website size depends on contents one has to show and the audience one has. Reducing website size can speed up download times, but it should not impact conversion rates, as the number of visitors who convert to customers matter, too.

Additionally, webpage size is important for mobile phone users as many of them will be on slow networks or have unreliable Wi-Fi signals. While faster broadband and download speeds will make bigger websites less of a problem later, now slow-loading web pages have a negative impact on SEO as Google penalises slow sites. So, custom web design focuses on optimising site size, rather than focusing on how big a site is.
making the site one that converts and does not compromise on conversion or functionality.

Popular posts from this blog

Why Pathwwway Partners Leading Businesses Worldwide

How to Tap Internet Marketing Services For Generating Revenue

How A Party Planning Business Can Apply Customer Retention Management Techniques