The bane of the Mobile Web, slow loading websites

Websites that download within the blink of an eye are those that do more business, that’s the universal truth. Not only do they convey a sense of professionalism but also save time. On the other hand websites that take more than 5-10 seconds to download receive significantly less traffic. The issue has again cropped up with the increasing use of Mobile web.

Mobile Web, the future of the Internet


The Mobile Web has added a new dimension to the reach of the Internet. It is steadily gaining ground with the increase in use of devices like smart phones and tablet PCs. The Mobile web domain though has to deal with several usability issues. Users frequently complain of browsers freezing or error message coming up and incorrect site formatting which makes it impossible to read or view anything.

The problem had been addressed to a certain extent thanks to the initiatives taken by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). For example the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) has made it easier to establish standards and provide a common platform for web developers. However the problem continues to bog mobile web users to a certain extent at present.

The major reasons that cause websites to load slowly are

1. Internet connectivity speed
2. Design and size of website pages
3. Lack of browser and operating system flexibility

Wireless vs. hard-wired connections

A broadband or even a dial-up connection in most cases is faster than a wireless one and not vice versa as is the popular belief. Also usage at peak hours like in the evenings will cause websites to download slowly, especially where visits are more frequent. Website owners need to ensure their website is optimized for mobile usage irrespective of the type of connection used or peak hour accessibility.


Optimize according to your goals

The first thing is to ensure that your website content is optimized as per your requirement. If your website goals can be better served by a static text-only website then inserting images would not be recommended. Images though aesthetically pleasing also add to the website download time. The small display screens of mobile handsets prove to be another hindrance due to limited resolution. Judicious use of images like thumbnail pics in Ecommerce sites help in getting the message across to visitors without compromising on download time.

Simplicity is the key

A website unnecessarily crammed with animation and features will test a website user’s patience more often than not. If it all it becomes necessary to have a large amount of text and images, web pages should be compressed for optimum downloading time.

Proper designing also helps the site to be displayed correctly in the mobile web format. Websites built using table-less HTML elements often load quicker as compared to those built using conventional tables. Caching is another process which ensures popular web pages are quickly rendered by browsers. The caching facility stores certain website files that are pre-marked by web developers, saving considerable download time.

Eye to the future

Different browsers, technologies and operating systems all add to the difficulties of making Mobile web a more streamlined platform. These interoperability issues can best be resolved by a concerted effort on the part of web application tool vendors, content providers, handset manufacturers, browser vendors and mobile operators.

Peter Willis writes about website design and the future of web development for Dharne & Co. If you need to redesign your website or get it optimized visit our website for more details.