Basic Ways To Speed Up Your Web Site

[WindAndWater 0]

I'd argue that there are many more cases where GIFs are useful. GIFs in most cases produce similar quality and file size images as 8-bit PNGs. 24-bit PNGs are much better quality, especially when reproducing gradients, but they're also much larger in file size.

I recommend against using GIFs for two reasons. First, it only supports a 256 color palette, which means if you want to post something like a photograph, or indeed anything outside of those 256 colors, it has to try to compensate with dithering (basically sticking some of those 256 colors together to try to simulate your color). Secondly, it's a patented format, which doesn't affect the usability that much, but does keep bearing in mind. Edited April 2, 2006 by WindAndWater (see edit history)

[Tyssen 0]

First, it only supports a 256 color palette, which means if you want to post something like a photograph, or indeed anything outside of those 256 colors, it has to try to compensate with dithering.

Well obviously if you're talking about a photograph you're not even going to be considering a GIF in the first place. But the vast majority of icons, buttons etc on the web still use GIF format so I find it unusual that someone would recommend not using it.

[antwill 0]

Wow thanks for posting all this, it is very, very helpfull especially since i am developing a website and the amount of graphics i am thinking of using may limit the people that can view my site. So i am very glad that you have gone to the trouble and posted this precious information. But an interesting feature of Microsoft Frontpage 2003 is that it can tell you how long your page will take to load and for what speed internet connection. I am not sure whether or not Dreamweaver allows you to do this but i definatly know Frontpage can do this.

[Tyssen 0]

I am not sure whether or not Dreamweaver allows you to do this but i definatly know Frontpage can do this.

There are free online tools that can do it for you too - don't need to buy software.

[jlhaslip 4]

I just ran this site: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ through both of them and scored .59 seconds on the first check and 1.77 seconds @ 56k on the second link (.44 sec @ T1), so I'm happy with that. Of course, it is a bare working template with no graphics, so I expected it to to good.

[moldboy 0]

the vast majority of icons, buttons etc on the web still use GIF format so I find it unusual that someone would recommend not using it.

In fact the buttons on this very forum are .gif.
Also someone said that with a flash site it can load a little slower, true but still try to keep the load time under 30 seconds, trust me I'm on dialup, I know flash sites look good, but they are very, very, very annoying. Especialy when the flash is used for something that could be done with CSS, like color changing text, on mouseover.

One more tip, try to avoid Java, and PDF both take time to load, and can serously slow down a browser/computer.

[williamm 0]

There are some basic ways that i have learned in the past to speed up your site. if you have graphics on your site use a program like photoshop to size them down. and bring the resolution down to about 72. Makes it where the site dont take ages to load up. Keep everything organized in the coding. Messy coding leave trails off to something that isnt there and takes that time to look for it. Orgainze your folders. make sure everything is neat and in order in names. No music its annoying and takes alot of time loading it on the server. NO GAMES. that takes up alot of bandwith on the servers there for slows your site down. I see alot of people asking how to put games on their site. you dont need them they are jsut a waste of space. You need information, small graphics. o and dont use images and backgrounds for site you have a desktop on your computer for that no need for it. Take this from a web designer its annoying rebuilding sites for people that have that crap on there.

[anwiii 17]

can't believe nobody suggested pre loading your second level pages. takes up bandwidth....but if bandwidth isn't a problem, your pages have the capability of popping up instantaneously. speeding up a web pages load time is still very important since i believe most people still use dialup and visitors will just click the X to exit out of a slow loading web page

[jrankin3 0]

can't believe nobody suggested pre loading your second level pages. takes up bandwidth....but if bandwidth isn't a problem, your pages have the capability of popping up instantaneously.
speeding up a web pages load time is still very important since i believe most people still use dialup and visitors will just click the X to exit out of a slow loading web page

If your second level pages are rather big, IMO, it isn't worth it, because your bandwidth would get used rather quickly.

I was looking at the first post, and wondering, "Where would it be useful to nest tables?" I've personally never seen a website that nested tables.

[jlhaslip 4]

I was looking at the first post, and wondering, "Where would it be useful to nest tables?" I've personally never seen a website that nested tables.

Nested Tables are old school Web Design. Tables should not be used for the structure of a page anymore. CSS is the Future of Web Design.

[Saint_Michael 3]

Actually tables are making a slight comeback, especially when displaying data from a MySQL table and what not, but in general design sure there is no need for the use of tables.

[pasten 0]

Actually tables are making a slight comeback, especially when displaying data from a MySQL table and what not, but in general design sure there is no need for the use of tables.

Although tables did make a comeback with the development of CMS and other templating scripts, because it was easier for the developers to code the visual part of the script using tables. But now CSS is again pushing tables away into the dark. One good example is Joomla!, CMS which uses MySQL database. It doesn't use tables for structuring anywhere.