Using CSS to Minimize Page Load Time

Using CSS to Minimize Page Load Time

Using an external style sheet will keep many of your design elements on a single common page. This prevents pages from looking jagged due to slightly different layout specifications between one page and the next. In addition, keeping layout code separate from content will decrease page load time.

When users navigate from one page to another they will not need to reload the design elements of the page again since the style sheet will already be in their cache. Most typical web users expect pages to download within 8-10 seconds at the max. The longer a person waits for a page to download, the more likely they are to have their stream of thought interrupted.

Flash is Evil

There are many reasons why huge Flash files are evil:

•       Those who view a Flash intro are usually not interested in seeing it every time they come to your site.

•       Flash development is an expense that is rarely justified and is rarely focused on the needs of the site visitor. Some Flash developers also protect their Flash files to prevent others from editing them, which means that you may need to hire them to make changes or design a new site if the Flash file has errors.

•       Search engines struggle to index, navigate, and classify flash. Flash typically offers little descriptive content, so even if engines could index it, most won’t care to.

•     Flash files take a while to load—meanwhile, the user may be hitting the back button (kiss, kiss, goodbye).

•      Even if search engines can determine the content of Flash programs, most Flash designers place all the Flash in one program, which makes it hard for search engines to want to refer people to it.

•       Some people use meta refreshes and other arbitrary Flash detection technologies that disable the browser back button. Google AdWords will not allow you to advertise sites that have the browser back button disabled.

•       A Flash designer once disabled the back button on one of my client’s websites. He wanted to charge her $4,000 to fix a problem caused by his own incompetent behavior. It took me ten minutes to fix it, and he no longer does design work for her.