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<p>If you want your website to be popular with your target audience, optimization is essential. Whether you focus on decreasing load times throughout your web pages or making sure that your site design is aesthetically appealing, there are many useful steps that can be taken to optimize your website. The main issue with optimizing a website is that the changes you make may not always improve your conversion rates. <strong>When measuring conversion rates for your website, this particular measurement indicates how many visitors to your website took a specific action</strong>. You can set conversions to be anything from making a purchase to becoming a member. </p>



<p><a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/what-is-a-b-testing/">Performing A/B testing</a> can help you better determine which improvements will provide the best results for your conversion rate. <strong>Likely the most effective tool for A/B testing is Google Optimize, which is a premium tool that can pay dividends when you’re trying to increase your conversion rates</strong>. With Google Optimize, you can analyze how site layouts affect user behavior and which designs are most appealing to your core audience. Before you start using Google Optimize, keep in mind that this tool offers a free version and a paid version, the latter of which provides many additional features that can help you reach your goals. </p>



<p>The Google Optimize tool is great for businesses because of the importance of high conversion rates with any website. Nearly <em>70 percent of people in the U.S.</em> have shopped for a product or service on the internet, which goes to show how popular online shopping is in today’s market. If you want your business and website to remain ahead of the competition, it’s important that visitors who enter your website become engaged long enough to convert into return customers. </p>



<p>However, <em>there are many issues that can cause users to become disinterested in a website</em>. These issues include poor loading, an unsightly design, a cluttered layout, and poor functionality. <strong>Conducting regular A/B testing should help you identify what changes must be made to improve conversions and bring in more customers</strong>. Before you begin to use the Google Optimize tool, there are several things you should do to prepare. </p>



<p>The first and most important step involves creating a Gmail account, after which you will need to link the account with <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/google-analytics-expert/">Google Analytics</a>. The Analytics script will then need to be integrated into your website. You should also install the Google Optimize extension that’s available with Google Chrome. Once you’ve completed these steps, you should be ready to start using the Google Optimize tool.<em> This article serves as an honest and detailed review on Google Optimize and why you should use it to improve conversions on your website</em>. </p>


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        <b class="lwptoc_title">Contents</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Characteristics_of_Google_Optimize">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Characteristics of Google Optimize</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Limitations of Google Optimize</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">How to Run a Test in Google Optimize</span>
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Part_1_Set_Up_an_Account">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.1</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.2</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Part 3: Link Accounts</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Part 4: Check Google Analytics</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Conclusion on Google Optimize</span>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Characteristics_of_Google_Optimize">Characteristics of Google Optimize</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183153-1024x682.jpg" alt="characteristics of google optimize" class="wp-image-3345" width="840" height="559" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183153-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183153-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183153.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px"></figure>



<p>While tools like Optimizely and VWO can also be used to improve site conversions, likely the best tool at your disposal is Google Optimize. The<strong> main advantage of Google Optimize is that they offer a free version</strong>, which isn’t readily available with other optimization tools. Some of the <em>key features</em> that are provided to people who use Google Optimize include:</p>



<p></p>



<ul><li><strong>Easy integration</strong> – When you start using Google Optimize, you’ll find that the set-up process is simple and straightforward. All of the code that makes up Google Optimize is already incorporated into Google Tag Manager, which makes installation easy.<br></li><li><strong>Experiment previews</strong> – The tools that are available in Google Optimize give you the ability to sample different variations of your website. These variations can be sampled across different devices.<br></li><li><strong>Visual editor</strong> – You’ll find that the best tools for optimization are ones that include a visual editor. The visual editor that’s found in Google Optimize gives you the ability to create the different variations that you would like to test. When you want to use the visual editor, a separate chrome extension can be installed directly into your Google Chrome browser.<br></li><li><strong><a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/usability-testing-methods/">Different test types</a> </strong>– It’s possible to run multivariate tests, A/B tests, and split tests.<br></li></ul>



<p>The main thing that sets Google Optimize apart from other optimization tools is that <strong>Google Optimize can be integrated seamlessly into Google Analytics</strong>, which gives you the ability to obtain A/B testing results and track site performance from one location. You can also set different testing goals for a more convenient testing process. </p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Limitations_of_Google_Optimize">Limitations of Google Optimize</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183146-1024x683.jpg" alt="limitations of google optimize" class="wp-image-3346" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183146-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183146-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3183146.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>While there are many benefits that come with using Google Optimize, the tool also has some notable limitations that you should know about before selecting this service as your optimization tool of choice. The <em>main drawbacks</em> to using Google Optimize include:</p>



<p></p>



<ul><li><strong>Limited free tests </strong>– Only 16 multivariate tests can be performed, which typically isn’t enough when you want to perform tests on several page elements<br></li><li><strong>Limited free goals </strong>– It’s only possible to measure three separate goals for your website<br></li><li><strong>Limited free experiments</strong> – You can only run three experiments at the same time with this tool, which may not provide you with the results you’re looking for<br></li><li><strong>Lack of real-time data</strong> – Real-time data reports aren’t generated with Google Optimize, which can be an issue if you obtain high amounts of traffic<br></li><li><strong>Lack of heat and scroll maps </strong>– Although integration with Google Analytics provides some key advantages, it’s not ideal for detailed on-page analysis<br></li></ul>



<p>Keep in mind that these issues are fixed by obtaining the<em> paid version of Google Optimize</em>. If you want to perform a high number of A/B tests, you should consider options like Optimizely, VWO, and the paid version of Google Optimize.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="How_to_Run_a_Test_in_Google_Optimize">How to Run a Test in Google Optimize</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-serpstat-572056-1-1024x682.jpg" alt="how to run a test in google optimize" class="wp-image-3348" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-serpstat-572056-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-serpstat-572056-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-serpstat-572056-1.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>When you want to run a test in Google Optimize, there are five simple steps that you should adhere to. These steps begin by setting up an account. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Part_1_Set_Up_an_Account">Part 1: Set Up an Account</span></h3>



<p><strong>To set up an account with Google Optimize, you should first go to <a href="https://optimize.google.com/optimize/home/#/accounts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this link</a></strong>. From here, click on the “Get Started” button, create an account name, and accept the terms of service. You will then be tasked with creating and adding a container for your website. The container name could be the name of your website or account. Keep in mind that any account admins will have access to your container. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Part_2_Adjust_the_Settings">Part 2: Adjust the Settings</span></h3>



<p>During the account-creation process, you will be able to adjust some of the settings for the Google Optimize tool, which may be necessary if you want to get the most out of this service. <strong>Under the “Experiences” section</strong>, you will have the opportunity to create your first experience, which could involve performing a redirect test, an A/B test, or a multivariate test. Each experience that you create should have its own name. For instance, your first experience could be titled “Test1”. Along with the three tests mentioned previously, it’s also possible to personalize your web page for targeted visitors. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Part_3_Link_Accounts">Part 3: Link Accounts</span></h3>



<p>You should now<strong> focus on linking your Google Optimize account with your Google Analytics account</strong>, which will help you obtain the full functionality of the Google Optimize tool. To link the two accounts, you should navigate to your “Accounts” page on Google Optimize. The next step involves selecting a container before clicking on the “Link Property” button that’s situated within the container information panel. </p>



<p>You’ll then be provided with a drop-down list, from which you should choose the Google Analytics property that best corresponds with your domain name. You should then select at least one Analytics view. Each experiment that you perform with Optimize will be sent to an Analytics view. The view that the data is sent to will combine the objectives of the experiment with the metrics of the view. All that’s left is to click “Link”. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Part_4_Check_Google_Analytics">Part 4: Check Google Analytics</span></h3>



<p>Once you’ve finished linking the two accounts, it’s important that you check Google Analytics to make sure that everything has been set up correctly. You can<strong> either use <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/google-tag-manager-vs-google-analytics/">Google Tag Manager</a> or the Google Site tag to determine if Google Analytics is functioning</strong> properly. The Google Site tag for Google Analytics is a simple snippet of text that should be placed along the heading of every web page on your website. </p>



<p>Optimize can be effectively installed by adding a small amount of code to the Google Analytics config line. You can learn more about Google Site tags at <a href="https://support.google.com/optimize/answer/7513085?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this link</a>. This process can be made even easier by using Google Tag Manager, which allows you to manage every website tag without needing to edit code. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Part_5_Create_Your_Test_and_Implement_the_Changes">Part 5: Create Your Test and Implement the Changes</span></h3>



<p>The fifth and final step in this process involves creating a test and implementing the necessary changes to your website. You can<strong> create your initial test via the visual editor or through the addition of a small piece of code</strong> with the CSS code editor. A window will open on the right of the page that gives you the ability to alter the variant in any way you see fit. By clicking on the “Edit Element” option, you can add JavaScript or edit the HTML code of the element in question. </p>



<p>The lowest area of the window that opens will allow you to change every aspect of the element, which includes the background, layout, location, dimensions, border, and typography. <strong>Using a CSS code editor instead will give you even more control over each variant</strong>. However, using the code editor requires a <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/what-is-coding/">basic understanding of code</a>. If you want to learn some basic coding before using Google Optimize, this tool primarily uses HTML and JavaScript, the former of which is relatively simple to learn.</p>



<p>When you have conducted the necessary tests and have identified <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/web-design-fundamentals-a-comprehensive-guide/">which variations perform the best</a>, it’s time to implement these changes to your website. Google Optimize offers a very useful preview mode that gives you the ability to view each web page exactly how the user would see it. To enter preview mode, select “Preview Options” on the page for experiment details. From here, click on “Web Preview”, which will put you in preview mode. You can also create a shareable link for team members to look at by clicking on the “Share Preview” button.</p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Conclusion_on_Google_Optimize">Conclusion on Google Optimize</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3182812-1024x682.jpg" alt="google optimize conclusion" class="wp-image-3350" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3182812-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3182812-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-fauxels-3182812.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>Google Optimize is a highly useful tool for any business that wants to make sure that their website is <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/what-is-cro-conversion-rate-optimization-tips-and-more/">optimized for conversions</a>. <strong>It’s important to understand that testing different variations of web pages and elements on the page can help you determine which variation is able to bring in more customers</strong>. By appealing to more site visitors, your business and brand will invariably increase in popularity. Since these tests are performed with actual people, you can be confident in the results you receive. </p>



<p>While other optimization tools are available, the connection between Google Optimize and Google Analytics makes this option one of the best. Since Google Optimize offers a free option, this is also the most affordable optimization tool at your disposal. <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/">Speak with the experts today</a> if you want to learn more about Google Optimize and how it can help you strengthen your website.                       </p>


Why We Love Google Optimize – An Honest Review from a Web Agency


<p>A critical element in the success of any website is performance. When a website performs poorly and loads slowly, most visitors will have a bad user experience, which makes it increasingly likely that they will leave your website and choose to go to a competitor’s website. <strong>Nearly </strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://hostingtribunal.com/blog/how-speed-affects-website/#gref" target="_blank"><strong>80 percent of online shoppers</strong></a><strong> say that slow loading will cause them to leave a website</strong>. While the appearance of your website is important, the speed and performance of the site is essential towards <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/managing-your-website-effectively-in-2020/">keeping users engaged</a> long enough to take an action or make a purchase. </p>



<p>One component of a web page that can worsen site performance involves the images that you place on your website. <strong>Larger images can </strong><a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/best-website-speed-test-tools-optimize-website-performance/"><strong>slow down web pages</strong></a><strong> and worsen the user experience</strong>, which also serves to worsen your brand reputation. However, images and other types of multimedia are essential if you want to keep site visitors engaged. To account for the performance problems caused by larger images,<em> it’s highly recommended that you perform image optimization by compressing images</em>, which will improve your web performance. </p>



<p>It’s possible to decrease the file size of images <strong>with a script or plugin</strong>, which should solve any loading issues that have occurred after implementing images on your website. Two methods that are commonly used to compress images include lossless compression and lossy compression. Both methods are effective and can provide you with great results.<strong> The most important consideration to keep in mind when compressing images is to make sure that the image quality doesn’t reduce significantly</strong>. Making modifications to an image file can cause images to look blurry, which is the last thing you want to do when trying to keep visitors on your website. <em>This article offers an extensive guide on the </em><a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/usability-testing-methods/"><em>most effective techniques</em></a><em> for compressing images and improving the performance of your website. </em></p>


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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#How_to_Optimize_Images_for_Web_and_Performance">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">How to Optimize Images for Web and Performance</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.3</span>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="How_to_Optimize_Images_for_Web_and_Performance">How to Optimize Images for Web and Performance</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/anete-lusina-zwsHjakE_iI-unsplash-1024x682.jpg" alt="optimize images for web performance" class="wp-image-3330" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/anete-lusina-zwsHjakE_iI-unsplash-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/anete-lusina-zwsHjakE_iI-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/anete-lusina-zwsHjakE_iI-unsplash.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>When you format the images on your website,<strong> your main goal should be to reduce file size by as much as possible without sacrificing too much of the image quality</strong>. There are many different ways that you can achieve this goal, the primary of which involves compressing the images before they are uploaded to your WordPress website. Two of the more <em>popular tools for compressing images</em> include <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/" target="_blank">Affinity Photo</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html" target="_blank">Adobe Photoshop</a>. It’s also possible to compress images with plugins that you download directly to your WordPress account. </p>



<p>Before you start compressing images for your website,<strong> two of the most important factors when optimizing images include the type of compression that you use and the file format</strong> that you would like the images to be attached to. If you select the correct combination of compression type and file format, you may be able to compress the file size of your images by nearly five times the original size. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Quality_Versus_Size">Quality Versus Size</span></h3>



<p>As mentioned previously, among the most important aspects of compressing images is to<strong> make sure that you get the right quality and file size</strong>. While the size of your images is important to maintain a fast performance for your website, users don’t want to see low-quality images when they enter a website. If you compress an image too much, it will appear blurry with jagged edges and a large number of artifacts. <em>At a low compression rate, you’ll be provided with a high-quality image</em>. However, the file size will still be large. </p>



<p>If you want your website to have low loading times and quick performance, the images on each web page should only amount to 1-2mb in size. When using the JPEG format, you can get great image quality with optimal compression at 100-200kb. If you decide to use simpler PNG images, compress your images to less than 100kb in size, which will still allow for a high image quality. While it’s important that you strike the right balance between image quality and file size, the quality of the image is likely the most important aspect. If the quality gets too low, your brand may gain a poor reputation.</p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="File_Formats">File Formats</span></h3>



<p>The<em> three main types of files</em> that you can use for the images on your website include:</p>



<ul><li><strong>GIF</strong> – This option uses just 256 colors and is mainly used to display animated images. The GIF format only accommodates lossless compression.<br></li><li><strong>PNG</strong> – This format is able to produce premium images with a higher quality. The main downside is that the file sizes will be larger. Even though the image format was created as a lossless format, it can be lossy as well.<br></li><li><strong>JPEG</strong> – This format is able to use lossless and lossy optimization, which makes it easier to alter the quality of the image to strike the right balance between file size and image quality.<br></li></ul>



<p>There are several additional types of formats that you could use for your images, which include everything from WebP to JPEG XR. However, <em>only the three primary formats are supported by every web browser</em>. If you want to use images that contain ample amounts of color, the best format would be JPEG. On the other hand, the PNG format is ideal for simpler images. Using a combination of the two file formats should make it easier for you to place numerous images on each page of your website without sacrificing performance and load times. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Resizing_Images_to_Scale">Resizing Images to Scale</span></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/webfactory-ltd-CzShzocZtW0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="wordpress image rescale" class="wp-image-3333" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/webfactory-ltd-CzShzocZtW0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/webfactory-ltd-CzShzocZtW0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/webfactory-ltd-CzShzocZtW0-unsplash.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p><strong>Uploading images to WordPress used to create numerous problems</strong>. If you attempted to upload images at a different scale, the CSS programming language would resize the images and create issues with the work that has been done to compress the images. CSS would further scale images down, which would result in blurry images with a very low quality. However, WordPress 4.4 took this option away to provide support for responsive images, which means that uploaded images will no longer be scaled down by CSS. This functionality has been present in every update following 4.4 as well. </p>



<p>Now, WordPress will upload images at several different sizes. The browser that the user accesses your website with will be able to select the appropriate image size while ignoring any others. <em>Keep in mind that the original file size for the image you upload won’t be touched</em> and will be kept in your media library. If you don’t want to keep the original file size to save some disk space,<strong> free plugins like </strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/imsanity/" target="_blank"><strong>Imsanity</strong></a><strong> give you the ability to set a limit for the file size of every image you upload to WordPress</strong>. </p>



<p>Once you start uploading numerous images to your media library, it’s <em>highly recommended that you look into cleaning your media library</em>, which can be done with the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/media-cleaner/" target="_blank">Media Cleaner</a> plugin. This type of plugin will easily identify any files within your media library that are unused, which you can safely get rid of. The unused files will be listed in the Media Cleaner dashboard for simple deletion. When you delete these files, they are sent to a special trash directory. Afterwards, you can test your website to make sure that you didn’t get rid of files that were pertinent to the functionality of your website. If you did, files can easily be restored from the trash directory. </p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="The_Difference_Between_Lossless_and_Lossy">The Difference Between Lossless and Lossy</span></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="lossless vs lossy images" class="wp-image-3335" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>It’s essential that you understand the difference between lossless and lossy, <strong>both of which are compression methods that can be used to reduce the size of your images</strong>.<em> Lossy</em> is a compression filter that’s able to eliminate some data from an image file. When this occurs, the quality of the image will worsen, which is why it’s important that you don’t reduce the image too much. As mentioned earlier, tools like Affinity Photo and Adobe Photoshop can alter quality settings for an image. </p>



<p><strong>The lossless option</strong> is another compression filter that compresses data instead of getting rid of some of it. While the quality of the image won’t worsen when compressed, the image will need to become uncompressed before it can be properly displayed. The different tools that can be used for lossless compression include<em> ImageOptim and FileOptimizer</em>. No matter which option you decide to use, it’s recommended that you experiment between the two to identify which one works best for your format or image. </p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Image_Optimization_Plugins">Image Optimization Plugins</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/john-schnobrich-FlPc9_VocJ4-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="image optimization plugins" class="wp-image-3337" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/john-schnobrich-FlPc9_VocJ4-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/john-schnobrich-FlPc9_VocJ4-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/john-schnobrich-FlPc9_VocJ4-unsplash.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>There are a wide range of programs and tools that can be used when you want to optimize and compress images for your website. While many of these tools are paid, others can be downloaded and used for free. If you want to have as<em> many tools at your disposal</em> as possible,<strong> it’s highly recommended that you use WordPress for your website</strong>. With WordPress, you don’t need to perform all of the compression and formatting by hand. Instead, plugins can be used to perform many of these actions automatically. </p>



<p>Different plugins are able to perform different actions. For instance, some plugins will immediately optimize image files when you upload them. Other plugins will optimize any image that’s located in your media library. While plugins are reliable and efficient, you should continue to use other tools to obtain the best results. As an example, it’s important that you don’t upload too many images to your media library on WordPress, which will significantly reduce the disk space that’s available through the web host. Optimizing many of your images before uploading them to WordPress ensures that you don’t take up too much disk space. </p>



<p><strong>Five of the most reliable WordPress plugins for image compression</strong> include:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Optimole</strong> – This is an image optimization and compression plugin that can compress, host, and resize your images. The tool is simple to use and will perform image optimization without requiring much work from you. The main issue with this tool is that there aren’t many features.<br></li><li><strong>Imagify Image Optimizer</strong> – This is a feature-intensive plugin that offers bulk optimization and provides three levels of compression, which include normal, aggressive, and ultra. The main downside to using this tool is that customer support is relatively poor.<br></li><li><strong>Optimus Image Optimizer</strong> – This plugin specifically uses lossless compression to optimize images. Along with providing bulk optimization, this tool is compatible with WooCommerce as well as the WP Retina plugin. The main issue with this plugin is that the free version has a cap of 100kb for the images you can upload.<br></li><li><strong>Image Recycle</strong> – This is an automatic compression plugin that offers a suite of useful optimization features for your WordPress images. The best features include settings that allow for a minimum compression size and auto image resizing. This is largely a premium plugin. While a free trial is available for 15 days, you can only upload 100mb of images during that time.<br></li><li><strong>Tiny PNG</strong> – This is a popular plugin that allows users to compress PNG and JPEG images. If you decide to use the free account, you can compress 100 images every month. Tiny PNG can reduce your PNG images by as much as 80 percent without losing much image quality. The main issue with this plugin is that the JPEG results aren’t as good as the PNG results.<br></li></ul>



<p>Now that you know how to compress images and which tools are best for doing so, you should be able to improve your website performance significantly. Once these improvements have been made, you might also notice a reduction in bounce rates and an increase in customer conversion rates.                       </p>


Best Ways to Compress Images & Optimize Your Web Performance


<p>The success of any website <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/5-reasons-why-your-website-speed-matters/">depends on how it performs</a>. Even if your design is beautiful and the layout of your website is highly functional, poor performance will quickly cause visitors to leave your website in search for a similar site that doesn’t take a long time to load. One metric that can be used to identify problem areas with the speed of your website is TTFB, which stands for “time to first byte”.<strong> Google refers to this metric as “waiting”</strong>. What this metric measures is how responsive a web server is. When this measurement takes place, you will be able to <strong>identify how much time occurs between the creation of a server connection and the downloading of page content. </strong></p>



<p>To better understand time to first byte, <em>keep in mind that connections to web servers occur through a multi-step process</em>, which means that delays for the connection can take place at any stage of this process. If your website is affected by slowdown, it’s important that you detect why this slowdown is occurring. TTFB allows you to identify possible weak points that are present within the connection process. Once you know when these delays occur in the process, you can make the necessary changes and alterations that will <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/best-website-speed-test-tools-optimize-website-performance/">improve connection speeds</a>. </p>



<p><em>Keep in mind that TTFB differs from measuring tools like Google PageSpeed</em>. While Google PageSpeed is able to measure load speeds for a website, obtaining a good score with Google PageSpeed doesn’t mean that your site performance will <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/google-analytics-expert/">rank well with Google</a>. On the other hand, <strong>a low TTFB does correlate with search rankings,</strong> which is why using TTFB to measure the performance of your website can be highly effective at helping you improve site speeds and search rankings. </p>



<p>If you’re trying to identify the ideal TTFB time,<strong> any number that falls below 100ms is considered to be a great TTFB</strong>. However, the majority of websites fall in the 300-500ms range, which is still acceptable for most users. If you want your business to be ahead of the competition, it’s recommended that you use TTFB to improve connection speeds until they fall under 100ms. The three key actions that TTFB is impacted by include sending a request to a server, processing a request to generate a response, and delivering the response back to the primary user. <em>This article offers a comprehensive guide on TTFB and what you can do to </em><a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/usability-testing-methods/"><em>improve the performance on your website</em></a><em>. </em></p>


<div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Contents</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
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<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_Affects_Time_to_First_Byte_Times">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What Affects Time to First Byte Times?</span>
    </a>
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Requesting_An_Action">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Requesting An Action</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Processing_a_Response">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Processing a Response</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Sending_Back_the_Generated_Response">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Sending Back the Generated Response</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_Slows_Your_Time_to_First_Byte">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What Slows Your Time to First Byte?</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Ways_to_Improve_Your_Time_to_First_Byte">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Ways to Improve Your Time to First Byte</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Where_to_Check_Your_Time_to_Byte">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Where to Check Your Time to Byte</span>
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Bytecheck">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Bytecheck</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#KeyCDN">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">KeyCDN</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#WebPageTest">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4.3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">WebPageTest</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div></div></div>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="What_Affects_Time_to_First_Byte_Times">What Affects Time to First Byte Times?</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="Time to first byte times" class="wp-image-3317" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dai-ke-GkraTrCYA_0-unsplash.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>As mentioned previously, there are <em>three separate stages </em>of a connection that affect the time to first byte, which include <strong>requesting an action to a server, generating and processing a response, and sending the generated response back to the initial client</strong>. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Requesting_An_Action">Requesting An Action</span></h3>



<p>The first action involves making a request to a server. At this point, TTFB will measure the exact amount of time that it takes for the server to obtain the request, which can depend on the exact distance to a server, the total time it takes to conduct a <strong>DNS lookup, the overall speed of the client’s network, and potential interruptions with the connection</strong>. A DNS lookup is a kind of query that the server performs to obtain a DNS record. Keep in mind that you have no actual control with this aspect of TTFB. The strength of the connection between the client and the internet will dictate how long it takes for the server to obtain the request.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Processing_a_Response">Processing a Response</span></h3>



<p>The next stage of this process involves generating and processing a response to the request. Whenever a server obtains a request, a response must be made. Although a response is usually generated quickly,<strong> generating a response involves many smaller processes</strong> that include communicating with additional network systems, running web scripts, and making database calls. At this point, it’s possible for a website to reduce TTFB measurements, which can be done through optimizing your server-side code, enhancing hardware resources, and caching web pages. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Sending_Back_the_Generated_Response">Sending Back the Generated Response</span></h3>



<p>The third and final stage of the process involves the response being sent back to the initial client. <strong>This step depends on the connection speed that your company has as well as the client’s connection speed</strong>. The second that the client receives even a small amount of data, the TTFB measurement will begin. Nearly 40 percent of a TTFB measurement occurs when a response is transmitted to the user.</p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="What_Slows_Your_Time_to_First_Byte">What Slows Your Time to First Byte?</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-anna-shvets-5325051-1024x682.jpg" alt="slow time to first byte" class="wp-image-3318" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-anna-shvets-5325051-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-anna-shvets-5325051-300x200.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-anna-shvets-5325051.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>There are numerous things that can slow your time to first byte, which can <em>worsen your site performance and cause visitors to leave</em> in droves. The<strong> four primary</strong> causes of a slow time to first byte include:</p>



<ul><li><strong>High web traffic</strong> – If your website is receiving high amounts of traffic, the time to first byte may worsen significantly when users attempt to access your website. Servers are only able to handle a certain number of requests before they begin to slow down. If you’ve ever used a website in the past that has taken an inordinate amount of time to load, it’s likely that the slowdown was caused by high amounts of traffic attempting to access the website at the same time. This problem can be solved by increasing the number of servers that your website has access to.<br></li><li><strong>Network issues</strong> – Network issues are common and can occur even if you’ve optimized the performance on your website. Some of the more common network issues that can slow the time to first byte include DNS problems, IP address exhaustion, and slow internet performance.<br></li><li><strong>Dynamic content</strong> – There are many different forms of content that can adversely affect the time to first byte. These content types include the database speed, RAM usage, disk speed, disk usage, and database setup.<br></li><li><strong>Configuration of the server</strong> – How the server is configured can also dictate the TTFB measurement that you obtain. For instance, shared servers can have worse TTFB times. Database settings and PHP/ASP settings may also be the cause of a slow TTFB.<br></li></ul>



<p>While it’s difficult to resolve slowdown that’s caused by network issues or high site traffic, <strong>making improvements to the server configuration and dynamic content may result in a better TTFB</strong>.</p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Ways_to_Improve_Your_Time_to_First_Byte">Ways to Improve Your Time to First Byte</span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-energepiccom-313690-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3319" srcset="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-energepiccom-313690-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-energepiccom-313690-300x225.jpg 300w, https://admin.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-energepiccom-313690.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>When you want to improve your time to first byte, there are a range of steps that you can take. If you want to reduce the time to first byte, some of the <em>best practices that you should adhere t</em>o include:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Partner with a quick web host</strong> – If you partner with a web host that’s known for great speeds, your site shouldn’t be experiencing high TTFB measurements. This option is ideal for smaller businesses that don’t require an extensive and feature-rich website.<br></li><li><strong>Consider using a CDN</strong> – Content delivery networks work by using global servers in order to provide static content at faster rates, which should automatically improve the TTFB for your website. Because of how a CDN work, network latency is effectively reduced as a result of users being able to obtain content from nearby servers. A content delivery network is ideal for larger businesses and eCommerce sites that have worldwide reach.<br></li><li><strong>Purchase premium DNS services</strong> – When selecting a hosting service for your website, you might want to spend some extra money to purchase a premium DNS service. The majority of hosting providers offer this service as an add-on. This move should only be considered if your other efforts to improve the TTFB have failed or haven’t produced the results that you’re looking for.<br></li><li><strong>Make sure that your themes and plugins are updated</strong> – Themes and plugins that haven’t been updated in a long time are commonly the cause of slowdown with a website. The best developers will update their plugins/themes for better performance, which will allow your TTFB to improve over an extended period of time.<br></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Where_to_Check_Your_Time_to_Byte">Where to Check Your Time to Byte</span></h2>



<p> If you want to check your time to first byte, there are several tools that you can use to perform these measurements. The <em>most effective tools </em>include:</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Bytecheck"><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.bytecheck.com/" target="_blank">Bytecheck</a> </span></h4>



<p>This is a straightforward tool that provides a simple TTFB report alongside data points and information that you can use to improve the TTFB for your website. This tool will also provide you with a TTFB rating, which could be anything from 0-5 stars.<br></p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="KeyCDN"><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://tools.keycdn.com/performance" target="_blank">KeyCDN</a> </span></h4>



<p>This is a kind of performance tester that looks at numerous components of site performance to determine what types of improvements can be made. While several different plans are available if you would like to purchase the tool, you can also sign up for a free trial. Along with the TTFB measurement, this tool will also provide you with TLS, connect, and DNS measurements.<br></p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="WebPageTest"><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.webpagetest.org/" target="_blank">WebPageTest</a> </span></h4>



<p>This is a comprehensive program that provides site owners with many options for testing site performance. For instance, it’s possible to run the TTFB test by device or by location. The test can also be performed on different browsers like Mozilla and Chrome. It’s possible that a specific browser is causing the slowdown with the TTFB measurements that you receive.<br></p>



<p><strong>Site speed is integral to the ongoing success of your business, which is why it’s essential that you optimize your TTFB</strong>. Both the users and site owners benefit from a better TTFB. For the user, a lower TTFB means that they will have a better user experience, which means that they will be less likely to become frustrated when navigating your website. As for the site owner, businesses obtain <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/how-to-conduct-a-thorough-competitor-analysis-for-seo/">better customer retention</a> and engagement when a TTFB is lowered. <em>A reduced TTFB means that visitors to your website are less likely to switch to another site because of slow loading</em>. </p>



<p>As touched upon previously, your <strong>TTFB can also play a part in the search rankings that you receive</strong>. If your TTFB is high, Google may penalize your website, which could result in <a href="https://admin.brytdesigns.com/improve-website-traffic-and-conversions-with-a-website-audit/">lower rankings and less visibility</a> for your site. Along with search rankings, TTFB is important because nearly 40 percent of all site visitors will leave a website that takes longer than three seconds to fully load, which is why a top goal for your business should be to optimize TTFB results.                       </p>


Tag:"Optimization"

Tag:
"Optimization"