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Best HTML Editors
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Everybody makes mistakes.
Some big, some small, but some of them are downright annoying.
And one of the most notorious headache-causing mistakes you make is messing up your code.
Coding is everything when it comes to web development. So you simply have to get it right for better security and to avoid glitches in the future.
Luckily, there’s a very effective solution to ensure this.
Just like how Grammarly and Hemingway can improve your text by checking them for spelling errors and improving readability, web developers can use HTML editors to write and improve their code.
Even those who don’t have any coding knowledge can create websites and put them online.
Coding becomes faster and easier thanks to HTML editors’ spell-checking, syntax highlighting, and auto-completion features, among others.
In this guide, I’ll look at the best HTML editors available to take your websites to the next level without much effort and time on your part.
Excited? Let’s dig right in!
#1 – Atom – The Best for Advanced Customization
Atom is a free, open-source code editor developed by the GitHub team and maintained by the GitHub community. It comes with enough packages and theme collections, runs light, and loads super fast, making this HTML editor one of the best you can find.
It’s a modernized WYSIWYG HTML editor available for Windows, Mac, and Linux and is built for collaboration. Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced professional, Atom is everyone’s favorite with its premium feel and customization flexibility.
Think of it as an advanced text editor that has several features commonly limited to high-level coding programs.
It also comes with a hackable text editor! It’s a feature that enables developers to edit, extend, change, and share the program source code and design their own packages to improve Atom.
Multiple pane support is another feature I like. You can split the interface into as many windows as you need to compare and write code side-by-side.
Other features include syntax correction and highlighting, autocompletion, project management, and Teletype (users can collaborate with other developers in real-time).
Atom is entirely free of charge! So you don’t have to shell out any money to use this excellent editor.
#2 – Notepad + + – The Best for Front-End Developers and Web Designers
Fast working, time-tested, and foolproof, Notepad + + is one of the most popular HTML editors used by millions worldwide. It’s an open-code editor that offers multi-language support, which isn’t restricted to only HTML and CSS.
One of the primary reasons for Notepad + +‘s popularity is its feature-rich interface.
You get syntax folding, syntax highlighting, multi-view, document map, multi-document interface, auto-completion, bookmarks, and a fully customizable GUI. And even after this long list, there’s still more.
Notepad + + was developed for Windows-based machines, but Linux users can use it via Wine. As the name suggests, this editor is like an upgraded version of the Notepad software, which is already available in Windows by default. You also get its repository on GitHub.
A mobile version is also available if you fancy that.
Environmentalists would love Notepad + + as well. It has programs that run on less CPU power in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.
Notepad + + is free for all! So no extra money or hidden costs for you to worry about.
#3 – Brackets – The Best for Beginners
Brackets is another widely popular HTML editor for programmers compatible with different operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux. It comes with a built-in package manager that allows users to search and install any supported package they like.
I highly recommend this open-source HTML editor for beginners due to its smart auto-completion feature that makes coding incredibly fast and accurate.
Bracket’s coding UI can be split into multiple panes, making writing and comparing codes between different files easy and precise. Its integrated file system browser enables you to access files within your PC.
Plus, it has a find and replace feature that allows developers to fine-tune the code when appropriate. This can be useful for novices and experienced professionals to ensure their website stays up-to-date.
Styling and customization are super easy and simple, so coding won’t ever get boring with Brackets.
The pre-installed syntax themes feature dark and flashy bright colors. With no shortage of packages on the platform, you can add as many features as you want, based on your use-case and preference.
Brackets is completely free! You can download it directly from the official website.
#4 – Sublime Text – The Best for Multi-Language Support
Sublime Text is the advanced version of Notepad + +. It comes with the standard features of Notepad + +, along with more modern ones to suit the sophisticated needs of the more experienced users.
You get cross-platform support, split editing, multiple-selection editing, proprietary command palette, and syntax editing to make web development simpler. The editor is incredibly powerful and promises high performance. However, you have a steeper learning curve ahead of you in exchange for this flexibility and power.
One of the more advanced features of Sublime Text is “Goto Anything.” Using this, you can find and replace the code within a considerably shorter period. The distraction-free mode is another great feature that displays only the code by hiding other elements.
You can use keyboard shortcuts to execute tasks quickly–provided you can remember them. Everything is easily customizable in the editor as well, whether you want to personalize key bindings to snippets to menus.
Accessible on Windows, Mac, and Linux, Sublime Text also supports different languages like C, HTML, C++, C#, Java, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, and many more.
Sublime Text has a free version available that’s enough for beginners, but if you want access to all its features, you have to pay a one-time cost of $80.
#5 – Adobe Dreamweaver CC – The Best for Web Developers
Most of the other options work great for front-end development, but having an HTML editor that facilitates back-end development is also necessary, which is where Adobe Dreamweaver CC comes in.
Made by renowned company Adobe, this editor is hands down one of the most famous and influential options on the market. You get all sorts of plugins and premium features that you wouldn’t normally have access to with other HTML editors.
Whether it’s creating more responsive sites or editing the website code, Dreamweaver makes everything possible.
This editor is a closed source software, designed to work within the Adobe ecosystem. It supports both the textual and WYSIWYG methods, allowing you to choose between coding with a live visual presentation or take the traditional route. You can write code in any major programming language and enjoy access to creative cloud libraries.
Web developers would particularly love Adobe Dreamweaver CC. It automatically confirms the code and page accessibility, making it easier for developers to follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and even reviews the end product.
Plus, the direct access to an abundant supply of assets in the Adobe ecosystem like graphics, layers, colors, words, characters, and much more, is another advantage.
Dreamweaver has a free version, but you can opt for premium plans as well. You have three options:
- Annual Plan, Payable Monthly – $25.99 per month
- Monthly Plan – $31.49 per month
- Annual Plan, Prepaid – $239.88 per year
What I Looked at to Find the Best HTML Editor
HTML editors—both free and paid—come with several cosmetic features. Based on your business needs, you’ll find some to be absolutely necessary, while others you may not need at all.
I’ve compiled a list of features that I think a good HTML editor should have. You may not need all of them, but here is what you should be looking for when choosing an HTML editor.
Color-Coding or Syntax Highlighting
HTML has a tag-based markup language. You need an HTML editor with syntax highlighting or color-coding features to light up these tags.
Doing this will help you identify the tags quickly, which, in turn, will make working with blocks of code easier.
Autocomplete and Suggestions
The autocomplete and suggestions feature helps to quickly fill in longer code at the press of a button.
The editor gives you pop up suggestions based on your work–all you have to do is click on it, and the code will autocomplete. Think of how you type text messages on your phone or when you do a quick Google search.
You can also automate creating closing tabs through this feature.
Find and Replace
I highly recommend looking for code editors with the find and replace feature, as it allows you to locate certain strings and replace them with something else very quickly.
Plus, HTML is constantly changing and updating standards and deprecation of inefficient tags. So, you’ll definitely find yourself wanting this feature sometime in the future to update your website.
Version Control
Editors with version control enable you to see the previous versions of your code and rollback when needed.
As a result, you can store all the copies without making separate documents, and I know how crucial this is when you’re working with other developers.
Multi-Cursor Functionality
The role of multi-cursors is simple: It allows you to write code in multiple places at once. In other words, you can edit code simultaneously.
This is especially useful when you want to add duplicates of the same tag.
FTP Support and Error Detection
Getting HTML editors with FTP support lets you connect to WordPress and upload changes you want to make without any hassle. As a result, you won’t find yourself logging into FileZilla or your preferred FTP client every time you want to update anything.
Live error detection is equally important.
HTML is a markup language and not a programming language, which is why it doesn’t compile. It also means you can’t test your code. With live error detection, though, you’ll know immediately whenever you write something incorrectly.
In addition to these, there are several other features like code folding and autosave that can increase productivity and accuracy.
Note: If you’re looking for a code editor with advanced features and platform integration, you‘ll need an integrated development environment or IDE rather than a text editor. While IDEs are similar to HTML editors, they are more beefed up designed for advanced developers.
Conclusion
HTML editors are a must for any web development and design toolkit. Not only can you create code faster, but it also simplifies the whole process by helping you avoid errors.
The only catch is to select an option that aligns with your needs.
You can select an option from my top picks or look for other alternatives in the market. Here is a complete list of the top picks:
- Atom – Best for advanced customization
- Notepad + + – Best for front-end developers and web designers
- Brackets – Best for beginners
- Sublime Text – Best for multi-language support
- Adobe Dreamweaver CC – Best for web developers
Try to look for prospective editors that include syntax highlighting and live preview. If you want something more sophisticated, a find and replace feature will be a great asset.
The post Best HTML Editors appeared first on Neil Patel.
How to Target Millennials Through Paid Ads
Millennials are something of a mythical bunch in society. Much is said about their behaviors and preferences, yet many of the stories seem to contradict. Even narrowing down what age group millennials represent is challenging, and many people have differing views.
This confusing picture makes it challenging to target millennials through paid ads, but don’t let it put you off. Let’s look at who millennials are and how you can use that data to create targeted ads that will convince them to convert.
When Were Millennials Born?
Millennials are defined as “people reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century.” The Pew Research Center further defines the group as those born between 1981 and 1996, though that time period has shifted over time.
Millennials are now the most populous group in the US, making up 21.97 percent of the population, and this trend is set to continue well into the 2050s.
This makes understanding millennials crucial to creating paid ads that actually drive revenue.
What Makes Millennials Unique?
One of the key things that make millennials unique is their relationship with technology.
Millennials were born into a world where modern technology hadn’t yet taken hold in daily life like it has today. However, they did grow up in an age where technology was transforming the way we live, so they aren’t new to it.
Generation X adapted to digital technology as adults, and Generation Z have never known life without the smartphone or super-fast internet, but millennials have a foot in both worlds.
The rapid shift to a digital world means millennials’ lives have followed a different path to those generations before and after them. This has influenced them in many different ways.
Of course, it’s hard to ascribe common characteristics to such a diverse group, but some traits seem to be common in this generation, including:
- connected
- tech-savvy
- curious
- in need of instant gratification
- collaborative
- seek transparency
- crave authenticity
- care about diversity and sustainability
Keep in mind; this is just a rough picture of millennials. There are still individual people with unique politics, education levels, likes, and dislikes. However, these insights need to inform your paid ad strategy.
Why You Should Target Millennials Through Paid Ads
If you successfully target millennials through paid ads, you’ll engage 21.97 percent of the US population and 2 billion people worldwide. While millennials are more receptive to certain products, this is a huge market for virtually any business.
However, millennials pose several challenges to marketers. First, it is a large, diverse group, and secondly, they’re so accustomed to advertising that some think they’ve become immune to it.
Nobody is immune to advertising, and millennials click paid ads every day. The trick is finding the right strategy.
It starts with understanding your target audience. If your product doesn’t solve the problems millennials have or fit their view of the world, then this group shouldn’t be your primary target.
For example, businesses that provide traditional weddings and razor blade manufacturers have a notoriously difficult time advertising to millennials. This isn’t because this generation is immune to advertising, it’s because the products aren’t as closely aligned to the people’s wants and needs (think of the proliferation of beards in society today versus 20 years ago).
Instead, it’s businesses in travel, tech, fast food, and other sectors where the products match millennials’ specific pain points that are finding success.
If millennials are a key part of your target audience, then paid advertising is an effective option, because it allows you to reach these people where they’re “hanging out.” Ninety percent of millennials are on Facebook, making it exceptionally easy to reach these people with your message.
A key part of marketing is getting your message seen, and millennials give you ample chances to do this.
6 Strategies for Targeting Millennials Through Paid Ads
To successfully target millennials through paid ads, you have to remember this group is very tech-savvy, and they’ve grown up with online advertising.
They see through the cheap gimmicks and aren’t coerced into clicking for no reason. Therefore, you should focus on offering genuine value. The strategies you use to target millennials through paid ads must add to the experience, rather than just serving your own purposes.
Here’s a few ways to successfully target millennials with paid ads.
1. Run Ads on the Social Media Platforms Millennials Use the Most
The good thing about millennials is they are easy to reach. A huge percentage are active on social media, but to make the most of this, we need to understand what platforms millennials are using.
In the past, this was pretty easy. People had Facebook, Twitter, and maybe Instagram. There weren’t many other popular options. Today there are dozens of social media platforms, with new ones popping up every day.
Let’s look at what percentage of millennials use some of the most popular platforms weekly:
- Facebook: 87 percent
- Twitter: 42 percent
- Instagram: 71 percent
- Snapchat: 52 percent
- YouTube: 86 percent
- Pinterest: 42 percent
Additionally, LinkedIn’s audience is 38 percent millennials aside from these platforms, and 19 percent of millennials are using TikTok.
There are plenty of opportunities out there to target millennials through paid ads. The ability to reach this group isn’t difficult; the tricky part is getting your medium and message right.
These platforms rely on marketing revenues though, so they’re constantly innovating and finding new ways for advertisers to engage their users. For example, Pinterest Story Pins, or Instagram filters let you offer the experience millennials are looking for.
2. Create Paid Ads That Appeal to Millennial Values
Many studies point to millennials closely held values, and three that are commonly referenced are personal responsibility, diversity, and sustainability.
It’s no surprise, given that millennials make up such a large percentage of the population that these values are being highlighted more in advertising. We often see ads that reference issues that are close to millennials’ hearts, such as climate change and equality.
If your brand is active in these issues, then this is something you should be highlighting in your advertising.
Take Allbirds shoes. they entered the highly-saturated shoe market in 2015, where they faced huge competition. Through a highly-effective advertising campaign that played on their shoes’ sustainable credentials, sales have exploded, and today the company is worth $1.4 billion.
There’s no crazy marketing strategy, it’s just clear messaging that hits on people’s (millennial’s) values.
3. Be Upfront and Honest in Your Paid Ads Targeting Millennials
Millennials grew up in the digital age, and for the most part, they’ve seen all the tricks. They’re used to gimmicky advertising tricks to get their attention, and they learned to filter these out.
What cuts through the noise with millennials (and this is closely related to their values) is being honest and upfront with your advertising. This group knows if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is, so there’s no point in over-promising and under-delivering.
This ties in with creating paid ads that appeal to millennials’ values; if you’re not serious about sustainability, or equality, or whatever it might be, then millennials are more likely to hold you to account.
This group grew up in a world of big (often faceless) corporations, but thanks to technology, they have a chance to see behind the branding and see the values behind a company. This can be a great opportunity for your advertising, but it’s got to be done in a clear, honest way.
For example, Allbirds doesn’t just use convenient slogans about sustainability in their paid ads. It’s a theme that’s central to its entire customer journey, and it delivers on its promises.
4. Create Funny Paid Ads to Target Millennials
Fifty-five percent of 13 to 35-year-olds send memes every week, and 30 percent do so daily. That’s a lot of memes!
Humor plays a huge role in millennial culture, and it’s something you can use in your paid ads. Funny ads are nothing new; just take a look back at some of the classic TV ads, but for some brands keep things very straightlaced online.
When used in content and ads, memes can have many benefits:
- They allow you to be creative.
- It’s an easy way to show your brand’s personality.
- They increase engagement.
- They’re easy to use.
- They are shareable.
People enjoy humor, and there’s certainly a place for it when you target millennials through paid ads. Just make sure your ads reflect the values of your business and resonate with your target audience. Otherwise, it can backfire.
5. Take Your Cue From Millennial Trends
The boozy brunch, avocado toast, and emojis are just some of the reported millennial trends in recent years. When 21.97 percent of the population enthusiastically gets behind something, you can bet it’s a factor to target with your marketing.
If you keep seeing something crop up in popular culture, then check it on Google Trends and see if it’s worth factoring into your marketing.
Remember that millennials are cynical consumers of advertising, so if it’s a reach to link your products to the trend, it’s probably best to leave it alone rather than look like you’re just trying too hard.
6. Ask the Millennials in Your Office for Help
One of the best ways to learn about your target audience is simply to ask them questions. Millennials now make up the largest proportion of the workforce, so there are bound to be some in your office.
Obviously, your co-workers have jobs to do, but it won’t hurt to run a few ideas by them. Millennials are a very diverse group, so they won’t be able to speak for everyone, but they might be able to give you some ideas about what works and what doesn’t with this generation.
Examples of Paid Ads Targeting Millennials
Brands are always trying to reach millennials through paid advertising, so there are lots of examples, some of which have had tremendous success, and others that are best forgotten. Let’s take a look at the best and the worst of the bunch.
The Good
Here are a few ads that nailed millennial marketing.
NFL and McDonald’s: Bad Lip Reading
This is a great example of brands capitalizing on millennial trends in a positive way.
In 2013, a series of YouTube videos found huge success by taking video footage of normal events and overlaying them with “bad lip reading.” One of the most successful videos was “The NFL: A Bad Lip Reading,” which has over 72 million views.
Rather than take offense at the light-hearted fun, the NFL embraced the trend and teamed up with McDonald’s to create their own version.
Airbnb: Belong Anywhere
Airbnb was founded in 2008 and was valued at over $100 billion when it went public in 2020. Part of its success has been a product that is closely aligned with the values of millennials, and its advertising continues to capitalize on this.
Messages such as “Let’s Keep Travelling Forward,” and “We Accept” fit perfectly with the ideals millennials respond to, and this has helped bring the company great success.
The Bad
What does it look like when millennial marketing goes wrong? Here are a few ads that missed the mark.
McDonald’s: Fish Fillet
It was widely accepted that McDonald’s missed the mark with its fish fillet ad because it’s seen as emotional manipulation.
Emotion is a big part of any ad, but it’s got to be done in the right way. This ad just seems like McDonald’s is using a child’s grief to sell its sandwiches, and that’s something millennials will see through.
Pepsi: Kendall Jenner Protest Ad
Millennials tend to feel a personal responsibility to make a positive change in the world, but brands that exploit that drive will suffer. For many people, this Pepsi ad featuring Kendall Jenner did just that.
Aired during a time of heightened tension around America, the ad seemed to trivialize the cause of the protests and struck the wrong chord with millennials.
Conclusion
Millennials are a diverse, tech-savvy group that were brought up with advertising, so it’s no surprise that it takes some fine-tuning to get your targeting right.
When you take the time to understand millennials, discover what values they hold dear, the platforms they engage with, and the types of content they respond to, then you will find you can successfully advertise to this group.
For some businesses, millennials simply won’t be part of their target market, but with this group making up over a fifth of the population, the majority of businesses are going to have to learn how to target them through paid ads.
Have you had success advertising to millennials?
The post How to Target Millennials Through Paid Ads appeared first on Neil Patel.
Republicans Need to Get Their Story Straight on Deficits
It won’t do to oppose them only when Democrats are passing costly legislation in times of crisis.
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How to Use Equipment Financing and Leasing In Your Business
It’s hard to grow any business, whether new or established, without the necessary equipment. However, some of it can be expensive. For a new business specifically, affording equipment can feel impossible. Still, you need that equipment to make money, which lends itself to a frustrating cycle. The answer may be equipment financing and leasing.
Equipment Financing and Leasing Is a Great Option for Both New and Established Businesses
Equipment financing is when you use a loan or lease to purchase or borrow hard assets for your business. You can use it to buy or lease any physical asset. This can include items like an industrial freezer in a restaurant or an oven or a company car, you name it.
A recent report, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) survey, found that 80% of American businesses lease a portion of their equipment. The list of companies using leasing includes everything from Fortune 500 companies to mom and pop shops.
Benefits of Equipment Financing and Leasing
There are many benefits to equipment financing and leasing. For example, you will pay a set amount each month, which makes budgeting easier. Also, you can build business credit if your creditor reports your payment to the business credit reporting agencies. The equipment is the collateral. That means you do not have to potentially sacrifice any other assets.
Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans.
In addition, it’s easy to upgrade equipment after your lease ends. This can be helpful if your equipment is something like a computer which quickly becomes obsolete.
What’s the Catch?
Of course, nothing is perfect. You may have to make a large down payment. Furthermore, you will often need to have good personal credit in order to qualify. If your financed equipment becomes outdated, your business is stuck with it until the end of the lease or loan. Sometimes, leases can end up actually costing more than purchasing. When the lease ends, you have to get a new lease or to make other arrangements. Whereas, if you buy the equipment outright you can sell it if you want.
Types of leases
There are a few different types of leases. Which one will work best for you will depend on a number of factors.
Fair Market Value Leasing
This is also called an FMV lease. With an FMV lease, you make regular payments while borrowing the equipment for a set term. When the term is up, you have the option to return the equipment or purchase it at its fair market value.
$1 Buyout Lease
This is a type of capital lease in which you pay off the cost of the equipment plus interest over the course of the lease. At the end, you owe only $1. Then, when you pay the $1 you fully own the equipment. This is similar to a loan in structure, and cost as well.
10% Option Lease
This lease is the same as a $1 lease, except at the end of the term you can buy the equipment for 10% of its cost. These leases typically have lower monthly payments than the $1 buyout option.
How Much Can a Lease Cost?
Of course it varies, but here is an example. Say the total cost of the equipment you are leasing is $25,000. If it is a 10% option with a 36 month term, with an interest rate of 15%, it looks like this:
- Monthly payment is $780
- Total cost of the lease is $28,079
- The cost to purchase at the of the lease is $2,500
- And the total Cost of Equipment is $30,579
Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans.
In this case, you would be paying an extra $5,579 over the course of the lease. That is over 1/5 added to your total cost for the equipment. If you bought the equipment outright you would pay $25,000. Of course, you would then be out $25,000 cash all at once. When you are leasing equipment, you pay out over the life of the lease and thus keep more working capital actually working for your business.
Credit Suite Offers Equipment Financing and Leasing
You can take advantage of our equipment financing and leasing programs if you have been in business at least one year. Even if your credit is not the greatest, we have options that may work. Even better, approval takes as little as 24 hours.
The minimum personal credit score requirement is 550. Generally speaking, this is considered a fair credit score, and thus much lower than what many lenders will want to see. You will also need to provide details on the equipment you are getting. You can be approved for as much as $10,000,000 in equipment financing after a quick credit review. This type of financing often affords more favorable terms than typical business financing programs and better benefits. Our equipment financing programs work for both established and startup businesses. We work with hundreds of lenders, and we can help you find the perfect one for your needs.
Equipment Financing and Leasing Rates and Payments
You can qualify with only two monthly payments as a down payment. Rates are affordable, and interest is 100% tax deductible. In addition, there is no application fee. Furthermore, the time from application to funding is generally 2 weeks or less.
Interest rates range from 7% to 25%, and depending on the amount of the loan and risk factors, you may have to provide 2 years of corporate and personal tax returns.
Are There Other Options for Funding Equipment?
Of course, we already mentioned paying cash and taking out a traditional loan. If you have accounts receivables you can do receivables financing. That’s really better for funding cash gaps. However, if you need to collect receivable to be able to afford your equipment, it could work.
Another option is the Credit Line Hybrid. This is unsecured business financing. There are no documents required, and you can get up to $150,000. You do have to have a credit score of at least 680 and meet some other requirements. However, if you do not qualify on your own, you can take on a credit partner that does meet the criteria. One bonus of this option is that you can purchase the equipment outright. Since many of the cards that are part of the Credit Line Hybrid sometimes offer low introductory rates for a short time, you could save on interest.
Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans.
Is Equipment Financing and Leasing the Right Option for Your Business?
The short answer is, it depends. That begs the question, what does it depend on. Well, first, do you need equipment? That’s what this type of financing is best for. Then, do you need to finance equipment? If you have the cash on hand, you need to consider it carefully. Financing can be a good idea if you would deplete your cash reserves paying cash for equipment.
Of course, you could just take out a traditional loan. However, you may have to come up with other collateral. If you need finance equipment, using that equipment as the collateral is the easiest solution. The collateralization allows for generally better rates and terms than you would get otherwise. Contact Credit Suite today to find the best option for equipment financing for your business.
The post How to Use Equipment Financing and Leasing In Your Business appeared first on Credit Suite.
New comment by WilliamSteen in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (March 2021)"
Federato | Head of Software architecture | Senior SWE | Remote |Full-time | www.Federato.ai We are an impact driven startup helping insurance companies optimize their portfolio through reinforcement learning and dynamic optimization. We’re an early stage startup backed by VC’s in the Bay area. We’re looking for: Head of software architecture: has experience designing software …
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How to Increase Page Speed
If a user clicks through to a page on your website and finds themself waiting more than a few seconds for your page to load, they are likely to leave your page and can cost you a conversion.
Luckily there’s a remedy to increase page speed, but it involves the identification of the issue or issues causing slow lead times.
Since it can be difficult to pinpoint what’s wrong, you can use tools such as Google’s PageSpeed Insights to help. Google PageSpeed considers several factors for an overall score load time score. When you analyze page speed, Google gives you a list of metrics that contribute to the score. Let’s find out what those metrics are.
Increase Page Speed with Google PageSpeed Insights Field Data
The first set Google PageSpeed Insights gives you is called field data. This includes a variety of aspects of your site. (You can also learn more about core web vitals and how it will affect speed and SERP performance.)
1. First Contentful Paint (FCP)
FCP is when your browser renders the initial information. That includes text, images (including background images), non-white canvas, and scalable vector graphics (SVG).
2. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP is a Google experience metric that measures the time it takes for the largest bit of information on the page to load. Google uses LCP as a ranking factor for pages.
3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS is another ranking factor for Google. It’s an unexpected shift—meaning jumping around to other locations on your screen—of page elements as it loads. It’s an indication of poor coding and can be caused by images, ads, videos, contact forms, and fonts.
4. First Input Delay (FID)
FID measures site response time when a user first interacts with it. If your user clicks on a video, the time it takes to play a video is your FID.
Using Lab Data to Increase Page Speed
The second set of elements is called lab data. It includes the elements above, as well as total blocking time, time to interactive, and speed index.
1. Speed Index (SI)
SI measures the average time it takes for all elements on a page to become visible. Measured in milliseconds, it calculates the time it takes for visual elements to load above the fold—the part of a webpage seen before a user has to scroll.
2. Time to Interactive (TTI)
TTI measures how long it takes for all of the interactive elements on a page to become fully functional. It’s the time between the First Contentful Paint to the time the page can handle the user’s input.
3. Total Blocking Time (TBT)
TBT measures the time between time to first contentful paint and the time a site becomes interactive.
Why Is It Important to Improve Page Speed?
Page speed affects user experience, which can make or break your site. Faster page speed makes for a better user experience and can increase page views and conversions and reduce bounce rate. Let’s get into more detail on the benefits of improving page speed.
1. Improve User Experience by Increasing Website Speed
According to our research, 47 percent of consumers expect a website to load in no more than two seconds.
Every second afterward damages user experience. Viewers don’t want to wait for your page to load, and they’ll often bounce to find another business with a better user experience.
2. Increase Page Views
You might have noticed that some of the metrics I mentioned above, namely LCP and CLS, affect Google page ranking. In their quest to provide high-quality search results for users, Google includes metrics measuring load times. So, the better your page speed, the better ranking you may get on Google.
3. Increase Conversions
If your pages load quickly, it stands to reason your users will be happier and more willing to turn into customers. In 12 case studies conducted by HubSpot, they found decreasing page load time increased conversions by anywhere from three to 17 percent.
We did the math. If you’re an e-commerce site making $10,000 a day, a one-second page delay could cost you $2.5 million per year.
4. Lower Bounce Rate
According to Think with Google, when your page load time increases from one second to three seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 32 percent. If it rises from one to five seconds, that probability increases 90 percent.
The difference of a few seconds is the difference between keeping and converting users and watching them go elsewhere.
8 Ways to Increase Page Speed
To get a baseline for your current page speed, test your site using a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights.
It will prompt you to enter a URL, then take a few minutes to analyze your page.
When it’s done, you’ll get an overall score that looks like this.
This is a pretty low score, but don’t panic. Google explains a number of factors can affect the final score and even cause it to fluctuate. Some of these factors include:
- conducting A/B tests
- changing the ads on your page
- changes in internet traffic routing
- testing on different devices, such as a high-performance desktop and a low-performance laptop
- browser extensions that inject JavaScript, which can add or modify network requests
- antivirus software
Google can analyze these factors and serve you a list of opportunities and diagnostics to help you speed up your page load time.
You can also try the following actions to increase page speed:
1. Limit Redirects
The more redirects you have, the longer it takes the server to find and load the correct page. Eliminate unnecessary redirects wherever you can.
2. Include the Trailing Slash
Don’t forget to include the trailing slash at the end of the URL. By doing so, you’re telling the server there are no file directories to search, and this page is the final destination.
So, instead of www.neilpatel.com/ubersuggest, your URL should read www.neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/.
It will shave a fraction of a second off your load time, where every millisecond counts.
3. Compress and Optimize Images
Large image files or a lot of images can take up a lot of your page load time. Make sure all your images are resized and compressed correctly.
They should be saved in the right format as well. PNG and JPEG files are the most easily compressed, and every browser supports them.
Compressing an image reduces the size of the file and is represented in kilobytes and megabytes. As a general rule, high-quality images can be compressed by 60% to 80%. You should never have an image larger than 1MB.
Resizing changes the size of the image on the page. Hero images may take up the entire width of your site (or about 1900 pixels), while smaller images should be 700 pixels or fewer. You can always size down, but it’s very difficult to size up without an image looking pixelated.
4. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
With a CDN, a network of servers hosts your site locally to speed up page load times. A user in Dublin accessing a website hosted in Los Angeles, for example, wouldn’t have to ping the server of origin but rather a closer one in Ireland.
By spreading out the content on multiple servers, it reduces the number of requests to the server of origin, which slows down load times.
5. Limit Plugins and Extra Page Elements
Plugins, JavaScript, and other extra elements add to page load time. Include only those elements that are necessary for your page.
Of course, there are plugins made to help with site speed. Plugins that automatically resize images, minify code, and defer JavaScript loading can help with page speed. You have to determine if the bells and whistles these plugins allow are worth the trade-off with page speed.
6. Minify Your HTML or CSS
When you minify your site’s code, you take out all the spaces, notes, and extra markup developers use to make their code readable and easier to work on down the road. A server doesn’t need all that to read HTML, JavaScript, or CSS, and it can get in the way when it tries to load a page.
There are tools to help you minify your sites:
- YUI Compressor from Yahoo! for CSS
- Google Closure Compiler for JavaScript
- Microsoft Ajax Minifier for CSS
- HTMLMinifier for HTML
7. Utilize Caching
When a site caches, the server saves copies of its pages, so it doesn’t have to start from scratch every time it loads the site. By using caching, you can reduce time.
8. Choose Your Web Host Carefully
When it comes to web hosting, you get what you pay for. Cheaper plans may not be able to handle as much traffic, which could slow your page speed.
There are four kinds of web hosting services you can choose from:
- Shared Hosting: A single server hosts multiple small sites. The price for shared hosting is low, but a surge in traffic to any other hosted sites can slow down yours.
- VPS Hosting: A virtual private server, or VPS, hosts many sites, but each site has a virtual “spot” dedicated only to them. Because it’s virtual, it gives you more resources, potentially reducing the risk of site speed issues related to traffic.
- Dedicated Server Hosting: One site is hosted on a single server. Although more expensive, it helps to lower or eliminate the risk of losing site speed due to other sites’ traffic surges.
- Cloud Hosting: Websites are hosted on a network of virtual and physical servers that offer more resources and more flexibility. If you suddenly get a surge in traffic, a virtual host will scale up to handle it.
To choose the right hosting service for your site, consider the sizes of your site and budget.
Conclusion
A fast load time has always been an important component of user experience. Now that it’s one of Google’s components in its ranking algorithm, page speed has become critical for ranking and page views.
To improve page speed, look out for common issues that cause pages to load slowly like the images too large or you’re using too many plugins.
If you are unsuccessful or overwhelmed by following practices that increase page speed, our agency is here to walk you through the steps.
Have you taken a look at your site speed? What were the most common causes of slower load time for you?
The post How to Increase Page Speed appeared first on Neil Patel.
New comment by Mave83 in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (March 2021)"
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