There are many factors about your website’s performance and design that are important for SEO, yet not directly linked to it. What do we mean? We mean that they’re connected to other relevant factors and have a say in your rank in one way or the other. Things such as website design and loading speed are important, even though they might not be directly considered by Google.
How does loading speed affect your rank?
When people try to enter your site, their browsers take a bit to load. The longer that loading process takes, the bigger the chance is that those people will leave your site and never return. Factors that affect loading speed can be things like website design, amount of flash used, and components that have to be loaded. If your overall theme is heavy, and your website is full of flash, then you can be sure that it will take a long time to load, even if people have a great internet connection. The problem is that people with ultra fast internet are not going to wait because they’re used to sites loading immediately. You have three seconds and then people leave, thus increasing your bounce rate. The same goes for people with bad internet connection and mobile users – they’re not going to wait for your heavy site to load and they will just leave. This indicates to Google that there is something wrong with your site.
What can you do about it?
There is no reason your site can’t be beautiful and simplistic at the same time. Simplistic design has the inherent benefit of loading faster, though. Also, try to limit the amount of flash. The more flash you have, the slower your site will be. Give users a good reason to stick around, but don’t make them wait for it.
NXTFactor can help you significantly improve your rank and give you more tips about SEO, digital marketing, and overall optimization.