Practical techniques to improve website load times and performance: image optimization, asset minification, CDN usage, deferring JS, and reducing TTFB.

Fast websites convert better, retain users, and rank higher in search engines. Below are practical, implementable techniques you can apply today to improve your site's performance.

1. 1. Optimize and Serve Images Properly

   Use modern formats (WebP/AVIF) and serve appropriately sized images. Compress images during your build process and enable lazy-loading for images below the fold:

   <img src="hero.webp" alt="hero" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="600">

2. 2. Minify and Bundle Assets

   Minify CSS and JS, remove unused code, and bundle files where appropriate. Tools like Vite, esbuild, or webpack can automate this in your CI pipeline.

3. 3. Use a CDN and Proper Caching

   Deliver static assets via a Content Delivery Network and set long cache headers for immutable files. For dynamic content, use server-side caching or edge caching to lower response times.

4. 4. Defer Non-Critical JavaScript

   Don't block rendering with heavy scripts. Use defer or dynamic imports to load non-essential JavaScript after the first meaningful paint.

   <script src="/js/app.js" defer></script>

5. 5. Improve Time to First Byte (TTFB)

   Optimize server response times by profiling slow endpoints, using connection pooling, and keeping database queries efficient. Consider edge functions or serverless for geographically distributed traffic.

Measure before and after: use Lighthouse, WebPageTest, or real-user metrics (RUM) to track improvements and prioritize efforts that deliver the biggest user impact.