Developing an app is full of different choices and considerations to make. You need to choose which development tools to use, the design of the app and so much more. Even things like the choosing the right framework to utilize is important to consider . For example, there is the ongoing debate of .Net Core vs .Net Framework and which is better for certain types or applications.
While these are all important considerations, when you have an application, perhaps the most important thing to think about is making it as user-friendly as possible. This includes ensuring it looks good, performs well, navigates well and provides value to the user. However, arguably one of the most important parts of a user-friendly app is actually the speed in which the app loads. In fact, many consumers expect a page (whether it be in on an app or website) to load within only a few seconds, and if it doesn’t, many visitors will go elsewhere.
For many apps, this is a problem. Slowing loading times are unfortunately all-too-common. In addition to annoying your existing users and customers, these slow load times can turn off new visitors. As a result, you need to do all you can to reduce and optimize application load time. This article is going to look at a few of the best ways you can reduce the load times within your app.
Compress Your Data
One of the biggest contributors to slow loading speed is the amount of content that your app needs to load in. Sure, these can add to the UX of your app, they can also slow it down. If you have a ton of text, images, videos or other data that needs to load, it could be a slow process. However, instead of having to remove all of these elements, you can just compress their data.
This can include using HTTP compression for text or changing the file format for images and videos. You need to know which file format will work the best with certain images or other types of media. Once the data has been compressed and optimized, you should notice your app will have a much faster load time.
Consider Using a Load Balancer
Oftentimes, an app will use one large server and that’s it. Unfortunately, this can often lead to slower-than-normal load time in some cases. This is especially true when there is a lot of incoming requests to the server. But instead of suffering through these load times, you can also just use a load balancer.
A load balancer will distribute the requests and traffic across a number of different services, not just one. As you can imagine, this should greatly decrease the amount of time it will take a user to load up your app. These can also greatly increase the reliability of your app, as well as allowing your app to handle more concurrent users. They decrease the burden on servers and allow for a more smooth overall performance of the app, not just when the app is being loaded.
Ensure Performance is Being Monitored
While you can do everything to ensure your app will load quickly, sometimes unexpected issues or errors can arise. As a result, it is incredibly important to continually monitor the performance of your app live. This will make sure you always know it is working at it’s best and if not, you can quickly diagnose and fix the problem. Monitoring will also allow you to potentially take certain measures to protect yourself from these issues in the future.
Without actively monitoring your app, you may be unsure why you app is performing poorly or loading slow. This means it will take you much longer to understand what’s causing the issue, which can lead to a subpar experience for your users for a longer period of time. Many tools and services can monitor your app’s performance, and they are a worthy investment.
In conclusion, hopefully this article has been able to help you learn how to reduce app load time. This information will not only help improve visitor experience, but could also lead to you getting more visitors, as well.
