In recent times it has become vital that even basic websites have a content management system (CMS) with modern facilities and workflow, especially with the rise of ecommerce, dynamic, and large-scale publishing sites. Before now, in the early days of the web, most websites were just a few HTML pages hosted on a server somewhere.
A powerful framework that provides endless features and apps can be great, but sometimes, if all you really need is a website that is reliable and consistent for its good performance, regardless of traffic quantity, a lightweight template could do the job. It can not only save you time and money, but it can increase conversions too.
Whether you are using WordPress or Django, with the right resources, a scalable site, with all the apps and plugins you require can be created using a lightweight template.
Why should I bother?
With more and more people using the web, and with more people using broadband, the number of dial-up users is dwindling fast. As such, web pages are loading faster, so why worry about adding that HD video to your homepage?
Well, users are now accessing your website from various devices, with many people now using smartphones and tablets, aswell as desktops and laptops. However, mobile broadband quality is notoriously patchy, and not all broadband speeds are ‘up to speed’, so a lightweight template will allow your website to be accessed with a quick load time from all devices of all speeds.
As lightweight websites are so easy for search engines to index, ensuring none of of your pages are missed, search engines spend much less time doing so, improving your overall ranking, and therefore boosting SEO.
Not only is a lightweight template quicker to load, it’s quicker to build too. With a simple layout approach, with just one or two page templates and some simple typography, creating a lightweight website is much faster than something complex with various sections and a background that requires complicated slicing and coding.
Also, with its simple code, debugging any problems that may arise is a much easier process. For example, a stylesheet with over 2000 different properties will take much longer than one with just 200. It’s simple maths, really. This can be really useful in ensuring your website works with different browsers and devices.
Also, using lightweight code can save you on your server costs, as it is loading with much fewer requests. A template that is heavy with images puts more strain on the server, resulting in a slower response time when more than one user goes on to your website, which can leave you spending more money to get a better response time unnecessarily.
By finding ways to simplify your code from the beginning, working towards a lightweight, easy-to-manage template can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
If you’re looking for an experienced team to create a lightweight website for you, feel free to get in touch via the contact form below. We’re always happy to chat. You can find out more about the WordPress websites we create here.
