ln the old days of 53 kbs dial up internet it was crucial that page sizes and the images used on them were kept as small as possible to facilitate fast page load times. Since then, broadband internet promising over 1 GB per second has led to page bloat as website developers have been able focus on the bells and whistles that come with a well designed, pretty website.
Good website design isn't just about serving up pretty web pages. It's about being able to serve them up in a timely manner.
If you travel abroad you may find that pages which load quickly in your home country load at the pace of a snail particularly if you are relying on hotel internet, let alone your mobile phone. As I have mentioned in other blogs, always consider who your audience is and something I've not mentioned before, where they come from.
Mobile device usage is exploding around the world with easier access to the internet than there is to basic sanitation.
As a website developer I always keep page sizes down and reduce the use of images in favour of CSS (the style behind a web page). I ensure that images are optimised to be as small as possible.
Giving a website owner the freedom to add their own content and images is great. But the danger that comes with this is that clients do not always think about or know how to optimise their images meaning that in some case an image might be 10 times bigger or more than what it could be. Of course, rather than do this all yourself I can be involved in helping you create your online content.