9 Proven Ways To Improve Website Speed
Updated on: 18 June 2025
Today, every second matters especially when it comes to website loading time. Whether you’re managing a corporate portal in Kuala Lumpur or running an e-commerce site in Penang, a sluggish website can drive potential customers away and hurt your search engine optimisation (SEO) rankings. Google has made it clear: site speed is a ranking factor. So if you’re wondering how to improve website speed and boost visibility on search engines, you’re in the right place.
Here are 9 proven strategies to improve website speed and maximise SEO performance.
1. Optimise Image Sizes Without Compromising Quality
High-resolution images can significantly slow down loading times. Use image compression tools such as TinyPNG or ShortPixel to reduce file size while preserving clarity. Better still, serve images in next-gen formats like WebP, which load faster than JPEG or PNG.
✅ Example: A Malaysian fashion e-store reduced homepage load time by 40% simply by converting their product photos to WebP and compressing them.
2. Enable Browser Caching
Browser caching allows static files (like CSS, JavaScript, and images) to be stored on users’ devices, so they don’t have to be re-downloaded every time someone visits your site.
✅ Example: A Kuala Lumpur-based blog increased repeat visit speed by 60% after implementing browser caching via their .htaccess file.
3. Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
Removing unnecessary characters like whitespace, comments, and unused code from your CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files helps improve site speed by reducing file sizes. Tools such as UglifyJS and CSSNano can help automate this process.
✅ Example: An IT service provider in Johor shaved 1.2 seconds off their load time by minifying frontend assets across all pages.
4. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN distributes your content across global servers, so users access your site from the server closest to them. In Malaysia, using a CDN ensures quicker content delivery across ASEAN and even globally. Popular CDNs: Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, BunnyCDN
✅ Example: A digital agency in Petaling Jaya noted a 50% improvement in global page speed scores after integrating Cloudflare.
5. Implement Lazy Loading for Images and Videos
Lazy loading ensures media content loads only when it’s visible on the user’s screen. This dramatically reduces initial load times and saves bandwidth.
✅ Example: A lifestyle blog in Penang saw bounce rates drop by 20% after enabling lazy loading for their image-heavy content.
6. Choose Fast, Local Hosting Providers
Your hosting provider plays a critical role in overall website performance. Opt for servers based in or near Malaysia, and ensure your host supports HTTP/2, SSD storage, and sufficient bandwidth.
✅ Recommended local hosts: ServerFreak, Exabytes, Shinjiru
✅ Example: An e-commerce store switched from US-based hosting to a Malaysian provider and saw a 70% drop in server response time.
7. Reduce HTTP Requests
Every file on your website—including scripts, stylesheets, and images—triggers an HTTP request. By reducing the number of elements loaded, you improve website performance significantly.
Ways to reduce requests:
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Combine CSS and JS files
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Use CSS sprites
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Remove unnecessary plugins
✅ Example: A Selangor-based SME improved their mobile load speed by consolidating three CSS files into one and removing outdated widgets.
8. Enable Gzip Compression
Gzip compresses your website files before sending them to browsers, reducing the data transferred and speeding up loading time.
✅ Example: A law firm in Kota Kinabalu cut their homepage size from 2MB to 700KB after activating Gzip via their web server.
9. Monitor and Optimise Using Speed Testing Tools
Regularly monitor your site using tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix (Malaysia server available), or Pingdom. These tools not only score your site but provide actionable tips on how to improve website speed.
✅ Example: A tech company used GTmetrix and identified a bottleneck in their third-party scripts, improving load time by 1.5 seconds after removal.
Conclusion
Improving your website’s speed is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. For Malaysian business owners and digital marketers, taking the time to improve site speed will directly impact user experience, conversion rates, and Google rankings. Whether you run a blog, an online store, or a corporate website, these 9 strategies offer a solid foundation to improve website speed and SEO effectiveness. Plus, faster load times are one of the many essential ways to boost organic traffic, making your website more attractive not just to users, but to search engines as well.
Start small, test regularly, and optimise continually. Your site and your visitors will thank you for it.