When it comes to front end development, performance isn’t just a bonus, it’s a necessity. Users expect pages to load instantly, and if they don’t, they leave. As developers, it’s our job to deliver fast, responsive experiences that keep users engaged. In this blog, I’ll share ten front end performance techniques that genuinely make a difference.
1. Compress and Optimise Your Images
Images are one of the biggest contributors to slow page loads. Always compress them before uploading. Tools like TinyPNG or Adobe Photoshop’s export settings can help you drastically reduce file size without noticeable loss of quality.
Use WebP Format Where Possible
WebP offers smaller file sizes than JPEG or PNG and is widely supported in modern browsers. This format can shave off precious kilobytes and load time.
2. Minify and Combine Your CSS and JavaScript
Minifying your stylesheets and scripts removes unnecessary characters like white space and comments. Combining them reduces the number of HTTP requests, which helps your site load faster.
Use Build Tools for Automation
Tools like CodeKit, Vite or Gulp can automate this step as part of your build process. This ensures your production files are always clean and lightweight.
3. Lazy Load Images and Videos
There’s no need to load every image on the page immediately, especially ones further down. Lazy loading delays the load of off-screen media until the user scrolls near them.
How to Implement
You can use the native (loading=”lazy”) attribute on images, or implement JavaScript-based libraries like Lozad or LazyLoad for more control.
4. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN stores your website’s static assets on servers around the world. This means users load your site from the closest location, which speeds things up massively.
Popular CDN Options
Cloudflare, Fastly and KeyCDN are reliable choices. Even hosting your fonts or media files through a CDN can make a huge difference.
5. Reduce JavaScript Payloads
Modern websites are often bloated with unnecessary scripts. Review your dependencies and remove anything that’s not essential. Every kilobyte counts.
Audit Your Code
Use browser dev tools or PageSpeed Insights to analyse performance and see where improvements can be made.
6. Use CSS Instead of JavaScript Where You Can
CSS transitions and animations are more efficient than JavaScript-based ones. They also improve browser performance, especially on mobile devices.
7. Enable GZIP or Brotli Compression
Compression reduces the size of files sent from your server to the browser. This can dramatically improve load times with very little effort.
Check With Your Host
Most modern web hosts support GZIP by default, but it’s worth confirming or enabling it manually through your server or .htaccess file.
8. Cache Assets Effectively
Leveraging browser caching means repeat visitors don’t have to reload the same assets every time. Set far-future expiration headers for static resources.
Configure Cache-Control Headers
Set cache policies in your server config or via plugins if using a CMS like WordPress.
9. Reduce the Use of External Fonts
Fonts can be heavy, especially when loading multiple weights or styles. Use only the styles you need and consider system fonts for faster rendering.
10. Prioritise Critical CSS
Critical CSS refers to the styles needed for the first visible portion of your page. Loading this first improves perceived load time for users.
How to Implement
You can inline critical CSS into the head and defer the rest. Tools like Critical by Addy Osmani help automate this for larger projects.
Final Thoughts
Web performance is not a one-and-done task. It requires consistent auditing and fine-tuning, but these ten front end tips are a solid foundation. Whether you’re building from scratch or optimising an existing site, small changes can have a big impact. For deeper analysis, check out Google’s web.dev performance guides for even more expert resources.
Start applying these today and you’ll not only improve load speeds, but you’ll also boost SEO rankings, user experience and conversion rates, all essential outcomes for modern websites.
