When it comes to internet surfing, speed rules. If your website takes too long to load, and by too long we mean more than a few seconds, you’re going to lose potential prospects. Think about your own internet usage for a moment, do you sit patiently and wait for a website to open? Get up grab a cup of coffee, walk the dog and then come back to see if it’s up or do you click away?

Most people click away. They’re searching for information and we’ve become accustomed to instant gratification, at least online. So what’s an internet business owner to do? Make sure your webpages load quickly!

Here’s how to design your webpages for fast loading.

#1 Graphics are the biggest culprit. Graphics are the biggest problem when it comes to slow loading webpages. The general rule of thumb is to make sure a graphic takes up no more than 10K on any given page and the rule of thumb is to make sure each page takes up no more than 30K so you can see where your graphics play an important role and why optimizing them is so important.

However, before you take that 500X500 jpg and minimize it to 100×100 in the html code of your page, stop! Reduce the size of the image before you put it on the page. Forcing the server to recognize the code and reduce the image size every time it loads, slows down the loading time significantly.

And steer clear of flash, it generally loads quite slowly. If you do use flash make sure you optimize the files before you load them onto your server and page.

#2 Watch tables and colors too. Tables and colors can also be big files and take up a lot of space. Use tables sparingly, when they make sense and fit into your overall plan. Colors on the other hand are a necessity, right? Use simple design and background images and fills for the best loading, and probably the most user friendly, webpages.

It’s predicted that as we move into the next decade, beyond 2010 that websites are going to become even more streamlined than they are now. Part of the reason is that more and more people are accessing the web from their mobile devices and a streamlined and simply designed website is much easier to use.

#3 Clean up your code. Often there are bits and pieces of broken code. Cleaning it up will help streamline loading times.

#4 Optimize your page for content. Content is the biggie here, it’s why people are going to your website so rather than spending all that time and energy on graphics and colors, make sure your content loads quickly – try to skip tables and frames, is easy to read, and takes a prominent position on your page – there are no distractions.

#5 Use gadgets and plug-ins sparingly. Yes, these are fun tools that can enhance your user experience however they can also clutter a page and slow down loading time.

These five strategies are applicable regardless of the tools and language you use to create your website however, as you or your developer delve further into the website building process there are certain things you can do within each tool or language to increase loading time. Learn the rules and specifications of your chosen website builder and learn how to optimize images and files. Accomplishing this will take you a long way toward achieving a lightening quick load time and happy prospects and customers.