North Macedonian laboratory FoodLab, which specializes in food and beverages check-ups, is the proud owner of a new and modern website made by Speedflow Bulgaria. The laboratory will now have an extra channel to showcase its selection of tests and types of food and beverages tested.

 

About the project:

For a little bit less conversation—a period of around 20 days—we unfolded a fluid, up-to-date website with the name FoodLab on top. We would like to direct your attention to three aspects of this web development project:

• Web design
• Content management system
• Optimization

After a friendly chat with our clients, we came to the conclusion that the design should be in line with the following:

• Our client’s mission
• The language requirements of their target audience
• Our client’s wishes to have more direct contact with their clients

We selected a blend of dark blue/purple (header), green and white. We also highlighted the North Macedonian text in green—to differentiate from the English one—and left enough white space to make the website look clean and clear.

The overall idea was to underline the laboratory’s mission towards healthier food and beverages.

 

 

For this project, we used WordPress. This content management system gives FoodLab admins the freedom to update the inventory of the tests offered and the types of food tested at will. Additionally, FoodLab can choose to create new pages—and fill them with content—without having to rely on professional web developers.

Finally, on the optimization front, our experts dug deep to squeeze every weed out of the code and content. Everything you see on the website is cut down to a minimum size, and as a result, the site is light and fast. This places it in an ideal position to be ranked well in the search engines.

 

 

The project’s final brushes

They were accompanied by our prescribed belly tickles and bubbly giggles and followed by a quickly-descending dome of mildly weird conversations. In other words, our team opened a bottle of wine.

That aside, we are delighted to add another successfully completed project to our portfolio.
Congratulations to our friends from FoodLab! We wish them a long and fruitful use of their new website and success in all their future endeavors!

Here is an overview of what we did:

• Web design
• Optimization—code and content
• Graphic design
• Website development

 

More about FoodLab

FoodLab aims to provide the best-quality tests to ensure the safety and high standard of food and beverages in and around North Macedonia. The laboratory employs professionals with extensive experience in laboratory work and cooperates with accredited laboratories in the region.

It is located in a modern, new building at Boris Trajkovski Street, Skopje.

 

If you need web development, web & graphic design, mobile apps development, digital marketing solutions or anything else related to your next web project, please contact us at info@speedflow.bg

The expectation that virtual and augmented reality web design was to take over this year hasn’t realized yet. Instead we see more experimentation with color, shapes, fonts and storytelling style. Along with that, minimalism is refusing to fade away.

Web design is not an exact science. What worked 10 years ago may not work today. It’s hard to predict where it will go, but for us at Speedflow Bulgaria, it is fun to trail the latest developments and trends and keep on top of things.

The other thing is that web design can have two contradictory concepts trending at the same time. And while this can be confusing, we shouldn’t forget that both can be used to the same degree of success to achieve different things.

In line with our article 7 web design trends that rock 2017, we thought it was time for an update. Here are the 7 most widespread web design trends for the first quarter of 2019 (a note must be made here that this is not an exhaustive list of the web design trends of 2019. We have selected the best 7, according to us). Enjoy:

 

1. Organic shapes

Example: Mawla

The folks at Mawla, for example, use a blend of organic shapes and bright colours to create a pretty appealing website.

 

Paper cups, biodegradable bags, reusable sandwich bags, shower timers and wooden coffee-stirring sticks: you get the point. Society is headed towards a more nature-integrated existence. And web designers are following suit. In fact, web design seems to be becoming more socially conscious by the day.

For 2019, we see a huge rise in the use of organic shape elements. Rounded, leaf-, tree- and wave-like shapes are everywhere, inspiring a more natural look and feel.

 

2. 2 x Video

Example: Oand3

Oand3 have boldly placed a loop of nature scenery Above the Fold on their homepage—to pleasing results, we must say.

Video is multiplying. It’s not hard to see why. Through video, users can ingest information without expending too much energy, and perhaps this partly explains why video is so popular. As of 2019, web designers are experimenting with video placement to varying degrees of success. More and more websites are using full-screen video in the Above the Fold section – where they can leave an impression and show first-hand what their product is all about.

Along with the video marketing becoming more and more popular, big brands are now using auto-play videos as a background to their home page.

 

3. Micro-Interactions

Example: Micro-interaction on Dribble

Micro-interactions are wide spread to the degree that you can stumble on one in most modern websites you visit. Here is an example of what they look like.

Have you watched Lie to Me? For those of you who haven’t: it’s about a character who is brilliant at reading facial micro-expressions and body language. Whether we are aware enough to detect such minute interactions or not, it doesn’t matter. They affect us nonetheless.

In 2019, web designers have embraced methods of micro-interaction, including subtle animations, creative picture content and others.

Here are a few digital elements used to create micro-interactions:

• Scrollbar
• Button
• User-triggered animation
• Swipe animation

 

4. The Color Rebel: Black and white is making a return

Example: Councl

Here, Councl demonstrate an effective use of black and white elements. The result is an uncluttered, elegant website.

 

Web designers have been riding the wave of minimalism for a couple of years now. Along this line, black and white pictures are making a return. And they fit quite well. This could be because black and white compositions impress on us a sense of timelessness and depth that is not immediately visible to the eyes.

This stands in contrast to another design trend: the increasing use of bright colors. Moving onto…

 

5. Bright colors and gradients

Example: Atlassian

In contrast to the previous point, Atlassian demonstrate the effective use of bright colours to achieve an interesting website without compromise to simplicity.

Color is web designers’ AK47. And in the past year and in the beginning of 2019, some of them are shooting it like crazy. Bright colors and strong gradient have become widespread. For example, placing a brightly colored element in a less impressive background can make it stand out and improve CTR – basic psychology of colors.

 

6. Broken Grid – Asymmetry

Example: ClinicaBenessere

Scroll down to see what the broken-grid method means. It is an interesting approach which keeps the ‘surprise’ element alive.

The first three months of 2019 are a natural continuation to a design trend that has taken hold of web design since 2017 – the broken grid method.

Asymmetrical placements of elements designed to anticipate the gaze of the internet reader rather than draw it in are becoming popular. Time will have the last word on this approach.

 

7. Serif Takeover

Example: The Guardian

Perhaps, The Guardian can afford to experiment with fonts. They are big and have a loyal following. But they are not the only ones we see using serif.

 

The general consensus is that serif is only suitable for print. You see, sans serif is easier to read, which can be important in today’s age of mobile devices. But the first quarter of 2019 has seen a return of the serif font. Because of its link to the past, serif exudes a certain dignified air and, for this reason, it is a good fit for some brands, while for others – not so much.

 

These are just 7 of many, many web design trends that are happening right now. We expect to see VR web design hitting soon but its price might be putting off website owners at this point in time. Another interesting concept we’d like to see more of is creative, engaging scroll storytelling.

If you need professional web design and web development services that create unique user experience, talk to us at info@speedflow.bg to get a quote.

Or, if you have a different vision about the future of web design, please let us know in the comment section. We’d be intrigued to hear it.

So, you have an idea for a website? Choosing the right web developing company to undertake your project can mean the difference between hitting and missing the mark.

This is where we come in. We want to save you the time and money that is usually wasted with the standard “try, fail, try again” approach.
Here is why choosing Speedflow Bulgaria for your next website development project is the best thing you can do for your business:

 

? 1. We offer one of the best price-quality ratios out there

Our policy is to evaluate each project separately and adjust our prices according to its size and requirements. While some web developing companies offer to build sites for as little as 200 BGN (100 €), you are hardly guaranteed satisfaction. Our prices reflect the quality that we offer but remain a bargain compared to the competition.

 

? 2. Our approach is customer-focused

Here at Speedflow Bulgaria, we believe clear communication is the key to the successful outcome of any project. We only start projects when we understand what our customers want to achieve. This avoids misunderstandings and frustration along the way.

 

? 3. Customer-regulated production process

We make sure to check-in with each customer at several key points in the web-development process to assure that the project does not stray from its original trajectory. This means that the customer will have the final say in the design and functionality of their website.

 

? 4. We deliver faster than our competition

In today’s competitive environment, most businesses find making a mark impossible without innovative solutions. While we rely on ‘untested methods’ to provide unprecedented quality, we also make sure we have the required solid foundation to get us there. Delivering the finished website faster than our competitors is, thus, one of our main goals.

 

? 5. Our team is comprised of experienced specialists

We have put in some mileage together now – about 15 years. The road has taught us a thing or two, but most importantly, we have discovered we enjoy working together. This helps plenty. We have experienced specialists in all aspects of web development – programmers, UX and UI designers, marketing and SEO, copywriters, customer relationship managers, digital marketing specialists, and many others.

 

? 6. Rich portfolio showcasing different niche projects

You can find evidence of our conquered peaks in our featured portfolio section. We have successfully completed projects for clients from both Bulgaria and other European countries. Our portfolio of completed projects includes ground-up websites for medical centres, dental clinics, restaurants, private enforcement bodies, online shops, etc.

 

? 7. Our designers have a sixth sense about attractive and elegant design

We think attractive, responsive design is the right way to go. In parallel to great design, we make sure website visitor experience is rooted in up-to-date standards in the web development industry and Google.

 

♿ 8. We take projects in any stage of development

We don’t limit ourselves to ground-up web development. We also undertake old site updates, plug-in creation requests, SEO optimization, development of Android and iOS mobile applications, eCommerce websites development, web design, and custom and server applications. We are proud to have specialists in all the areas we cover.

 

? 9. Effective SEO for improved search engine visibility

Our SEO experts have the connections and know-how to eject websites into more favorable positions on the Google ladder. We have the resources to undertake long back-link building campaigns to reach our clients’ goals and have the history to prove it.

 

⚙ 10. Responsive, conscientious technical support team 

Our technical support team is comprised of experienced specialists, which enables them to identify and resolve issues quickly, so any disruption to the workflow of our clients is eliminated in its bud.

 

If you have a clear idea about your website and want a professional team to help you build it, sent your inquiry HERE

Or get in touch with us at info@speedflow.bg

Restaurant websites carry a notorious reputation online. A big chunk of them are clunky, slow or too distracting to give a pleasant and fruitful user experience. Most of the bad quality stems either from a lack of budget, disinterest in the online presence or a total misinterpretation of the online reality by restaurant owners.

In either case, this part of the internet needs serious keyboard action from web developers. We are happy to tackle the problem one step at a time. This article aims to help restaurateurs craft and sustain their online image.

Here are the key elements every good restaurant website should have:

 

1. Story

Stories make the world tick. The same applies to restaurants. The story depicting the journey from the time when the doors first opened to the present day gives personality to restaurants and transfers their offline brand identity to the online world. A story full of interesting characters – i.e. regular visitors, team, owners, etc. – sparks the imagination and encourages people to visit. Think “Cheers”.

Restaurants should have a well-thought-out “About us” section where their story is displayed for anyone who wishes to find out. Needless to say, Google places heavy emphasis on “about us” pages, nudging those who have shared their story up to the ranks.

Key elements of your restaurant story:

• The Beginning: how and when
• Challenges or struggles [optional but can work wonders if done the right way]
• Values and/or goals
• Team – food is not made by brands; it is made by people for people.

Essentially, the ‘About us’ page is the creative part of your website, so don’t be afraid to experiment with it. At Speedflow, we strive to come up with ‘out of the box’ solutions. This is why we recommend that you also add ‘regular visitors’ to your ‘About us’ page:

• Regular visitors – any interesting characters who visit the place often or celebrities that have visited. If done correctly this subpage can boost your brand image (most restaurant websites also have a “Testimonials” page where visitors of the restaurant are free to share their opinion).

 

2. Elegant and clean design

If there’s a place where restaurateurs’ refined instincts for décor fall short, it is the web. Whether due to worn-out attitudes or something else, many restaurateurs think that running a website is the same as running a restaurant. For that reason, they often employ methods they are familiar with and end up stuffing their websites with junk (from a web perspective) that totally puts off visitors.

Essentially, a restaurant website aims to give off the same vibe as the restaurant but in a bite-sized format. This is because visitors would spend much less time there than they would at the restaurant itself. Hence, the less clutter and distractions there are, the better.

 

3. Responsive design

Traffic from mobile devices is on the rise. According to this Hosting Facts study, every year traffic from mobile phones rises between 3-5%. As of 2018, traffic from mobile devices has thumped traffic from other sources.

This is why it is crucial to have responsive design enabling optimal visual experience on any mobile device. RWD websites also have an edge over mobile-app-only solutions as they provide a quicker, more efficient service.

For more detailed information on how the two differ, please take a peek at our Mobile app or mobile website? article and see which one is better for your business.

 

4. Professional photos

You may have stumbled upon the phrase: A picture is worth a thousand words. Well, we are just wired this way. The senses provide a shorter and faster link between the outside and inside worlds than language.

Professional photos of food tickle the taste buds and caress the eye. They are an excellent way to ‘spice up’ the design of your restaurant’s website and to tempt people to visit and try out your dishes. Good lighting, sensitive equipment, and excellent rendering are the key to a satisfying visual product. This is why it is important to rely on a professional photographer – every respectable website development company should have one.

* Remember that we’re talking about a website and one of the analogies everyone has to do is “image optimization“. In other words, each image in, must be as “light” as possible and take up the minimal file size.

 

5. Clear Food Menu

The point of ordering food online is to eat, not to get entertained. Avoid:

• Background guitar music
• Flash ‘shock and awe’ missions
• And/or YouTube videos

Everything should be simplified to cut the waiting time for the customer to the minimum. A hungry mind hates to wait—and is anxious.

Restaurant owners know that the more choices you have, the more anxious you become and use this in their menus to create the desired impact. However, online menus work a bit differently. If you are to cram every dish in a single category, no one will have the patience to browse the mess. The right grouping can do wonders with online menus.

Additionally, optimisation of the visual and textual content is a must if your website is to rank well in Google.

 

6. Faultless Online Ordering System

Some restaurant sites have functionalities inherent to an eCommerce website, which provides the opportunity to order food online. Some of those ordering systems make the process of ordering food—from selection to check-out—to take 5 steps or more. This makes the online ordering experience slow and distracting, and as a result, the number of orders decreases.

In an ideal world, an online ordering system should be like a rail track. It should lead from point A to point B without any splits in between. Additionally, some chains use interesting add-ons like delivery tracking and Chatbots. These are also excellent methods to save time and money and improve customer service.

7. Local SEO and Embedded Map

Optimisation for location (or Local SEO) is crucial for most businesses, especially for restaurants if they want to actually bring their website visitors to the tables. Good local SEO practice requires a number of key elements called NAP + O to be present in the footer of your website (Name, Address, Phone, and Operating Hours).

An embedded map is also an important element—not only for your visitors but also for Google.

Additionally, you can allocate a partner slot in the footer of the website, which can bring you further benefits – either monetary or in terms of Google ranking.

In short, these are footer elements that must be present:

• Telephone number
• E-mail
• Address
• Opening hours
• Embedded map
• Partners slot

 

8. Fast Load Speed

A well-built website should load fast. According to this Blue Corona study, the probability of users bouncing increases drastically with every second the page takes to load. This is why fast loading is crucial for keeping and creating new customers.

Fast loading can be achieved with old website as well, but best practice dictates it should be taken into account from the go in the website building process. It can be achieved in a number of ways:

• Clean and efficient code
• Optimized images and text
• A good server response rate
• Enabled cache
• Elimination of redirects
• Restriction of the number of plug-ins

You can find a more detailed, spear-headed explanation in our How to Improve your Website Speed series.

 

Conclusion

Of course, even having the world’s most expensive website will not guarantee tables will be full every night, but it definitely helps. Your website is not only the face of your restaurant on the web but also a way to expand your scope and make more money via online orders and advertisement.

If you are interested in creating a website tailored to your business, reach out and discuss it with us at info@speedflow.bg

Kosher food restaurant Jerusalem is the proud and happy owner of a new and modern website created by our experts here at Speedflow Bulgaria. Apart from more exposure, Jerusalem will now be able to give their customers a more straightforward experience in making reservations and ordering food online.

 

About the website

In just under a month, our experts fulfilled all our customer’s requirements and goals and developed a website that fits into their offline brand image. Three key points come in focus with this website:

• The menu section
• Visual impact
• The online ordering system

To create the needed positive visual experience, we sent our experienced photographer on location to take pictures of the restaurant’s dishes and interior. We are delighted to have achieved the visual impact our client desired. In fact, the quality is such that we are tempted to try those delicious traditional Israeli dishes ourselves.

We believe that having a structured and clear food menu section is crucial for any restaurant website. Our experts dug deep and designed intuitive navigation which significantly simplifies the process of selecting and online ordering food for customers.

On the technical front, our web development engineers optimized the code and adapted the website for all screen devices as per the latest industry trends and requirements.

We are extremely glad to have added another successful project to our portfolio and to have another satisfied customer.

Here are some key aspects of the site we’d like to highlight:

• Intuitive navigation
• Professional photographs
• Content optimization
• Elegant and clean design
• Fast loading website speed

 

About Jerusalem restaurant

Opening its doors in 2015, Jerusalem is the first-of-its-kind restaurant for Kosher food in Sofia. It offers an invaluable service to lovers of traditional Israeli food and a comfortable atmosphere.

The restaurant is located in the TZUM shopping center, Sofia, within a walking distance of the Serdica Station.

 

If you need web development, graphic design, digital marketing solutions or anything else related to your next digital endeavor, do not hesitate to get in touch with Speedflow Bulgaria at info@speedflow.bg.

Imagine you need to buy a last-minute gift for your friend at an online store. You’re trying to open the website, but it goes on loading and loading, and loading…like forever. What are you going to do? You will leave the website and go to another one, where you will make your order more quickly and without any interruptions. Consumers have no time to waste. And you have no consumers to “waste” too!

The simple truth is that speed matters. A faster loading website will bring you more traffic and higher conversion rates. Did you know that if your website does not load within 3 seconds, more than half of its visitors will leave it?

 

Why do you need to improve your website speed?

• Website speed is essential for Google ranking.
• Consumers prefer fast-loading pages.
• The better the speed of your website, the higher your user satisfaction.
• Speed affects Bounce rates (the percentage of users that leave a site without looking at a second page)
• The faster your page loads, the more people will visit it.
• And more.

So, it seems rather obvious that a fast website equals a successful website. And now what?

 

How can I check my website speed?

Here are a few platforms that can help you analyze and optimize your website speed:

• PageSpeed Insights
• Pingdom
• GTmetrix

How do I increase my website speed? Here are some of our suggestions:

 

1. A trusty web hosting provider

The very first (and most important) thing is choosing the right web hosting provider.  The server on which all your precious data will be stored must be reliable, not jam-packed and able to respond quickly to requests.  Speedflow offers high quality hosting with lightning-fast performance:

• SSL certificates
• Linux server environment
• Customization and scalability
• Connectivity all over the world
• 24/7 support
• And more

 

2. Gzip compression

The bigger a web page, the longer it takes to load. When a user clicks on a link, the server receives an automatic command to begin loading all page elements. If these items are too big, it will take a lot longer to visualize them in the user’s browser. Gzip compression solves this problem.

Gzip compresses the elements of your site into a zip file, thanks to which your web page information reaches the user’s browser much faster. Most servers provide this type of compression. To check if your website employs Gzip compression, try these tools here or just type in the search engine search bar “gzip compression checker” and check any of the first few results.

To enable Gzip compression on your server, use the following modules:

• For Apache: mod deflate
• For Nginx: HttpGzipModule
• For IIS: HttpCompression

 

3. Lazy Loading

Lazy loading is extremely useful because it allows your page elements to load at different times – only when the user actually needs to see them. Choose the parts of your website that have to be loaded with priority and those that can be loaded after the user scrolls down to them. Lazy Loading has many advantages. It:

• Reduces page loading time
• Saves bandwidth
• Improves user experience.

 

4. Image optimization

If you optimize the images on your page the right way, you can improve your website speed by 80%! Light images are mandatory for any site, and often is a neglected step in eCommerce website development where they play a very important role in sales. Try the following tips:

• Format your images before uploading them online.
• The best image format is the JPEG format.
• Avoid using BMP and TIFF formats.
• Your image size should match the width of your page. If your page width is 570 pixels, so should your image width too.
• Decrease color depth to a minimum, only if it does not distort the image.
• Eliminate all white spaces around your images.

 

5. Cache your browser

Caching allows browsers to remember your website after it has been loaded on them even only once. Consequently, the browser will not have to reload all the items from the server again. On the contrary, it will load the information directly from the user’s local computer. This is an extremely useful feature especially for regular users because the website will load much quicker with every subsequent visit.

So, how can you enable this feature? First, you need to adjust your HTTP headers and indicate the expiry times of specific file types. Thus, the browser will know whether to request information from the server or from the browser cache. Keep in mind that your CMS system may also have cache extensions or plugins. If not, you can enter cache parameters in your .htaccess file (in the root of the domain). This will help the browser know which files to cache. If all this seems like a foreign language to you, contact us or send us an e-mail at info@speedflow.bg. We will help you enable your browser cache.

How about your website? Is it fast enough? Do you need to increase its speed? We can show you how to turn on the “turbo” immediately.

 

Check also “How to improve your website speed? – Part 2“

Even if you are convinced that no one is going to hack your website, because it does not contain any secret or valuable information, this does not mean it is impossible. Did you know that according to a recent study done by Sucuri 83% of the hacked websites in 2017 were WordPress based? A breakthrough in your platform does not necessarily mean that the perpetrators will steal your sensitive information, but there is a big probability that they would use your server to flood users with spam messages and emails.

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular tips and tricks that you can implement to make your website less vulnerable and more secure for both – your personal use and your clients’.

 

1. Make updates a tradition

It’s not just about updating your platform, but also about updating any script, code, software, or extension you’ve installed on it and are currently using. Hackers work hard to find the weakest system spots. And outdated software platforms seem quite tempting for them because they make room for malware action.

 

2. SSL certificate must be ON

The SSL certificate is a key element of the website security and a safer Internet surfing. It encrypts and protects the information that is being exchanged over the worldwide web. It makes sure that your personal data reaches its final destination intact. You can easily check if your website has an SSL certificate by simply looking at the URL. If it starts with HTTPS and not HTTP, then your website is OK (secure). Even for Google. The Internet giant announced that from now on it will prioritize HTTPS websites in SERP (search engine results page). You can find more information on this topic in our blog article we wrote earlier and gives you the 4 main reasons why you need an SSL certificate.

*Useful: 20 Less Known factors for Better Google Ranking

 

3. Forget about easy passwords

Nobody likes to come up with, memorize, and enter complicated passwords. However, easy and short ones are an open book for hackers that in the 21st century are armed with specialized software exactly for such purposes. Therefore, if you want higher website security, it is extremely important to implement a strict password policy. Apply it not only to the passwords you use for web administration and support but also for the ones that your users use to log in. What is the perfect anti-hacker password?

• At least 10 characters long
• Contains uppercase and lowercase letters
• Includes at least one special character
• Contains digits
• Does not match your username, domain, email, etc.
• Does not contain consecutive digits or letters
• Does not match other passwords of yours
• Is changed frequently

 

4. Backups are your best friend

Backing up your website is not just an effective defense wall against hackers. In fact, it is the only automatic tool you can use to restore your website in case a problem occurs. You will be grateful for the existence of backups in the event of a system crash, bugs, data loss, virus, malware, an update that failed completely, or an unintended mistake done by your web administrator or support team. Reasons are endless, but at the same time backing up your website regularly is not costly or time-consuming at all. On the contrary, it will save you time and money. Just imagine if you were to rebuild your website or restore it manually from scratch.

 

5. Scan your systems

In general, we are quite busy with website search engines optimization, link building, updating and adding new blog content, providing excellent customer service, and so on. But we should not forget to keep an eye on and improve its security. It is advisable that you perform regular system scans to detect potential threats and attacks. You can use online tools for this purpose like ScanMyServer, SUCURI, or hire a specialist to do a professional analysis for you and advise you what steps should be made for better web security.

 

6.One website – one server

Yes, it is much more practical and inexpensive to host multiple sites on a single server. Experts, however, say that this is the far less safe option. They recommend (if possible) having just one Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress per server. Why? Because if there is a breach in one of the websites on the server, the rest may be affected too. The problem becomes particularly big if one of them is an online shop where your store customers’ data and their orders history.

How about you? What tips and tricks do you use to make your website hacker-proof? Share in the comment section below or email us at info@speedflow.bg in case you need to improve your website security.

There are quite a few tips and tricks you could use to improve your website speed. We discussed in details some of them in our previous blog articles “How to improve your website speed? – Part 1” and Part 2. We have prepared for you today Part 3 as well. So, let’s see what else you might try.

 

1. Defer loading of JS files

Unless set otherwise, JavaScript files will interrupt the parsing of the HTML document in order to be fetched and executed correctly (unless already embedded in the code). This way the HTML takes longer to load, making your website slower. The defer loading of JS files helps a lot in this situation because it will not allow the JavaScript to be executed until all the content on the page has been fully loaded.

 

2. Fewer redirects

When you minimize the HTTP redirects on your website, you will reduce the RTT (round trip time). Redirects take longer to be processed, so by diminishing their number, you will help the users access the information they need faster, improving their web experiences.
However, we should agree that there are lots of case, where using redirects is very important and quite useful. Their core purpose is to help the user reach a resource that has been moved to a new web location. Some of the top reasons for this:

• A change in the website domain
• Accessing the website from different domains
• Changes in the website structure and URL’s
• An update or maintenance
• Temporary access restrictions
• And more

s include:

However, it is advisable to avoid using redirects when possible, especially for the homepage of your website. Try to minimize their number and only use them when it is absolutely needed.

 

3. Turn Keep-Alive on

Keep-Alive uses the same TCP connection for every HTTP request instead of initiating different ones. In other words, it allows the browser to receive and load multiple different files at a time. To enable Keep-Alive, you need to edit the PHP code and add an HTTP header at the top:

header (“Connection: keep-alive”)

In case you do not have access to the web server config file, you can enable Keep-Alive by using a .htaccess file. Just add:

 

<ifModule mod_headers.c> Header set Connection keep-alive </ ifModule>
If you have access to the Apache config file, add the following:
#
# KeepAlive: Whether or not to allow persistent connections (more than
# one request per connection. Set to “Off” to deactivate.
#
KeepAlive On

#
# MaxKeepAliveRequests: The maximum number of requests to allow
# during a persistent connection. Set to 0 to allow an unlimited amount.
# We recommend you leave this number high, for maximum performance.
#
MaxKeepAliveRequests 100

#
# KeepAliveTimeout: Number of seconds to wait for the next request from
# same client on the same connection.
#
KeepAliveTimeout 100

 

4. Eliminate bad requests

Bad requests occur when an external source or user attempts to open a web resource that no longer exists or is distorted in any way. The server tries to process the request but fails. This has a negative impact on user experience and website speed. What can you do to avoid such situations?
Of course, we can not constantly know about everything that is going on with our website. Therefore, we recommend using tools and extensions that can automatically run tests and detect broken links, such as GTmetrix or the Crawl option in Google Search Console.

 

5. Asynchronous loading of Analytics and Ad Networks codes

You are most likely using some kind of an Analytics tool on your website (Google Analytics for example) or an ad network (like AdSense). Their codes, unfortunately, may additionally slow down the website. We recommend that you configure all tracking codes to load asynchronously. Thus, if the server of the external web services you are using is slow, it will not affect the website speed negatively.

 

6. Try a PHP accelerator

PHP accelerators are extensions developed specifically to improve the functionality and performance of any PHP software. They cache the PHP byte-code and so it will not have to be compiled over and over again with each execution request. They save CPU but slightly increase memory usage. Try to install OPcache and most likely your website loading time will drop in half.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our team at info@speedflow.bg. Our specialists are at your disposal!

Speedflow Bulgaria team added yet another successfully finished project to the portfolio. This time our client was one of the best rehabilitation and revitalization medical institutions in Switzerland – Leukerbad Clinic. It is situated at an altitude of 1400 m in the heart of the Alps and is surrounded by a picturesque scenery and natural mineral hot springs. Established back in 1961, the Leukerbad Clinic quickly earned an outstanding reputation because of its effective programs in preventive medicine, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and high-class hotel services. At the moment its team consists of more than 110 medical professionals specialized in physiotherapy, nutritionally, psychology, radiology, sports medicine, and more.

The major renovation work that took place at the clinic premises after 2012 is the main reason for the so needed update of its online presence and digital marketing strategy. Our clients wanted their new website to be in line with the revamped atmosphere and facilities of the clinic. They wanted it to become the main generator of digital traffic and potential customers from all over the world.

 

About the project

So, our team started working. First of all, we developed the overall website redesign strategy. We took into consideration the latest industry trends and web design technologies and, of course, our customer’s requirements. The project was completed in time and included a full range of web services such as web and graphic design, A-Z video animations, graphics, and imagery creation. Content management was another important part of the project – text translations and optimizations, creative design of pdf’s and other documentation, presentations, and more. The texts and images were selected carefully to provide all important details to the users – types of medical procedures, spa programs and therapeutic practices offered by the Leukerbad specialists.

The updated website now has a clever and intuitive navigation that gives visitors quick access to the needed information and allows them to plan their stay, make inquiries and book an appointment online in just a few clicks.

If you also want your project to be completed in a way that fits your brand image perfectly, do not hesitate to contact our team at info@speedflow.bg.

WooCommerce has been downloaded almost 50,000,000 times, which makes it the most widely used e-commerce plugin in the world. According to research done by Biultwith, 22% of all e-shops in the top 1 million are built on it. What makes the platform the NUMBER ONE choice among e-merchants? You want to create your own online shop, but are not quite sure if WooCommerce is the right one for your business? We are going to give an answer to this question today.

 

Technical Support

WooCommerce is an e-commerce plug-in developed for WordPress CMS. It serves the interests not only of small to medium businesses but also of big market players. Keeping in mind that WordPress is the most popular website platform with a CMS market share of 60%, it comes as no surprise that WooCommerce offers a secure environment for eCommerce website development and top-level technical support.
Anyone who has an online shop wants it to function perfectly without any bugs. Impeccable User Experience (UX) is extremely important so that visitors can quickly and easily finalize their orders. With WooCommerce you can be sure that the website system will be working properly and will be updated simultaneously and according to the latest internet changes. There is a team of developers and specialists, a cooperative community that contributes to the improvement of its functions.

 

Professional results (for free!)

This is another big advantage of the plugin – anyone can download and install it absolutely free of charge. However, being free does not make it of poor quality. WooCommerce will make the looks of your online shop quite professional, as well as its user experience, functions, and features. Client browsing and check-out processes are facilitated and your workflow is optimized. The plugin offers options such as:

• Order tracking;
• Purchase history;
• Delivery status updates;
• Tax/Fee calculations;
• Promo codes, discounts;
• Stock Control;
• Delivery options;
• And more.

 

Overall, you can get anything you need. That’s the perfect choice for anyone looking to start their own online business without a big initial investment in web development. Keeping in mind how many other expenses an online shop has, it is always nice to save up some money whenever you can. And in this case, there is nothing better than a reliable, cheap and functional platform plugin like WooCommerce.

 

Open source

WooCommerce is an open source platform when integrated with WordPress, which allows software developers from all over the world to create an extension for it, increasing its capabilities even more. It is very much likely that whatever gadget, plug-in or extension you need for it to have already been developed. People around the world actively contribute to perfecting the plugin and WordPress. This makes it even more attractive, flexible and full of endless possibilities.

 

Personalization

The fact that WooCommerce is the most widely used e-commerce plugin in the world does not mean that your online shop will look like all the rest on the internet. On the contrary, there are plenty of themes you can choose from, you can also play with colors and style, as well as personalize different options. If later on, you decide to switch from one theme to another, it can be done rather quickly and smoothly. WooCommerce will make your e-shop look like a professional and integral website. You can even add a blog section if you want.

 

Stats and Analytics

If you have an online shop then it will be quite beneficial for you to use some analytics tools to keep track of everything happening on the website. Of course, when you have just started your online business, this technical part may seem a little bit overwhelming and confusing (at first). The good thing about WooCommerce is that it comes with integrated analytics system that is easy to use and understand. It provides information about:

• Orders sorted by data for example;
• Individual client purchase stats;
• Total number of completed orders;
• And more.

Generate graphs and pie-charts to get valuable information about how things are going with your online shop. These stats will help you see the big picture and what you need to do to improve it. If you decide that you need more complex and detailed data, you might go ahead and easily integrate Google Analytics for example.

 

Payment and Security

Online payment security is crucial for both end-users and business owners. WooCommerce performance ranks pretty high on this matter. The plugin is secure and accepts any type of payment methods –credit, debit cards, PayPal and more. Whatever payment system you might need, it can be easily integrated without the need to have it specifically developed.

 

Conclusion…

From all said so far, we can definitely see why WooCommerce is such a successful product around the world. It provides quick, easy, cost-saving and professional integration of many useful e-shop elements. With little investment, you get great results!

Ok, now let’s say you have decided to use WooCommerce as your e-commerce platform. What’s the next step? Our blog article “8 key elements for a successful online store” will shed some extra light on additional questions you might have. In case you need professional advice, we will be happy to help you out. Just contact us at info@speedflow.bg.