The key to speeding up load page time is database optimization. If your pages take too long to appear, users will grow tired of the wait and probably won’t remain there for very long. Below are some ways to optimize your database in order to increase the time it takes for your pages to load.

Knowing When It’s Time For Database Optimization

As noted above, the time it takes for your pages to load will have an effect on the experience of users, but did you also know it will affect your Google pagerank when it is too slow? There are many different aspects of a page that download to include images, CSS and javascript, and the information itself. Before you know what should be optimized, you’ll need to look at what elements are taking the longest to load. PC speed can also play a role in slow load time, so this should be another consideration. Always verify what needs to be optimized using actual data. You can do this by collecting performance metrics and determining any performance issues that may exist. This database optimization process is called profiling. It will tell you whether or not database performance is actually responsible for the lag in page load time. Begin by timing how long it takes to run queries. You can go over this information page by page without disturbing the content or sessions. It can even be run in a production environment.

How to Optimize Performance

If you find there are some problematic queries on a few slow pages, you’ll want to ensure they are optimized. There are four basic ways to do this.

  • Rewrite The Queries
  • Change Your Indexing Strategy
  • Change the Schema
  • Use External Cache

Best Practices For Database Optimization

Should your database optimization not net you sufficient performance benefits, caching is a strategy that will help reduce database load. It will, however add more complexities to the application, so always try to optimize the database before utilizing this method. There are many options for database optimizing and improving page load time. Before settling on one, explore what is available to you and go from there. It is important to remember there is no magic fix. Chances are, you’ll have to try a few different solutions before finding the one that works.