I have been on a mission to make my blog load faster! I have visited other blogs that load faster and I have experienced BLOG ENVY!
Blog envy occurs when you feel like your blog is inadequate compared to everyone else’s blog. When you know your blog is less than perfect it makes you feel like you are living under a big black cloud (OKAY I admit that is a little melodramatic but I have spent the last two days analyzing EVERY square inch of my blog and I believe I have earned the right!)
The way that I knew there was a problem is that I frequently had 100% bounce rate from my google adwords campaigns. The bounce rate is how many times someone comes to your site and stays for less than 10 seconds. When they DID stay they were spending 4-6 MINUTES looking at everything so I knew my content was not driving them away.
I used a great tool on www.websiteoptimization.com to find out how fast my page loaded and if changes that I made reduced the load times. I have reduced the size of my pictures, reduced the number of posts I have on the home page and made sure some of my favorite widgets are not slowing me down (I LOVE Blog Log but if it was the culprit it would have had to go – luckily it is a weensy little widget so it got to stay!!!)
I also talked with my internet buddy Sean today and he said he had done something to his blog and it looked funny on Internet Explorer. He figured that out by checking (he uses Firefox usually), if he had not checked it could have gone on for quite a while before anyone told him.
The moral of the story is that you want to check your site or blog every now and then. Go to different computer and see how your site loads. Use a different browser (if you always use Internet Explorer download Firefox and see how it looks). Make sure you have a way to track your traffic and see if people are staying on your site (Google makes a great Analytics tool that is FREE!)
I am going to move on to other things in my life now (the beagle REALLY has to go out!) and stop obsessing about load times. I am hoping that I can break the habit without a 12 step program!
Tara’s “tell it like it is” personality combined with her 100 miles per hour presentations have earned her the title “The Queen of Marketing Ahhh’s” from her raving fans. Check out her marketing courses and products at her Etsy Store, 
Sean Malott says
Hi Tara. Your site loads quickly for me and it looks great in IE and Firefox. Thanks for the reference to my new site http://learntolandlord.com . I need to get content up to make it presentable. I will have a good post up shortly.
Sean Malott’s last blog post..Old Seminole Heights 10th Annual Home Tour This Weekend
mary dado says
If it helps give you any perspective – and everything being relative – I have harbored Blog Envy of Marketing Artfully since I first laid eyes on it! I get the pang everytime I try to enhance my fledging site. So you’re looking good “and up to warp speed” from where I sit. I admire your blog tremendously and always step away with your wise and often funny words ringing in my ears! Thanks for everything!
mary dado’s last blog post..Spell Check