The average website generates about 60 kilograms of CO2 emissions annually. Data centres, devices, and networks use an immense amount of energy, but you can make a difference by choosing more conscious design principles.
1. Improve Your Loading Times
When you’re doing web design Exeter, make sure your Core Web Vitals are as low as possible. Responsive sites with minimum latency are more eco-friendly. The largest visible element of your page should achieve a score of under 2.5 seconds.
2. Don’t Use Autoplay Videos
Autoplay videos are little more than wasted resources. They’re energy-intensive and consume resources at three levels: data consumption, device batteries, and backend server resources. For this reason, ethical developers such as exeter.nettl.com/digital/website-design use animated GIFs and click-to-play video lightboxes instead.
3. Use Smaller images
Images occupy an average of 43% of international web pages, and while they certainly have an eye-catching effect, they use a significant amount of energy. You can enjoy the best of both worlds by compressing and optimising your images. Even something as simple as blurring the edges can achieve a 75% compression rate.
4. Use Less Text
Steve Krug suggests that copywriters cut their website copy in half. He claims that most users simply don’t read hundreds of words of text, and shortening your copy will capture attention more effectively.
An eco-friendly website does more than just give you a clear conscience. It also earns the trust of your user base by letting them know that you’re a socially-conscious brand.
