At the core of every great website is a seamless user experience, and a crucial aspect of that experience is website performance. With the ever-increasing expectations of website visitors, website owners must ensure that their website performance is top-notch, and one of the key factors that can affect website performance is font loading strategy.

In this article, we will explore the impact of font loading strategy on website performance, and how it can make a significant difference in outranking other websites in Google search results.

Why is Font Loading Strategy Important?

Font loading strategy refers to how a website loads fonts, which can have a significant impact on the overall performance of the website. When a website loads, it has to download all the necessary files, including fonts, before it can display properly.

If the website loads fonts inefficiently, it can result in slower website performance, longer load times, and a less-than-optimal user experience. This is because the browser has to wait for the fonts to download before it can display the website's content, leading to a delay in the user's interaction with the website.

The Impact of Font Loading Strategy on Website Performance

There are various font loading strategies that website owners can employ, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Let's take a closer look at the most common font-loading strategies and their impact on website performance.

System Fonts

System fonts are fonts that are pre-installed on the user's device. Using system fonts can be an effective way to improve website performance since the browser does not have to download any font files. However, this approach also limits the design choices of the website owner.

Inline CSS

Inline CSS involves embedding the font files directly into the CSS code of the website. This strategy can improve website performance by reducing the number of HTTP requests made by the browser. However, it can also result in larger page sizes, which can negatively impact website performance.

Preloading

Preloading involves instructing the browser to download the font files before they are needed. This strategy can improve website performance by reducing the wait time for the font files to download. However, it can also increase the page load time and use additional resources, which can negatively impact website performance.

Asynchronous Loading

Asynchronous loading involves loading the font files after the content of the website has loaded. This strategy can improve website performance by prioritizing the display of the website's content over the fonts. However, it can also result in a delay in the display of the font, leading to a less-than-optimal user experience.

The Best Font Loading Strategy for Website Performance

After weighing the pros and cons of each font loading strategy, we recommend using asynchronous loading as the best strategy for website performance. This strategy prioritizes the display of the website's content and ensures a faster website performance, leading to a better user experience.

Additionally, asynchronous loading allows the browser to cache the font files, reducing the load time for subsequent visits to the website. This can further improve website performance and make the website more competitive in search engine rankings.

In addition to the font loading strategies discussed in the previous section, there are several advanced techniques and tutorials that website owners can use to further improve website performance and outrank other websites in Google search results. Let's take a closer look at some of these techniques.

Webfont Optimization

Webfont optimization is a set of techniques used to minimize the size of font files and improve their loading speed. One of the most effective techniques is subsetting, which involves removing unnecessary characters from the font files, reducing their size, and improving loading speed.

Another technique is compressing the font files using gzip or Brotli compression. This can further reduce the size of the font files and improve website performance.

Font Display Swap

Font Display Swap is a CSS property that enables the browser to display a fallback font while the custom font is loading. This technique can improve website performance by reducing the time it takes for the browser to display the website's content.

To implement Font Display Swap, add the following CSS code to the font loading script:

font-display: swap;

Lazy Loading

Lazy loading is a technique used to defer the loading of non-critical resources, such as images until they are needed. This can significantly improve website performance by reducing the number of requests made by the browser and the size of the page.

To implement lazy loading for fonts, use the FontFaceObserver library. This library detects when a font is needed and loads it asynchronously, reducing the load time and improving website performance.

Critical CSS

Critical CSS is a technique used to load the critical CSS needed to display the website's content first, while the remaining CSS files are loaded asynchronously. This can improve website performance by prioritizing the display of the website's content and ensuring a better user experience.

To implement Critical CSS, use a Critical Path CSS generator, which extracts the critical CSS needed to display the website's content and embeds it in the HTML file.

Conclusion

In conclusion, font loading strategy is a critical aspect of website performance, and using advanced techniques and tutorials can further improve website performance and outrank other websites in Google search results. Webfont optimization, Font Display Swap, lazy loading, and Critical CSS are some of the most effective techniques that website owners can use to improve website performance and ensure a better user experience.