Very Very Slow Site - Any Ideas?

[john@chocice.co]

Hi All

Wanted to ask a few of you experts out there if you every have any spare time would you have a look at a new site just launched - http://www.computerfurniturewarehouse.co.uk

Compared to other sites I have built in Actinic V7 this one is so so slow and I am sure it's putting people off using it.

WHen you click add to basket it takes ages to add the item and sometimes you have to click it a few times for it to do anything.

I have searched the forum and found a reference to Act_section_tree.js as this was causing people problems but mine is only 2k so it can't be that - I am at a complete loss to explain what is going on so any help or ideas would be greatly appericated

Thanks

John

[Mike Hughes]

It looks kind of bloated to me.

Check your HTMl and image sizes here http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/

I would also try disabling the various scripts you're using (including the asp one and urchin) to see if any (or all) or causing particular problems.

Mike

[jont]

The page is coming in a 184kb which is not desperate. Compacting the html/cgi-bin option would help.

On a 2mb connection it was taking longer than it should really be taking.

[john@chocice.co]

Thanks Mike - Just going to start stripping out the include files and the javascript to see how this improves the site

[john@chocice.co]

I am trying that now Jont - thanks for your advice, do you think that will speed up the Adding to basket issue I am having?

[jont]

Compacting can make a big difference as it strips out a lot of redundant code from Actinic... other than debugging your site there is no advantage to leaving it uncompacted.

[john@chocice.co]

Hi Guys

Stripped out all the includes and javascript including the live support feature from a non actinic page and this seems to load quicker - what do you think?

http://www.computerfurniturewarehous.../indexTEST.asp

[jont]

From a non cached browser that is noticeably quicker.

[john@chocice.co]

Thanks for all your help Mike/Jont

I am now going to go through the site stripping out stuff. I really appericate you both taking the help to help me. It's very much appericated

Thank you

John Beach

[Duncan Rounding]

I think it's server side. Your cgi links such as view cart takes ages - in fact I almost gave up waiting - took at least 15 seconds.

[john@chocice.co]

I think it's server side. Your cgi links such as view cart takes ages - in fact I almost gave up waiting - took at least 15 seconds.

Hi Duncan

Is there anything I can do about that? Anything I can tell the hosting company to check or change etc?

I am very out of my depth when it comes to servers etc

thanks

john

[pinbrook]

I agree with Duncan's comments your hosting is very slow to run cgi scripting, I then looked to see who you were hosting with, which then lead me to their website which I am still waiting to load. 3 mins later it stil lhasn't loaded.

Your site is quite busy therefore needs good quality speedy hosting, you may want to reconsider your choice of host. Site IP shows the site is hosted in the US, the hosting company is a UK/Cyprus enterprise.

Thus SEO is going to be a challenge

[Duncan Rounding]

Try this site (or use the FF web developer toolbar) and you can see the time taken to load the page (for T1 connection): http://www.websiteoptimization.com/s...yze/index.html
When I tested it showed 7.7s which is very slow.
The cart page took 5.6s.


You're going to loose business with it being that slow.

My recommendation would be to change host preferably to a UK based server, although other european based server hosts fair as well. Do some research on the forum for suitable hosts etc.

[john@chocice.co]

I think your right about switching hosts - havn't had an order all day from this site which is very unusual - I am surprised though as we have another site with the same hosting company but I have no problems with it at all

http://www.coloursticks.com

Although I think I am on a different webserver 'box' than the furniture one.

[Duncan Rounding]

There's no comparison with that other site. Might be worth a try then first calling your host and complaining - maybe they'll change your server.
You still consider the pros and cons of SEO with a .co.uk domain hosted on a US server though.