Lazy Load: Definition, Advantages, and Disadvantages

In website management, the lazy load is a technique used to optimize loading speed.

In general, page speed determines the quality of a website from a technical point of view.

Paying attention to this loading speed is an important factor that can determine whether the website deserves a top position on the SERP.

This quality is based on how quickly the website pages load as a whole from the point of view of users and search engines.

If the website loads a lot of heavy media, the loading process will automatically feel heavy and slow.

In this guide, we will discuss what lazy loading is, how it works, its advantages and disadvantages, and alternative ways to speed up website loading. Let's look at the information.

What is Lazy Load?

Lazy load is a method of speeding up website page loading by delaying the loading of the media in it.

The term "lazy" itself does not refer to the loading process, but rather to instructions for the browser to take turns loading media.

Having all the elements appear on a page at once would be burdensome for the user. Lazy loading can alleviate this by loading each element individually.

For example, a page containing content in the form of an article may load text first. Media in the form of images and videos are displayed according to what is displayed on the page only.

In other words, not all media components on a page are loaded for user needs.

Automatically, the image at the top of the page will appear first. Then, afterwards, the media in the content body will be displayed along with the page scrolling process carried out by the user.

How Lazy Load Works

In principle, lazy loading is a technique that depends on user navigation. This applies when the user scrolls down the page. This navigation process tells the browser to load media in the form of images or videos that appear on the screen.

The main part that the user will see is the media, which is called "above the fold". While the other part that has not been loaded is "below the fold".

"Above the fold" images generally need to be loaded first. If not, then the user experience (UX) aspect will also be negative in the eyes of users who access the page.

In other words, the lazy load will only be concerned with the pages and media components displayed on a device's screen. Other media will be displayed after the user scrolls the page.

Advantages of Lazy Load

Given the concept of lazy loading that has been explained above, the advantages of this technique can be summarized as follows:

1. Faster Loading Process

With such a loading technique, a page will load faster and be more effective for users.

The heaviest page component will be divided by its loading time based on the user's need for scrolling.

Therefore, the loading process can be faster for users who access website pages from various devices and at various internet speeds.

2. Reduced Server Load

On the other hand, lazy loading is also a technique that can reduce the load on a website's hosting server. The less media that is loaded, the lower the server load will be.

Loading all the media simultaneously can make the website server work harder, even exceeding its limited capacity and specifications.

Therefore, a lazy load technique is needed to ensure the effectiveness of loading a page so that the server's work becomes lighter.

3. Better User Experience (UX)

If the loading speed improves, then user satisfaction will also increase. In other words, aspects of the website's user experience will also be better.

This user experience greatly influences their satisfaction with browsing activities. This aspect is also a consideration for search engines when assessing the quality of a website.

4. Improved SEO Results

Indirectly, this lazy load technique helps improve website performance. Website speed is one of the important factors in SEO.

If the website speed increases, then the overall SEO results will be better. This can also reduce the bounce rate, which can reduce the quality of the website.

Disadvantages of Lazy Load

Although the lazy load technique has a positive impact from an SEO perspective, there are some drawbacks that also need to be considered. Some of the negative sides of this page loading technique are:

1. Obstructed Resource Requests

Not all users are patient with images or videos that are loaded in rotation on a page. In this case, the lazy load technique can be detrimental.

For example, when scrolling quickly, the user will see a lot of media that has not yet been displayed on the web page.

To see the full media in the body of the content, users have to wait even longer. This will backfire and have a negative impact on the user experience.

2. Additional Communication with the Server

Loading all page components, in turn, requires longer communication time with the server.

Here, the browser needs to send various requests to the server for content as the user interacts with the page.

Even so, this can be minimized by using a CDN (Content Delivery Network) which can store large media caches.

3. Additional Code to be Processed by the Browser

Adding a few lines of JavaScript using the lazy load technique on a website page can add code that needs to be loaded and processed by the browser.

If done incorrectly, this additional amount may be greater than the page load time saved by lazy loading.

Alternative Ways to Speed ​​Up Website Loading

The lazy loading technique is not the only way to speed up website loading. There are other methods that need to be considered to increase the effectiveness of loading a site based on the management perspective and the intended target audience.

Here are the methods you can try:

Using CDN

Cache stored with a CDN can speed up the process of loading website pages. Here, the browser does not need to communicate with the origin server to get the data it needs.

Even without lazy loading, using a CDN can effectively minimize the slow process of loading website pages. CDN can deliver content to users more quickly because the server is located close to the user's own location.

Image Optimization

Another thing to consider in speeding up website loading is the selection and optimization of images or other media on a page.

Here, you can apply an image SEO strategy that focuses on using images or media effectively so as not to increase the loading load from the browser or server side.

Code Minification

The process of minification includes removing several characters from CSS and JavaScript code without changing its function.

Here, you can remove things like spaces, comments, commas, and periods. This minification process can reduce code file size and increase loading speed.

Thus, the guide to the lazy load technique and its uniqueness in helping speed up the loading of a website.

Before optimizing website speed, you need to know how fast your website can load information on a page. To find out the speed of your website, check the free Page Speed ​​Test from cmlabs.

In order to maintain website performance and improve its quality, you can also use SEO services from cmlabs. Get an SEO consultation from a professional SEO practitioner to improve your website's position on the SERP.