The internet has come along way i remember the days when dialup was cool and surfing the net was like walking through mud i just loved those web sites which had large JPG images splattered all over the place plus a couple of java scripts and flash intros thrown in for fun it was great i could make a cup of coffee and the page still had not loaded.

The point i am trying to make is when you develop a new Joomla web design you can introduce a number of performance improvements which will keep your visitors happy and reduce the load on your server plus save you some bandwidth. 

We have split the tips into two categories web design and general performance tips for Joomla

Joomla Web design tips

1) Optimize your images

If you plan to use large images optimize them first. You can get alot of tools which can optimize JPG, gif or png images which will reduce the size of the images so your web page loads faster. Another approach is to use photoshop to slice up the images into smaller parts. Or the best approach is to use a limited number of images ( 5-10 kb ) in size and use CSS to control the look and feel of your template. We advise keeping your site simple like people say " content is king " keep images to a minimum.

If you need some image optimizer software then check out sites noted below.

XAT JPEG Optimizer

Dynamic Drive online image optimizer

2) Missing Images

Ensure images are correctly referenced in your template_css.css file and the template images folder. Basically your browser renders your Joomla site and reads the information included in the template_css.css file. If images are missing from the template image directory or not referenced in the template_css file this can slow down your site plus generate alot of errors in the server error.log file. 

3) Java Scripts

 Java script is cool is used correctly but again including lots of java scripts in your template will only slow your page load time down plus it will take longer for browsers to render . We advise not using java script.

4) Template coding

Make sure you validate your Joomla template and template_css.css file to reduce the number of bugs included in the web design. Use the W3 Validation service or the Firefox web developer for validating your web design. Cleaner code means faster browser rending / page load times.

Joomla Performance Tips

It is possible to improve the performance of joomla with a few small tweaks. You can speak to it nicely which works for me sometimes ok maybe not but you could try the following.

Disable statistics reports

Disabling the Joomla statistics function can improve the performance ( page load time ) of your CMS. If this is enabled 
every time some visits your site data is written to the MYSQL database. To disable this option select site / global configuration and statistics. Remember most hosting packages now offer static software via the control panel so you can still analyse / monitor your traffic / visitors.

Cache

By default the cache option for Joomla is not enabled but by enabling this option for your site and modules you may see a performance increase.  This option is useful if your content is changing all the time for example RSS feeds or chat module. To enable the cache select site and global configuration. For the modules select the modules and the module you wish to enable the cache for.

GZIP Page Compression

Again this is another way to speed up your Joomla site. If your server supports GZIP Page Compression then from the administrator area select "Global Configuration" then choose the "Server" tab. Select "Yes" next to "GZIP Page Compression" then choose "Save"

Modules

I know when you first start using Joomla you have lots of cool modules to choose from which can be displayed on the front page of your site but this will only slow your CMS down if you plan to use modules then assign them to specific pages.

Error reporting

I would recommend you switch off error reporting for Joomla which again can speed up your site. To switch off error reporting select Global Configuration / Server Tab / Set the error reporting to None.

Mambots

Have a look at the mambots you have enabled and disable the bots your no longer require