Make your website faster using HTTP/2

What is HTTP/2?

HTTP stands for "hypertext transfer protocol". When you go online and type in a web address, an HTTP request is sent to the server, which then sends a request to the browser to display the requested web address.

But what is HTTP/2? Like everything else, it needs renewal. That's why HTTP/2 is an updated and improved version that makes websites load faster because the "communication" between server and browser is improved. In addition, HTTP/2 also ensures that more requests can be sent at the same time.

The benefits of HTTP/2?

There are many advantages to using HTTP/2, and at the same time it doesn't require much work in terms of. SEO to upgrade to HTTP/2. Although Google confirms that HTTP/2 is not an outright ranking factor, it does have an indirect impact on your visibility as it contributes positively to one of the Core Web Vitals parameters, which is precisely how fast your website loads. Below are some of the key benefits of HTTP/2: 

• Increased loading speed for websites
• Increased loading speed for mobile users
• Improved user experience
• Improved security

Increased loading speed for websites

The reason HTTP/2 was introduced was so that websites could load even faster. In addition, it has also helped to reduce the amount of resources needed to crawl websites.

With HTTP/2, it is now possible to send and receive more data between browser and server, resulting in faster loading speeds that improve a website's performance.

Increased loading speed for mobile users

In addition to websites performing better with HTTP/2, mobile performance is also improved using HTTP/2. This means that mobile devices load websites faster, as more requests can be sent and received at the same time with HTTP/2. 

It's no coincidence that load speed is also improved for mobile users, as HTTP/2 is designed with today's trends in mind, of which mobile users are an important part.

Improved user experience

Since websites load faster with HTTP/2, the user experience is automatically improved as well. It goes without saying; a website that loads quickly results in more satisfied users.

According to Google. bounce rates (percentage of users who leave a website after viewing only one page on the website) increase by up to 32 % if a page suddenly takes three seconds to load. It is therefore important to set up HTTP/2 - but it's also important to remember that HTTP/2 is just one way to improve the load speed of a website.

Improved security

The final important benefit of HTTP/2 is that the security of websites using HTTP/2 is enhanced, as all data sent back and forth between server and browser is encrypted and stored securely.

The disadvantages of HTTP/2

While there are many advantages to HTTP/2, there are of course some disadvantages. One of them is that not all browsers support HTTP/2. However, only old browser versions do not support it - and very few people use these old browsers. At caniuse.com to see which browsers support HTTP/2.

How to implement HTTP/2?

If your server supports HTTP/2, it may have already automatically switched to HTTP/2. If in doubt, you can ensure that your server supports HTTP/2 by making sure you use a Content Delivery Network (makes websites load faster by reducing the physical distance between the server and the user. This helps users around the world view the same high-quality content without slow load times), that also supports HTTP/2 and that you have an up-to-date HTTPS certificate.

If you want to check if your site supports HTTP/2, you can check here.

Frequently asked questions