Speed up your site with HTTP/2

HTTP/2 is the latest update to the HTTP protocol by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The protocol is the successor to HTTP/1.1, which was drafted in 1999. HTTP/2 is a much-needed refresh, as the web has changed dramatically over the years. The update brings with it advancements in efficiency, security and speed.

HTTP/2 provides a simple way to make your website load faster by eliminating inefficiencies associated with the current version of HTTP. The best thing? You don’t have to go to much effort to get it up and running.

Did you know that absolute majority of websites you’ve used today technically still uses the same protocol, which was designed in (and for) the late nineties?

When HTTP1 and HTTP1.1 were developed, the W3 was very different: sites required fewer resources, connections were much slower and users didn’t really care too much about speed.

Fast forward to today, and users start getting twitchy if a site hasn’t loaded fully in two seconds flat. Remember, we’re at a point where milliseconds really matter.

By and large, HTTP/2 addresses the problems of HTTP.

HTTP/2 has evolved from SPDY – a protocol designed by Google to make the web load twice as fast. It’s intended for machine-based consumption; data transfer is much quicker, multiple files can be transferred simultaneously on the same connection and the user’s browser intuitively asks the server for the resources it needs to function, rather than clumping them all together and hoping for the best outcome.

How do I enable HTTP/2?

HTTP/2 needs to be enabled at server level. Most web servers support the protocol.

If you’re not entirely sure whether or not your website is using HTTP/2, get in touch with us and we can double check for you. If you’d like to enable it on your site, you can do the same.

We also strongly recommended that you implement HTTPS, if you haven’t already. Besides the additional security, you’re going to get the ability to enable HTTP/2 and make your website faster. That’s what we call a win-win situation.

The great thing about HTTP/2 is that not only can it make your website load faster, it encourages you to adopt a more secure approach to everything you do online. HTTP/2 is the next big step in speeding up the web. Let’s all be part of it and make it happen.

Do you need help enabling HTTP/2 for your website? Connect with us, we can help you with that.

We are Connect – the original web development agency. We have been providing best-in-class design, development and data services to public and private sector clients since 1994.