A responsible Website Design Agency knows that even the Internet has a huge impact on the environment.
Somehow, the web has fostered an ideal place for sharing information, various ideas, and content. However, as each person downloads these seemingly harmless piles of data, servers everywhere consume large amounts of energy. Energy that when saved, could power a whole city for months.
A Little Science
Surfing the net actually contributes to the amount of harmful carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is one of the 'greenhouse gases', said to be responsible for extreme climate change that has recently been happening to the world. Greenhouse gases thin out the ozone layer; that vital part of the Earth's atmosphere which traps just enough heat for humans to live comfortably.
Who knew that web design could help reduce the Internet's carbon footprint? By building 'green websites', people can enjoy surfing the net without guilt. Here are a few tips for green web designers and developers:
Minimalistic web pages are not only in trend; but they can also cut back on the energy consumed by servers. Large data transfers eat up a significant amount of energy. Studies show that 13kwh of energy is used just to transmit 1GB of data.
Build a greener website by allotting a 'page budget'. This would help the web designers and developers in choosing only the most important aspects about the website. The end result is a clean, professional-looking design that's quick to download, with minimal CO2.
2. Take Advantage of Modern Technology
While creating a more eco-friendly page, make use of modern technological advances to ensure efficiency and quality. Javascript and CSS codes can create amazing yet surprisingly simple designs that doesn't take up too much disk space.
CSS for example, is utilized to make parallax scrolling techniques that can wow audiences yet remain light on servers. Optimize graphics for high-retina displays for faster loading. Faster upload and download speed means less effort for servers. This saves energy and makes users happy too.
3. Be User- and Environment-Friendly
By putting user experience first, a web designer can build websites that are efficient, beautiful, and clean. Responsive web design is not just an industry trend; it can help reduce the web's carbon footprint because it's fast and light.
Making content viewable across multiple platforms, there's no need to create separate sites just to satisfy the market. Just one would now do. This benefits the users, search engines, the company, and the atmosphere.
Conclusion
More and more people are expected to use the web in coming years. As online audiences spend more hours surfing the Net, it's important that they become part of a 'greener change' – even if only subconsciously. They would certainly appreciate any effort towards greener surroundings.
It can't be helped that energy be spent on such activities. But by becoming aware of the environment, folks in the web industry can find better, cleaner, solutions. In turn, they can build websites using eco-friendly techniques that boost performance; while significantly reducing carbon emissions.