There are few things more frustrating than clicking on a website and realising it isn’t loading.
When a website refuses to load, there are several things you can do to get it up and running again.
What causes a web page not to load?
Because a website consists of many pages, it’s important to determine whether the page that isn’t loading is an isolated occurrence or if issues persist across the entire site.
If a single web page refuses to load, it’s likely the one you’re trying to access may be facing downtime, causing your browser to block the page from loading.
A good way to check this is to use an online tool like Is It Down Right Now? where you can see if your website is dealing with an outage that is impacting its functionality.
It’s also possible that some, or all, of the files needed for displaying the web page are missing, resulting in it not loading correctly.
Given HTML coding forms the backbone of every website, it’s also likely that web pages with dense (or incorrect) code will take longer to load.
As there are many possible causes for a slow-loading web page, it’s best to contact the designated support team for assistance and guidance.
Common reasons why a website isn’t loading
The most common reason for a website not loading is internet-related issues.
For example, if your internet speed is lagging, it may take a long time for your website to load – or it might even refuse to load at all.
Similarly, if your internet connection is unstable, your website may give up on loading as the data packets sent from the website’s server to your computer are lost or delayed.
Other reasons include if your system is displaying the wrong date or time. This can interfere with security certificates which can be deemed invalid if the date and/or time is wrong.
Consequently, the website may fail to load until the issue is resolved.
A cache is necessary for browsing the web as it stores essential data such as images and fonts.
However, when a browser’s cache is full, it may not be able to load new web pages properly.
Websites that are the victim of a virus of malware attack may also refuse to load.
What you should do first when a website isn’t loading properly
Troubleshooting a website that isn’t loading properly should begin by checking your network connection.
You will usually be able to find out if you are connected to the internet by going into the ‘Settings’ tab on the device that you are trying to view the website on.
If you suspect it’s a cache issue, clear your browser cache which can also be accessed on the ‘Settings’ tab.
You could check whether your website is loading on another device to identify if it’s a device issue.
How do I fix a website that is not loading?
As mentioned above, if your website is refusing to load, check your network connection and clear your browser cache.
If this hasn’t worked, disable browser extensions as they can impact the loading time of a website.
You may also need to disable your firewall and antivirus software for a short period as they can block access to certain websites.
If you are accessing the website from one type of browser, try a different one to see if this resolves the issue.
Website loading times can be fixed by determining what the cause is and responding accordingly, which can be difficult to do alone, especially if you are not an expert.
If you are facing issues with a website not loading, one option is to reach out to trained experts like those at Aqueous Digital.
We can conduct a detailed assessment before suggesting a potential solution for the issues you are experiencing with your website.
We are aware of the fact that the average website visitor will move on in just three seconds if they can’t access a site. Slow websites have a direct correlation to user experience, search engine ranking, incoming traffic, user clicks and sales.
With that in mind, it’s imperative to ensure your website is fully functional.
To get in touch with our team, either give us a call on 0800 285 1424 or send an email to hello@aqueous-digital.co.uk
