Why Modern Websites feel Faster than Old Ones
Source: Dev.to
How Websites Worked Historically
I still remember using the internet a few years ago – clicking a button, watching the whole page go blank, and waiting… sometimes way too long. Every click felt like starting over.
The old model was simple:
- You clicked a link.
- The entire page refreshed.
- The server sent a new HTML document.
- The browser rebuilt everything.
Even if only a tiny part of the page changed, the whole page had to reload, which made the experience feel slow and jumpy.
How Modern Websites Work
Today’s websites are smarter. Instead of refreshing the whole page, they update only the part that actually changes.
- Partial updates – When you like a post or submit a form, the rest of the page stays exactly the same.
- Caching – Images and data are stored locally so they don’t need to be downloaded again.
- Lazy loading – Content is loaded only when it’s needed, reducing initial load time.
- Background fetching – Data can be loaded silently while you’re already using the site.
These techniques let the site feel instant and smooth—almost like a native mobile app.
Techniques That Improve Perceived Speed
Even when something takes time, modern apps use visual cues to keep the experience feeling responsive:
- Loaders – Spinners or progress bars indicate that work is in progress.
- Skeleton screens – Placeholder shapes give the impression that content is already loading.
- Subtle animations – Small transitions make state changes feel natural and less abrupt.
These details make waiting feel shorter and dramatically improve the overall perception of speed.
Why Modern Sites Feel Faster
Modern websites aren’t always faster because of a better internet connection; they’re faster because they’re smarter. They:
- Do less work on each interaction.
- Load resources only when necessary.
- Prioritize user experience over raw performance metrics.
Once you notice these improvements, you can never unsee them. 🚀
If you enjoy breaking down how modern web apps actually work, follow along at codingdev.in – I share simple, real‑world insights on web development, performance, and building better user experiences.