Greening the Web: How content management can reduce your website's carbon footprint

Gerry McGovern, author of World Wide Waste: How digital is killing the planet and what to do about it, aptly states, "Digital is physical." 

In light of this, it's crucial to step back and assess the environmental impact of your website, as part of your organisation's sustainability strategy.

In this article, our emphasis is on the role of website content in digital sustainability.

How can content management improve a website's environmental footprint?

1. Less time: Streamlining user and CMS interactions reduces energy waste.
2. Less displayed: Displaying less data consumes less power.
3. Less stored: Reducing data storage decreases power consumption.

Let's explore practical ways to achieve these improvements:

1. Audit the website content and de-clutter:

• Review all pages, eliminating outdated or irrelevant content.
• Use keyword searches and filters in your CMS to identify buried content.
• Scrutinise images and files, removing low-quality or outdated ones.

2. Optimise the content you need:

• Reduce the size of images and PDFs, following best practice guidelines.
• Add alternate text (alt text) to images and PDFs, and ensure consistent file naming.
• Trim overly long pages to reduce unnecessary content.

Benefits and results:

• Reduced carbon footprint through minimised server storage needs.
• Enhanced SEO and performance from a faster loading website.
• Better usability by eliminating irrelevant content, speeding up load times, and improving navigation.
• Improved accessibility with streamlined relevant content that is easier to find.
• Increased efficiency in website maintenance as content becomes easier to locate for staff.

Incorporating these practices not only contributes to a greener digital landscape, but also enhances website performance and user experience, which can impact organisation's success.