Stop obsessing over minifying 2KB files whilst your site loads slower than that Johnny Depp picture you tried to download over dial-up in 1994. (Just me?)
“Quick, minify every single piece of code on your site or Google will never rank you!”
Bollocks. If you’re frantically compressing 2KB CSS files whilst your homepage hero video takes 11 seconds to load, you’re rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
Why everyone’s gone minification mad
This obsession comes from seeing “minify CSS/JavaScript” pop up in every SEO audit tool and thinking these micro-optimisations are going to rocket you to number one rankings. The logic goes: every byte saved = faster site = better rankings = profit!
Except it’s complete rubbish when you’re applying it to tiny files whilst ignoring the massive performance problems right under your nose.
What minification does and doesn’t do
Code minification strips out spaces, comments, and unnecessary characters from your CSS and JavaScript files. For massive files, this can make a noticeable difference.
For a 2KB CSS file? You might save 200-300 bytes. That’s like trying to lose weight by cutting your fingernails whilst eating pizza for every meal. (Again, just me?)
The real performance killers are usually:
- Hosting slower than constipated shite
- Images bigger than your mortgage
- Videos that load before the heat death of the universe
- Database queries that take longer than a queue for a Greggs’ vegan sausage roll
Will users notice if you minify tiny files?
Will they fuck. The difference between a 2KB file and a 1.8KB minified version is imperceptible. Your visitors can’t tell the difference, and frankly, neither can you.
What they will notice is when your site takes forever to load because you’ve focused on saving bytes whilst ignoring the fact that your hosting is rubbish and your images haven’t been optimised since 2003.
Is it worth the effort?
Minifying code often needs development time, testing, and ongoing maintenance. Yes, there are plugins that’ll do it for you if you have a WordPress site (fill your boots and cross your fingers they don’t break anything), but you’re still adding complexity to fix a problem that isn’t actually a problem.
Meanwhile, that massive unoptimised header image is sitting there, loading like it’s coming through a tin can on a string, and you’re worrying about whitespace in your CSS.
What to focus on instead
Want to make your site faster? Sort out the big stuff first:
Get decent hosting. Stop trying to save £3 a month on hosting that’s slower than a sedated sloth. Your visitors deserve better.
Optimise your bloody images. That 3MB photo of your office is hogging more bandwidth than a Netflix binge.
Fix your caching. Proper caching will do more for your site speed than minifying every file you’ve ever created.
Clean up your plugins. Do you really need that plugin that adds falling snowflakes to your checkout page?
Does Google care about minified code?
Google’s Core Web Vitals focus on actual user experience, not whether you’ve squeezed every possible byte out of your CSS. A site that loads slowly because of major performance problems won’t rank better just because its code is minified.
Google cares about whether your site provides a good experience for users. Minifying tiny files whilst ignoring massive performance problems is like polishing a turd – it’s still a turd, just a slightly shinier one.
When minification makes sense
Don’t get me wrong – minification isn’t evil. It makes perfect sense when:
- You have substantial CSS and JavaScript files where compression will save meaningful bandwidth
- You’ve already sorted out the major performance problems
- You’re building a large site where every optimisation counts
But for most small business websites? You’ve got bigger fish to fry.
Stop wasting time on pointless micro-optimisations
Your time is better spent on improvements that users will notice and appreciate. Fix your hosting, optimise your images, implement proper caching, and get your site fundamentals right.
Once you’ve done all that and your site loads like lightning, then worry about squeezing extra bytes out of your CSS files. Not before.
Stop obsessing over minifying 2KB files and start focusing on performance improvements that make a difference users can feel.
