The blog ·
Why an eco-friendly website is an asset for your SME (and not just for the planet)
An eco-friendly website is not just a gesture for the planet: it is a driver for business, and that is how we designed ArteZya, our website management tool. By reducing the amount of data each page loads, we speed up browsing, improve search engine optimisation, lower hosting costs and lend credibility to a company’s CSR approach. Here’s how to turn digital simplicity into a lasting advantage.
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Following the upgrade of our eco-friendly hosting servers, we have formalised a concrete and measurable eco-design methodology. We get involved right from the start of the project to set objectives — average page size, number of requests, speed metrics —, define a minimalist editorial approach and select the appropriate technical building blocks. First things first: a clear architecture, robust templates and controlled technical debt, for quick gains without having to redevelop everything.
During implementation, we optimise images (WebP and AVIF formats, screen-adapted sizes, lazy loading), streamline JavaScript, remove unnecessary third-party scripts and unused CSS, address accessibility issues and fine-tune hosting: caching, HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, and resources sized to the exact requirement. Then we measure: a dashboard, monthly monitoring of speed metrics and an estimate of the footprint by page type. This turns simplicity into a series of actions driven by metrics that your teams understand.
In figures: targets and progress
| Metric | What we measure | Stage 1 (3 months) | Stage 2 (6 to 9 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weight of a page | bytes transferred, on mobile | 500 KB maximum | approximately 350 KB |
| Requests per page | excluding fonts and audience tracking | 35 at most | 30, depending on the template |
| LCP | Main content load | 2.5 seconds at most | approx. 2 s |
| INP | response time to interactions | 200 ms at most | less than 150 ms |
| CLS | Layout stability | 0.10 or less | 0.07 or less |
| Cache hit rate | proportion of bytes served from a cache | At least 70 per cent | At least 80 per cent |
| Estimated CO₂ | grams per page view | 0.30 g or less | approximately 0.20 g |
The speed figures apply to 95 per cent of visits on mobile devices. The carbon footprint is an estimate, similar to those provided by EcoIndex or Website Carbon: it is used to track progress, not to maintain an official carbon account. The targets are adjusted according to your templates, images and markets.
Five benefits of an eco-friendly website
1. A reduced carbon footprint
A streamlined website starts with lightweight pages: images in the correct format and size, no videos that play automatically, and code that loads only what the page requires. Every kilobyte avoided saves energy used to transfer, display and generate the data on the server.
The carbon footprint also depends on what isn’t visible: the structure of the templates, database queries, the cache, and the chosen data centre, its energy efficiency and the source of its electricity. And it’s a long-term commitment: regular, brief reviews prevent the site from becoming bloated as campaigns progress.
2. Performance that’s visible and measurable
Technical simplicity reduces loading times. By optimising Google’s three metrics — LCP for layout, INP for interactivity, and CLS for stability — we ensure a smooth browsing experience, even at critical stages such as search, the shopping basket and forms. Visitors notice the difference: pages that respond instantly, content that doesn’t jump around whilst loading, on both mobile and desktop.
Link these improvements to your business objectives — quote requests, sales, completed forms — and make progress through small experiments: removing a script, optimising an image, moving a module. You’ll discover where speed really matters.
3. Naturally improved search engine optimisation
A fast, well-structured website makes life easier for search engine crawlers: fewer blocking resources, a clear semantic structure, and logical internal linking. Content is discovered more quickly. Eco-design also encourages best practice: relevant titles, described images, and pages focused on what the user is looking for. And a site that loads quickly on mobile devices is better at retaining its visitors.
4. Operating costs under control
This efficiency shows up on the bill: less bandwidth, less strain on servers at peak times, smaller backups, and faster updates. Fewer third-party scripts also mean fewer subscriptions and fewer surprises. Standardised templates reduce maintenance time and the risk of regression, freeing up time for what really matters: your content and your customers.
5. A stronger brand image
Eco-design lends credibility to your CSR approach, provided you stick to the facts. Show what you’ve done — optimised images, removed scripts —, publish a few metrics, and explain your choices. A Website Carbon badge serves as proof of your commitment. The benefits extend beyond the website: well-substantiated responses to tenders, candidates who are mindful of the digital footprint, and consistency with your non-financial reports.
Twelve eco-design levers to implement straight away
- Content: prioritise, remove the superfluous, limit carousels and redundant sections.
- Images: WebP and AVIF formats, sizes adapted to each screen, lazy loading, compression with no visible loss of quality.
- Videos: no autoplay, an appropriate bitrate, a lightweight thumbnail.
- Fonts: one or two families; a variable font if it replaces multiple files; system fonts where possible.
- JavaScript: remove non-essential third-party scripts, load the rest lazily, split the code by page.
- CSS: remove unused styles; avoid heavy frames loaded by default.
- HTML and accessibility: semantic tags, clear structure, sufficient contrast, keyboard navigation.
- Network: HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, compression, browser caching and content delivery networks with rules based on content type.
- Server: static pages where possible, fewer database queries, application caches.
- Measurement: regular monitoring of speed metrics, page weight, number of requests and estimated footprint.
- Hosting: efficient data centres, renewable energy, monitoring and resources scaled as required.
- The lifecycle: archiving, updating, and preventing the accumulation of images and scripts over time.
Our measurement method, from audit to continuous improvement
This method translates the objectives in the table into concrete actions. It operates in monthly cycles, during which priorities are reassessed in light of the results.
- Defining the scope: around ten to twenty typical pages — home page, list, detail page, form, article — starting with those that account for the bulk of traffic and requests.
- Implement monitoring: measure performance among real visitors, supplement this with mobile tests on slow networks, and consolidate all the data into a single dashboard.
- Establish the baseline: for each page type, record the file size, search queries, the three speed metrics, the cache rate and the estimated footprint; identify the biggest contributors.
- Set thresholds and priorities: align the thresholds with the dashboard, and rank the projects by impact and effort.
- Take action in small batches: three to five actions per month, tested in pre-production and then in production.
- Monitor and report: compare against targets, quantify the gains, and publish a brief quarterly report.
How we proceed
- A quick audit: where are the potential savings — images, third-party scripts, cache, requests — and the estimated footprint by page type.
- A streamlining plan: quantified targets, prioritised by importance.
- Optimisations: content, images, code and hosting, on our servers located in France.
- Measurement and improvement: monitoring key performance indicators — SEO, speed, conversions — and a monthly progress report.
A real-world example: our hosting and ArteZya
On the server side, the modernisation of our infrastructure reduces energy consumption whilst maintaining the same level of service, minimises electronic waste through reuse and recycling, and improves availability. For our clients, this translates into shorter response times and greater resilience.
On the software side, ArteZya, our website management system, is designed for efficiency: reusable blocks, lightweight templates, HTML and CSS reduced to the bare essentials, deferred image loading, images optimised for WebP and scaled to each screen size, and no third-party scripts by default. ArteZya also incorporates page budgets — file size, requests, load times —, eco-design checklists and alerts to content editors regarding image file sizes or missing descriptions, to prevent the site from becoming bloated as soon as it goes live.
Optimised hosting combined with ArteZya sustainably reduces the number of bytes transferred, the number of requests and bandwidth usage: lower operating costs and a smaller environmental footprint, without compromising either the visitor experience or search engine optimisation. The bespoke websites we develop follow the same approach.
In conclusion
Eco-design balances performance, costs and responsibility. By taking action in the right areas — content, images, code, network and hosting — you gain a website that is faster, more accessible, better optimised for search engines and cheaper to run: a sustainable investment that benefits your brand and your CSR strategy.
To find out more: our eco-friendly servers, the guide to web hosting for SMEs, digital sovereignty.
Frequently asked questions about eco-friendly websites
What is an eco-friendly website?
A website designed to consume few resources throughout its lifecycle: less data transferred, streamlined code, optimised images and efficient hosting, without compromising on visitor experience.
Is an eco-designed website less attractive?
No. It’s not about doing away with design, but about optimising every resource — images, fonts, scripts — and prioritising what’s useful. The result: a refined aesthetic and pages that load quickly.
How does this affect search engine optimisation?
A faster, better-structured website is easier to navigate and index. With a clear content strategy, it gains long-term visibility.
Where do you start?
Start with a quick audit: focus on three high-impact areas — images, third-party scripts and caching — set quantifiable targets and track your progress each month. You can proceed page by page, then roll out best practices across the whole site.