Let's Learn Something: Website Optimization

So, I don't know about you all but I have been very frustrted lately when at a cyber cafe.  I try to open many naija-based sites and it takes forever.  So I have been motivated to come up with a tutorial, if you will, on things you could do to speed up your sites a little.  For this "tutorial", I will be using the site: http://www.basepointconsultants.com/

Please note: I am not deliberately picking on this site developed by one of us for fun-making or bashing purposes.  It just happens to be the first site I found.  Also, this isn't to say I am a saint though I am within 95% at the very least of practicing what I am about to preach.

Let the LEARNing begin (for more: http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/):

1) There are 17 separate requests to the server, 15 of which are images.  Needless to say, a navigation system using CSS rollovers (yes, you can set backgrounds with CSS rollovers) could have eliminated 12 of those images (that is 6 for regular state and 6 for hover state).

2) The largest image is almost 30K (http://www.basepointconsultants.com/home_r1_c1.jpg).  I probably would have created a DIV with a black background, made the textual parts actual text, and for the blue gradient, used CSS to position it absolutely to the right.  As for the "base point", I would have made that the background of the DIV.

3) There are 16 separate calls to a spacer.gif file.  CSS margins/paddings could have taken care of this.

4) Separating the JS and CSS code into separate files would also help reduce the load time of the pages

5) Addendum to #4 above: Going for a table-less layout would have further reduced the load time on the pages.

Anyone have anything else to add?

Again, I am not bashing the owner of this site.  I am only trying to highlight areas of improvement that would have resulted in reducing the load time of pages on the site significantly.  As I find other sites and have the time, I will probably give another Nairaland seminar. Until then, your comments/suggestions/concerns are welcome.

Again (I know, second time), this is a LEARNing exercise and not a bashing exercise.

Thanks.

@tomaagy
Thanks for the compliments.  I am motivated to put up more. 

I am from Ijebu Ode but am not there currently.  I should be back in a few months.  Will keep u posted.

Thanks but y the name (Yawa) I guess u know what it means
anyway I'm also not in IJ for now i'm on IT in Lagos @ NIIT so maybe e'll get to meet or chat on day soon,
Respect

Teach more we may get to learn from you

I will definitely post something else.  I guess I will call such lessons, "The Letz learn something series" 

Y the name?  Marketing is all about being catchy.  Based on the name I chose, even if i were not to post a thing for 6 months and/or someone was looking for someone to do a web project for them, chances are, they would remember my name more than any other