Why You Should Test Web Page Performance and How to Improve It
Photo by Igor Miske on Unsplash
Let's say you are browsing a website, and it is taking a very long time to load. This could be because the images, CSS, and other components that are being utilized on the website are unable to load correctly or are very heavy. As a result, you will have a negative experience and may consider looking for other options or a faster internet connection.
The performance of a website is measured by how rapidly the pages of the website load and display in a web browser. It refers to the amount of time that each component, such as JS and CSS, as well as photos, are taking to load correctly.
Since website performance is the very first thing that each and every visitor encounters, the performance of a website is one of the most important aspects of any website that is successful. First impressions have a significant impact on how users feel about a website and the connected company or organization, and consequently on whether or not the visitor converts, makes a purchase, or simply bounces.
Testing Webpage Performance: Does it Really Matter?
Does it really make a difference if the webpage takes a very long time to load? People now have access to high-speed internet and demand that everything be done in a shorter amount of time. Therefore, if an application is unable to load properly or users are unable to reach the website, it may cause a great deal of trouble for the application, and users may look for alternatives of the same thing.
For example, if Facebook is unavailable, users will immediately switch to Twitter to browse content. Since the performance of a website is directly linked to an organization's revenue and reputation, testing the performance of a website makes perfect sense.
When testing the functionality of their websites, several organizations resort to either manual methods or browser-based technologies. This can also be verified with the assistance of a few automated open-source tools, such as JMeter, which is a tool that is based on Java and can be installed locally by following a few easy steps. Sometimes companies will use macros to record the actions of users on their websites, and then they will run those macros again to simulate what it would be like for a user to be browsing the site. Hence, it is very essential to test web page performance and improve performance if any bottlenecks are found.
Tackling Bottlenecks
An organization can improve the performance of its website in a few different methods, the most important of which are utilizing images with a smaller memory size, the implementation of caches, and the increase of available bandwidth. Let us discuss them in detail.
Caching the data to load pages faster
Caching is a method in which data, such as images, can be kept locally on a temporary basis and can be readily retrieved whenever it is required. Caching allows for easier retrieval of the content whenever it is needed. Therefore, if the visitor visits the webpage more than once, the images are saved in cache memory and then immediately retrieved from the cache, and the process does not require any additional time. Both the user and the application can save time and bandwidth because of this feature's efficiency.
These caches have a time limit, and once that time has passed, they need to have their data refreshed. However, if the caching application is deployed, it is possible to improve the performance of the webpage. This is because the time that would have been spent loading images and other components will be saved, and they will be retrieved more quickly. Consequently, it is of the utmost importance to turn on the cache on the web server.
Increasing speed with compression
The volume of an object or a set of files can be decreased with the use of a technique known as compression. It increases both the speed of the transfer and the efficiency of using the bandwidth. Since the pace of the transfer is increased, the data is transferred at a rapid speed, and the page loads quickly. Simply put, when you compress your website, you make it more manageable for visitors with low internet speeds as it will be smaller and take less time to obtain. The end result is not just a fantastic experience for the user, but also considerable gains in terms of performance.
When website codes are compressed using a software like GZIP, for example, the browser of the end-user not only downloads the files from the server more quickly, it also renders the code without any problem. This is because the majority of compression approaches simultaneously optimize the actual code, such as deleting extra whitespace, getting rid of repetitions, and erasing empty commands. The performance of the website is significantly improved by utilizing this method.
Using a better application hosting
It is necessary for the application to be hosted on a public server or website for it to be accessible to the general public. Hosting is essentially a location where website proprietors can buy or rent space to store their websites in order to facilitate the customer's ability to make queries to those websites. There are a significant number of hosting providers available on the market, but the majority of large organizations utilize AWS because it offers a variety of features that contribute to the delivery of an excellent user experience while also being simple to scale.
A website that has poor hosting configuration may not be able to process user requests at times or may show problems to a couple of users since the hosting may not be scalable.
It is always advisable to determine or assume a user base first, and then take a server with the suitable configuration that can host the website with a better bandwidth and higher processing power. This is the recommended order of operations. The use of a hosting provider of this kind not only contributes to the website's increased speed but also leads to an increase in the number of customers who visit the website.
Conclusion
The performance of a website is critically important to its revenue, reputation, and the quality of the user experience. There are several methods available that may be used to evaluate how well a website or its individual pages are performing. The majority of these tools are open source, which means that organizations have easy access to using them.
Following the completion of the performance check, the organization will be able to focus on the primary causes of the problems that are resulting in bottlenecks in the website's overall performance. This will allow for the problems to be remedied in the near future. Consequently, to install a professional website that can act as the front door of your business and can deliver a higher user experience, it is needed. Additionally, the performance of the website should have to be evaluated regularly to remove any bottlenecks.
