How to test your website speed

In the fast-paced digital landscape, where users’ attention spans resemble shooting stars, the speed of your website can make or break your online presence. A slow-loading website can lead to frustrated users, high bounce rates, and diminished conversions. To ensure your website stands as a beacon of efficiency and excellence, mastering the art of website speed testing is paramount. In this guide, we’ll embark on a journey through the intricacies of testing website speed, equipping you with the tools and techniques needed to optimize your site’s performance.

How to test your website speed with Google

1. Go to Page Speed Insights, enter the URL of the page you want to test and click Analyze

2. View your Mobile and Desktop speed results. Underneath your URL there are two tabs, one for your Mobile website speed and the other for Desktop device speed. Most websites have a lower Mobile speed as this is harder to improve. What you are shooting for is 100’s across the board, but with SEO plugins most good websites hit around 90 and above on desktop and 80 and above on Mobile. 95 and above is exceptional!

3. After about a month of your website being online you will also get real world speed results, a collection of data from real users viewing your site.

Other Options for Testing

GTmetrix: This tool offers a detailed analysis of your site’s speed and performance, including PageSpeed and YSlow scores. It provides a waterfall chart illustrating the loading sequence of your page’s elements.

Pingdom Website Speed Test: Pingdom lets you analyze your site’s performance from multiple geographical locations. It offers a performance grade, load time analysis, and suggestions for improvements.

Unveiling Bottlenecks: What to Look For

When conducting a speed test, pay attention to key metrics:

a. Page Load Time: The time it takes for a page to fully load. Aim for under 3 seconds for optimal user experience.

b. First Contentful Paint (FCP): The time it takes for the first piece of content to appear on the screen.

c. First Meaningful Paint (FMP): The time it takes for primary content to become visible and usable.

d. Time to Interactive (TTI): The time it takes for a page to become fully interactive and responsive to user input.

Strategies for Speed Optimization:

a. Optimize Images: Compress images to reduce their file sizes without compromising quality. Use modern image formats like WebP.

b. Minimize HTTP Requests: Reduce the number of elements (CSS, JavaScript, images) on a page to decrease the number of HTTP requests.

c. Browser Caching: Enable browser caching to store static resources on a user’s device, reducing load times for returning visitors.

d. Content Delivery Network (CDN): Utilize a CDN to distribute your site’s content across multiple servers worldwide, reducing latency for users in various regions.

e. Minify Code: Remove unnecessary spaces, line breaks, and comments from your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files to reduce their size.

Continual Vigilance: Regular Testing and Monitoring

Website speed is not a one-time endeavor. Regularly test and monitor your site’s performance, especially after making changes or updates. Factors such as increased traffic or added functionalities can affect speed.

Conclusion:

In the realm of the internet, where milliseconds can mean the difference between engagement and abandonment, the pursuit of website speed excellence is a noble quest. Armed with the knowledge of testing techniques and optimization strategies, you’re equipped to sculpt your website into a beacon of swiftness and seamless user experience. Remember, the path to speed nirvana is a journey, not a destination. Stay vigilant, stay optimized, and let your website race ahead in the digital marathon.