So, you are done building your website. The next step is to ensure that it loads as fast as possible.
Created by Google, PageSpeed Insights measures how well your pages are doing when seen from mobile AND desktops screens. Scores range from 0 to 100 — with 85 or higher indicating great performance.
The service also makes recommendations to help you improve things. The areas of focus include image optimization, browser caching, minification, landing page redirects, above-the-fold content (render-blocking JavaScript / CSS and visible content prioritization), compression, and server response time.
If your page passes a rule, you will see a green check mark on the left. Suggested improvements are divided into two categories:
- Red exclamation point – “Fixing this would have a measurable impact on page performance.”
- Yellow exclamation point – “Consider fixing this if it is not an onerous amount of work.”
Implementing the suggestions will definitely improve loading time. However, network connections differ from place to place, so your visitors may only notice a minor change.
To use PageSpeed Insights, visit http://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/. You can also install the Chrome / Firefox extension to analyze your pages on the go.
