Why Performance Matters
Website speed directly impacts:
- User Experience: 53% of users abandon sites taking >3 seconds
- SEO: Google uses Core Web Vitals as ranking factors
- Conversions: 1-second delay can reduce conversions by 7%
- Revenue: Amazon found every 100ms delay cost 1% in sales
Core Web Vitals Explained
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- Measures loading performance
- Target: < 2.5 seconds
- Focus on main content visibility
First Input Delay (FID) / Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
- Measures interactivity
- Target: < 100ms (FID) / < 200ms (INP)
- Focus on JavaScript execution
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
- Measures visual stability
- Target: < 0.1
- Prevent unexpected layout shifts
Image Optimization
- Modern Formats: Use WebP or AVIF (30-50% smaller than JPEG)
- Responsive Images: Serve appropriate sizes with srcset
- Lazy Loading: Load images as they enter viewport
- CDN Delivery: Serve from edge locations
- Compression: Balance quality and file size
JavaScript Optimization
- Code Splitting: Load only what's needed
- Tree Shaking: Remove unused code
- Defer Non-Critical: Use async/defer attributes
- Minification: Reduce file sizes
- Bundle Analysis: Identify heavy dependencies
CSS Optimization
- Critical CSS: Inline above-the-fold styles
- Remove Unused: Purge unused selectors
- Minify: Reduce CSS file sizes
- Avoid @import: Use link tags instead
- CSS-in-JS Considerations: Evaluate runtime cost
Server-Side Optimization
- HTTP/2 or HTTP/3: Multiplexed connections
- Caching Headers: Proper cache-control settings
- Compression: Enable Gzip/Brotli
- Database Optimization: Index properly, optimize queries
- CDN: Distribute content globally
Hosting and Infrastructure
- Edge Computing: Run logic closer to users
- Serverless: Scale automatically with demand
- Load Balancing: Distribute traffic efficiently
- Autoscaling: Handle traffic spikes
Monitoring and Testing
Tools
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- Lighthouse
- WebPageTest
- Chrome DevTools
- Real User Monitoring (RUM)
Continuous Monitoring
- Set performance budgets
- Automated testing in CI/CD
- Track trends over time
- Alert on regressions
Quick Wins Checklist
- [ ] Enable Gzip/Brotli compression
- [ ] Implement browser caching
- [ ] Optimize and compress images
- [ ] Minify CSS and JavaScript
- [ ] Use a CDN
- [ ] Remove render-blocking resources
- [ ] Lazy load below-fold content
- [ ] Preload critical resources
SonBarsa Performance Services
We conduct comprehensive performance audits and implement optimizations that improve user experience and search rankings. Our clients typically see 40-60% improvement in load times.
