Google PageSpeed Insights

[Albert Wiersch]

If you haven't used the Google PageSpeed Insights tool, then I would recommend it.

I used it to make further speed improvements to CSE HTML Validator's website. It made me aware of some images that I was able to significantly shrink. I also decided to enable web server compression per their recommendation/suggestion, and added some server headings to better optimize browser caching.

Just enter the URL of your site here:
http://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/

[RSteinwand]

I can't agree enough.

This is also good, combining PageSpeed Insights and ySlow: http://gtmetrix.com/ as is this page: http://www.webpagetest.org/

You also have PageSpeed and ySlow plugins for Firefox and Chrome.

[Albert Wiersch]

Thanks Rick!

That's a good link indeed (http://www.webpagetest.org/). I failed a keep-alive test with IE and did some further research. I found this page:
HTTPS and Keep-Alive Connections

It seems I had these outdated config lines in my Apache config file:

Code: Select all

 SetEnvIf User-Agent ".*MSIE.*" \
  nokeepalive ssl-unclean-shutdown \
  downgrade-1.0 force-response-1.0

This is especially bad because I recently switched to HTTPS only.

I've finally removed those lines today. Originally they resolved SSL bugs with versions of IE earlier than 6, but it's not even worth bothering with those obsolete issues anymore, and unfortunately the lines I had affected all versions of IE, not just the buggy ones, causing a lot of unnecessary SSL connections and slowing everything down unnecessarily.

[RSteinwand]

Glad it worked for you.

Did your score improve? I find I keep tweaking and scanning, tweaking and scanning and don't get anything else done. At least if I could hit 100%, I could leave it well enough alone, right?

[Albert Wiersch]

Hi Rick,

My 'Keep-alive Enabled' score on http://www.webpagetest.org/ drastically improved for tests with IE after removing the IE bug work-around from my Apache config.

It's fun to tweek and get as high a score as you can but there's a point where it makes sense to stop and just accept the score you have even if it's not 100.

I do find the suggestion to use a CDN for static assets interesting. I suppose this is meant to take a load of your server and make it faster and more efficient? I haven't read much about doing that but I don't currently see much need for it for any of my sites. But perhaps it is also meant to make things faster for the end user because some type of optimization or improved routing can occur?

[YvesL]

Using a CDN, should help a lot. It take load off your server and serve the static assets to your user from a server near their location.

[Albert Wiersch]

I've added some websites mentioned in this thread to the Recommended Resources page.

[RSteinwand]

It's fun to tweak and get as high a score as you can but there's a point where it makes sense to stop and just accept the score you have even if it's not 100.

Tell me about it. I'm doing this every day. I do have a 99% score on many pages, but the Google Analytics script's 2 hour cache robs me of that final 1%.

I do find the suggestion to use a CDN for static assets interesting. I suppose this is meant to take a load of your server and make it faster and more efficient? I haven't read much about doing that but I don't currently see much need for it for any of my sites. But perhaps it is also meant to make things faster for the end user because some type of optimization or improved routing can occur?

Part of the reasoning is to get around the 6 simultaneous downloads limit that most browsers have. You can DL 6 files from your domain AND the other domain. I use it on our home page, which has a slider, to grab those 6 files from another domain we own, which also has SSL. Of course the dns lookup for that second domain has a little penalty too. This stuff is all visible on the waterfall test with the "document complete" part being the important part (along with when you first see content).

Of course HTTP/2 will fix that 6 simultaneous download limit for us.

[Albert Wiersch]

Part of the reasoning is to get around the 6 simultaneous downloads limit that most browsers have. You can DL 6 files from your domain AND the other domain. I use it on our home page, which has a slider, to grab those 6 files from another domain we own, which also has SSL. Of course the dns lookup for that second domain has a little penalty too. This stuff is all visible on the waterfall test with the "document complete" part being the important part (along with when you first see content).

Of course HTTP/2 will fix that 6 simultaneous download limit for us.

Thanks Rick. I had not really looked into that and I may have to, at least for curiosity's sake.

However, I think my website is pretty lightweight the way it is and may not benefit much from using a CDN... but a CDN could have other benefits as well. Hmmmmmmm.........

HTTP/2 sounds quite interesting as well.

[RSteinwand]

I wet myself when I saw HTTP/2 was in the Win10 preview browser AND IIS.

When I got myself cleaned up, I sent off an email to my supervisor with a link to the page and "I WANT THAT".

[Albert Wiersch]

Yes, HTTP/2 sounds great and I hadn't heard much about it... something definitely worth keeping an eye on. I'm really curious as to how much real-world difference it will make.

[RSteinwand]

Here's a performance tip I bet most of us aren't using, add this to the head of pages using Google Analytics:

Code: Select all

<link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//www.google-analytics.com">

Of course if you have any other domains you're using, you'll want to add those as well. I know many sites use images and themes from other sites that should also be added. If you're using content from other domains, add the prefetch.

Code: Select all

<head>
    <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//www.domain1.com">
    <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//www.domain2.com">
</head>

Albert, you may want to add that to your list of performance tweaks.

[Albert Wiersch]

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the suggestion. I like it but I'm not sure where to add it. I don't have a "random performance tip" message like I do for SEO, accessibility, and mobility tips, and this suggestion seems to be a performance tip that applies to more than just mobile websites.

Were you thinking of the random mobility tip messages when you suggested this?

Thanks.

[RSteinwand]

Hi Albert,

I guess with the mobile tips would be good for now. Many of those items apply to desktop as well.

[Albert Wiersch]

Thanks Rick. I'll just add it to the mobile tips.

UPDATE: Added this:
[133] Mobility Tip #34 - Consider reducing DNS resolution time by using "link" elements for DNS prefetching, like with <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//domain.com">. Visit http://www.chromium.org/developers/desi ... refetching for more information.