High-5 General Misconception about Web Performance

High-5 General Misconception about Web Performance

With this article, our main objective is to educate the users about the importance of web performance as it is the backbone for any successful Web business.

Web performance as a topic is sometimes very complex and difficult to get through as it is relied on various dynamic parameters such as optimized server configuration, optimized cache management, optimized source code deployment, best combination of plugins etc. We are targeting to make Web Performance as simple and accessible as possible. What’s more, having reliable information is another challenge. 

Here in this article, we are addressing some misleading concepts that hampers the understanding of a true Web Performance.

What Are the Most Common Misconceptions about Web Performance?

Let’s discover the misconceptions that are more frequently misjudged regarding web performance optimization. 

1.    Using a CDN

2.    Lazy Load Background Images

3.    Delaying & deferring JavaScript

4.    Host Fonts Locally

5.    Reduce Used CSS

1. Using a CDN: While Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are designed to enhance web performance, they don’t always guarantee performance improvements in every situation. The effectiveness of a CDN in improving web performance depends on several factors:

• Content Type: CDNs are highly effective at improving the delivery of static content like images, CSS, JavaScript, and videos. However, they may have limited impact on the content that dynamically generated. For Websites having rich dynamic content often requires additional optimization techniques, like server-side caching or database tuning etc.
• Geographic Distribution: CDNs work by distributing content to edge servers located in various regions. If your target audience is mostly local or concentrated in one region, a CDN may have a more significant impact on performance. In contrast, if your audience is spread globally, CDNs become more crucial to reduce latency.
• Quality of CDN Provider: The choice of CDN provider matters. Some CDN providers have a more extensive network of edge servers, better load balancing, and more advanced performance optimization features than others. The quality of the CDN provider can significantly impact web performance.
• Cache Configuration: The effectiveness of a CDN depends on how well it’s configured. Proper cache settings, cache purging, and cache expiration policies are essential for optimal results. Incorrect configurations can lead to issues such as outdated content or excessive cache misses.
• Website Design: The design and architecture of your website or web application play a crucial role. If your site is poorly designed, with large and unoptimized assets or complex rendering processes, a CDN might not fully compensate for those issues.
• Internet Connectivity: The performance improvement offered by CDNs can also depend on the end-users’ internet connectivity and devices. Even with a well-configured CDN, if users have slow or unreliable internet connections or older devices, the perceived performance gains may be limited.

Overall CDNs are a valuable tool for improving web performance but their impact depends on various factors. It’s important to carefully plan and configure your CDN and assess its impact on your specific use case to ensure the best web performance improvements.

2. Lazy Loading of Background Images: Lazy loading background images can be a valuable technique for improving web performance. Lazy loading is a strategy to defer the loading of non-critical resources, such as images, until they are needed, typically when they come into the user’s viewport. It allows the browser to load images when required so that only required images gets loaded simultaneously, which result in faster & quickly rendering page.

Although it’s a valuable technique for improving web performance, but whether it “always” helps depends on the specific context and the goals of your website.

The misconception is that background images added on internal CSS (`style` tag) and CSS files can be lazy loaded. The truth is that WordPress, lazy load libraries, and native lazy load don’t allow this optimization – which has to be configured accurately. Another hurdle is in lazy loading of You tube Videos through IFrame element. The Lazy Loader only handle the videos that are embedded via object elements, not iFrame. That is the reason Lazy Loader behaves differently to the different context and environment of website.

3. Delaying & deferring JavaScript: delaying JavaScript does not always improve web performance and can have both positive and negative effects depending on how it’s implemented. Here are some key considerations:

Positive Effects of Delaying JavaScript can be Faster Initial Page Load, Improved Perceived Performance, Reduced Blocking whereas the Negative Effects of Delaying JavaScript can be substantial harming to the website performance. Few misconceptions and bottlenecks could be:

• Delayed Interactivity: Delaying all JavaScript can result in a delay in interactivity, especially for interactive features like forms, buttons, and navigation elements. This can lead to a poor user experience.
• Potential FOUC (Flash of Un-styled Content): If JavaScript is responsible for rendering styles or manipulating the DOM, delaying it may lead to a FOUC, where users briefly see un-styled content.
• Third-party Dependencies: Many websites rely on third-party scripts and services (e.g., social media widgets, analytics, ads). Delaying these scripts can create unpredictable behaviour, and it may not always be possible to control when they load.

In summary, while delaying JavaScript can enhance web performance in certain situations, it should be implemented carefully, considering the specific needs and structure of your website. Balancing interactivity with page load times and perceived performance is crucial for providing a positive user experience. Similarly, deferring JavaScript is crucial as long as it respects dependencies. In other words, deferring JS without considering dependencies is not recommended.

4. Host Fonts Locally: This is again a common misconception that hosting fonts locally on your website is always a good idea, but this may not be the case in every situation. Here are some general misconceptions and considerations related to hosting fonts locally:

• It’s Always Faster: While hosting fonts locally can reduce external requests and potentially improve load times, it’s not always faster. Large font files can slow down your site, especially if your server isn’t optimized for delivering fonts efficiently.
• Total Control: Local hosting can provide more control over font files, but it also comes with responsibility. You must manage the fonts, updates, and deal with potential compatibility issues across browsers and devices.
• License Issues: Many people think they can use any font they like when hosting locally. However, not all fonts are free for use, and you must ensure you have the proper licenses for the fonts you are using.
• Complexity: Local font hosting can add complexity to your website, requiring you to set up proper font formats, font loading strategies (e.g., font-display), and potentially creating fallbacks for better user experiences.

While hosting fonts locally can have benefits, it’s essential to carefully consider your specific use case and requirements. In some situations, using a reputable CDN or web font service may be a more efficient and hassle-free solution, especially for smaller websites or those with limited server resources.

5. Reduce Used CSS: In addition to JavaScript optimization, reducing used CSS is one of the most effective ways to boost your website performance. The general misconception is that delivering the used CSS in separate files is always the best way to address such optimization.

In practice, the best approach often involves a combination of strategies. Critical CSS may be in-lined for the initial rendering, while non-critical styles are loaded from separate files to take advantage of browser caching and parallel loading. Code splitting and bundling tools can help manage this effectively.

The choice between inline CSS or separate files depends on your project’s unique requirements, the balance between initial load times and long-term caching benefits, and the performance optimization techniques you use, such as minimizing and compressing your CSS. It’s essential to assess your site’s performance metrics and continuously optimize based on real-world data.

Wrapping up

Web performance optimization is not that easy – and this article helps to have a different side of the story as well. Hopefully, it has addressed general common misconceptions about important key topics such as CDN, Local Fonts, optimizing JavaScript & CSS and lazy loading.

At WordPromise, we provide our sincere and honest feedback about all important aspect of a successful website. For further details and queries, you may reach out to us at info@wordpromise.com