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LifestreamI took the WebPageAnalyzer test to see what they had to say about the front portal page, slightly abbreviated:
Warnings:
- The total number of objects on this page is 57 - consider reducing this to a more reasonable number. Combine, refine, and optimize your external objects. Replace graphic rollovers with CSS rollovers to speed display and minimize HTTP requests.
- The total number of images on this page is 53 , consider reducing … blah …
- The total size of your images is 49127 bytes, which is over 30K. Consider optimizing your images for size, combining them, and replacing graphic rollovers with CSS.
- The total size of your external CSS is 12624 bytes, which is over 8K. Consider optimizing your CSS for size by eliminating whitespace, using shorthand notation, and combining multiple CSS files where appropriate.
Cautions:
- The total size of this page is 86004 bytes, which will load in over 8 seconds on a 56Kbps modem - or 17.34 seconds. Consider reducing total page size to less than 30K to achieve sub eight second response times on 56K connections. Be sure to provide feedback for pages over 30K by layering your design to display useful content within the first two seconds.
- The total size of this HTML file is 22083 bytes, which is above 20K but below 100K. With a 10K ad and a logo this means that your page will load in over 8.6 seconds. Consider optimizing your HTML and eliminating unnecessary features. To give your users feedback, consider layering your page or using positioning to display useful content within the first two seconds.
- The total size of your scripts is 2170 bytes, which is above 1160 bytes and less than 4K. Consider optimizing your scripts and eliminating features to reduce this to a more reasonable size.
CSS is certainly one area that I have been concerned with. Even if it doesn’t do much either way I can tell that I’ve used pretty sloppy CSS from time to time. Could probably be cut down to half that size with code sweeping and consolidating tags.
As far as the rest of the complaints go I can only say I never thought about it. It’s so easy when you’re on broadband with low latency to forget about the modem people. You have to remember that the front page that was measured was a more or less text-only blog selection. When I use images heavily, the front page is probably well in excess of 100 kb. And that is not good. I’ll look into it.
Edit: I’ve also started optimizing scripts and other seldom edited elements using HTML Compress. It can do wonders with php and js code. And CSS of course. But CSS is better optimized and expanded using for example Top Style 3. It kind of helps if you can turn the jumbled optimized code back so that you can edit it later on. Homesite does have code sweepers of course but I’ve never been comfortable with them for some reason.
There is also the option to add gzip / zlib compression for CSS as documented in the Definitive Post on Gzipping your CSS. Can save as much as 75% bandwidth.
