Chapter 1. Understanding web performance

This chapter covers

  • Why web performance matters
  • How web browsers talk to web servers
  • How poorly performing websites can be detrimental to the user experience
  • How to use basic web optimization techniques

You’ve probably heard about performance as it relates to websites, but what is it and why should you and I care about it? Web performance refers primarily to the speed at which a website loads. This is important because shorter load times improve the user experience for your site on all internet connections. Because this improves the user experience, the user is more likely to see what your website has to offer. This helps you achieve goals as simple as getting more users to visit and read your ...

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