Checking and Improving the Page Speed

Landing Page Academy » Chapter 4: Landing Page Optimization » Lesson 3/7

Having a landing page filled with things like videos, pictures, animations, and so on has its consequences: it probably won’t be the fastest-loading landing page ever… and that’s where the problem lies.

Maybe you think that nowadays, people usually have access to a super-fast internet connection. You’re right, but that doesn’t change a thing.

Over the years, websites and landing pages evolved from simple pages (tiny in file size) to powerful yet burdening ones. Our devices need a super-fast internet connection to load pages smoothly. Still, as an owner of a landing page, your job is to keep it as lightweight as possible, so it loads quickly even on low-end devices and weak internet connections.

Step one: check your page speed

Checking how fast your page loads is the easiest step, so don’t get used to it. However, it's a necessary one to take to determine how much effort you should put into your landing page to speed it up.

PageSpeed Insights

Just head to Google's PageSpeed Insights, and type in your landing page’s address. The tool will need a moment to analyze your page, and in return, you’ll get a score and a short diagnosis, pointing out some improvement ideas.

You’ll also learn how long it takes for your landing page to load the first piece of text or picture, become interactive for the user, and load the largest element. It’s beneficial, as it tells you how bad (or good) the situation is.

Also, don’t forget to check your mobile page speed – to do so, try Google’s Test My Site tool, which is basically the mobile version of PageSpeed Insights.

Google Lighthouse

To get an even more in-depth understanding of your page speed, try Google Lighthouse. You’ll need the Google Chrome browser if you don’t use it already, but it’s worth your while. Lighthouse generates a thorough report containing so-called failing audits. They indicate which areas of your landing page need the most improvement.

Website Page Test

It’s yet another page speed checking tool, which is also free and open-source. The difference between Website Page Test and Google’s solution is that you can save your reports if you sign up and create a free profile.

That’s a great way to track the results of your efforts in improving the page speed. Also, it’s possible to run the test from a specific location and use the browser of your choice.

Other tools

If you haven’t found everything you need in the aforementioned tools, search for GTMetrix, Yslow, or Varvy PageSpeed Optimization. They are all fine tools filled with handy features and providing valuable insights.

Knowing what’s wrong with your landing page loading speed is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s start real optimization.

We’ll spend some time on design optimization (images, videos, layout, mobile responsiveness), copy and SEO optimization, A/B testing, and so on in a few following lessons, so take the next step and see the actual improvement!

Step two: actual optimization

Takeaways

1. Page loading speed should be as short as possible.

2. To diagnose problems with your landing page’s loading speed, you can use free, open-source tools like PageSpeed Insights or Website Page Test.

3. Try different tools to see which works best for your needs.

4. Focus on one thing to optimize at a time, and start with design matters.

What's next?

The next lesson will be all about image and video optimization. Also, you'll get a hint or two about making landing pages mobile-friendly with a single click since almost everyone seems to use smartphones for surfing the web. It's a lesson you just can’t miss!

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