A Tool for Testing Website Load Time

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A Tool for Testing Website Load Time

Posted in Website Design Tips	July 25, 2006

Permalink: http://daily.mequoda.com/i//website_design_tips/tool_for_testing_website_load_time_207-1.html

By Kim Mateus, Managing Editor Mequoda Daily and Library

As webpages grow more complex and designers strive to provide impact and interactivity, loading a page can take longer and longer—even over high speed connections. Slow-loading pages will cause losses in the number of readers, page views and advertising impressions, and, as a result, losses in revenue.

About 30 percent of Internet users are still using 56K modems, so that must remain the standard when determining load time. Broadband has dramatically shortened download time, but those with broadband don't want to wait even three, four or five seconds for a webpage to load. Their eyes begin to dart around, and they become impatient. So your main entry pages, in particular, must load quickly.

The Webpage Analyzer™ is a great tool for benchmark testing of your site. It can be helpful to site designers in diagnosing what's wrong, but does not provide a 100 percent accurate measurement of load time. In order to measure a true, worldwide user experience, you would need to test your site every 15 minutes (or every half hour) with every type of connection, all over the world. This would be madly expensive in terms of both time and money, so the Webpage Analyzer™ offers the next best thing.

Mequoda Library Members Only: If you're a Mequoda Library member, reference Don and Jane's entire chapter, Website Design Guideline #12: Speeding Up Website Load Time. Or check the full Table of Contents for Website Design for Publishers and Authors.

If you're not a Mequoda Library member, and are interested in accessing the full text of this chapter along with 432 other chapters, start your 14-day FREE trial.

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