June 2019 Newsletter

**** The 4specs Perspective

Google Wants More Speed

Website performance is about retaining users and better Google referrals.

https://web.dev/why-speed-matters/

Now that Google is ranking websites based on their mobile experience, you need to focus on delivering the fastest friendly experience you can achieve.
https://www.hobo-web.co.uk/your-website-design-should-load-in-4-seconds/

Google has long used page speed as a ranking tool for desktop searches.

Google's 2019 shift to focus on mobile-based search results is the alert to recheck your website speed and eliminate slow spots. There are lots of tools available to understand your page speed performance. One listed in the link above is from Google:

https://pagespeed.web.dev/?utm_source=psi&utm_medium=redirect

Use this tool to evaluate your home page and several internal pages.

The next few newsletters will focus on changes I would recommend for most websites. I frequently will check an advertiser's performance when talking on the phone. I have a "simple is better" and "make it easy to be selected and specified" philosophy. This is very different than the current design philosophy for ecommerce practiced by many web designers. My focus is on desktop performance for the specifier and architectural staff.

Here is the primary tool I use to understand how their website responds:

https://www.webpagetest.org/

Evaluate your home page and several internal pages. Save the link for the future to evaluate changes you make. Use the results to ask your web designer/manager how they suggest improving your website performance.

4specs (then specs-online.com) was originally designed in 1996 using a dial-up connection. My focus has been to keep our speed performance maximized. Our focus is on "being specified" on commercial, institutional and industrial construction projects. The 4specs metaphor is the 3-ring binder library used by architects for design and specification information.

Questions and suggestions are always appreciated.

Colin

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Colin Gilboy
Publisher - 4specs
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