The Web Performance Landscape in 2024 | Tammy Everts | performance.now() 2024

Summary

In this talk, the speaker explores the challenges and realities of web performance optimization, sharing insights on common pitfalls and why many websites fail to meet performance standards. Despite significant effort, many sites still miss opportunities for improvement due to a lack of awareness, difficulty in implementing optimizations, or focusing on the wrong metrics. The speaker emphasizes the importance of asking key questions about user impact and business outcomes while continuously learning and improving. While the current state may feel disheartening, there is room for growth and the chance to make meaningful improvements.

Takeaways

• 😀 Optimization is a key factor in improving website performance, but many websites still fail to implement effective optimizations.
• 😀 A significant number of sites are underperforming when it comes to key web optimizations like image compression, unused JavaScript removal, and caching.
• 😀 Identifying why performance optimizations fail is challenging, as it could be due to factors such as incorrect focus on the critical rendering path or the difficulty of implementing changes.
• 😀 Developers often don't realize that their pages are failing optimization tests, suggesting a need for better awareness and tracking of performance issues.
• 😀 Performance improvements are not always easy to measure or implement, and it's important to understand the specific metrics that matter for users and business outcomes.
• 😀 The process of performance optimization should involve asking questions like 'Who am I building for?' and 'How do I measure the impact of changes?'
• 😀 Failing at optimizations does not mean all hope is lost; there is still room to learn and improve, and it provides an opportunity to make a real impact.
• 😀 Continuous learning and attending conferences can be beneficial for gathering useful insights and strategies to improve web performance.
• 😀 Acknowledge where performance stands today (even if it's suboptimal) to make better plans and improvements going forward.
• 😀 Successful performance optimization requires focusing on the needs of the users and ensuring that optimizations genuinely benefit them.
• 😀 Even if your website is performing well, there is always room for further improvement, and the low-hanging fruit can make a substantial impact.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial expectation regarding web performance mistakes?

The speaker initially expected that most websites would have some level of performance mistakes or missed optimizations, though the extent of these issues was surprising to them.

Why might performance optimizations fail to improve website performance according to the speaker?

The failure to improve performance might be due to optimizations not affecting the critical rendering path, being difficult or impossible to implement, or website owners simply not being aware of the performance issues.

What does the speaker suggest about tracking website performance?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of tracking the right metrics and asks whether the performance improvements are truly helping users and business goals.

What term did the speaker refer to when discussing the process of continuous improvement in web performance?

The speaker refers to the term 'ABA' (Always Be Asking), coined by Nick Jansma. This concept encourages developers to constantly ask who they are building for, whether their optimizations are impactful, and if they are measuring the right things.

How did the speaker feel about the room for improvement in web performance optimization?

The speaker feels that the room for improvement is actually a positive aspect, as it provides opportunities to make an impact. If websites were already fully optimized, it would be harder to justify attending events like this.

What does the speaker suggest is a key takeaway for attendees of the event?

The key takeaway for attendees is that there is always room for learning and improvement, and they should take away actionable tips to implement better performance optimizations in their work.

What is the importance of asking the right questions during the web performance optimization process?

Asking the right questions helps ensure that the optimizations being made are impactful, aligned with user needs, and backed by proper metrics, ultimately improving both user experience and business outcomes.

What challenges do web developers face in implementing optimizations, according to the speaker?

Web developers face challenges such as the complexity of implementing optimizations, the possibility that optimizations don't affect the critical rendering path, and sometimes, a lack of awareness about the performance issues on their sites.

Why is acknowledging the current state of web performance important, according to the speaker?

Acknowledging the current state of web performance is important because it helps set a realistic foundation for improvement and provides a clear starting point for developers to make changes and move toward better performance.

How does the speaker view the value of attending performance-focused conferences?

The speaker views attending performance-focused conferences as a valuable opportunity for learning, sharing insights, and making meaningful progress in web performance optimization. It also allows attendees to justify their work and potentially return next year with improved results.