This Google Webmasters video introduces Page Speed, a tool to help website builders make their sites load faster. Software engineer Sam Kerner takes the viewer through Page Speed’s features and functionality so that webmasters get a basic idea of how the tool generates suggestions for them. Some of the most common checklist items for an efficient website include photo compression, proper Javascript coding and correct caching headers for each site.

Page Speed is a Firebug add-on program, and a webmaster can get started with a site analysis by clicking Page Speed’s icon on the lower right corner of the browser window. A main benefit of Page Speed is that it can analyze very simple to very complex web pages. Once a site author sees a list of suggestions from a Page Speed analysis, the program can help with corrections by producing cleaned-up code as needed. Javascript in particular can have redundant and unnecessary lines of code that slow a website’s performance. Page Speed can even generate compressed versions of site images, saving the site owner the trouble of compressing them manually in an image editing program. To learn more about Page Speed, interested site authors can visit www.code.google.com/speed.

 

Improving website performance with Page Speed –