What's the best way to explain web performance issues to non-technical stakeholders?

1 Why web performance matters

Web performance is the measure of how fast and smooth your website loads and responds to user interactions. It depends on various factors, such as the size and quality of your assets, the speed and latency of your server, the browser and device compatibility, and the network conditions. Web performance matters because it affects how users perceive and engage with your website. A slow or buggy website can frustrate users, increase bounce rates, reduce conversions, and lower your SEO rankings. A fast and responsive website can delight users, increase retention, improve conversions, and boost your SEO rankings.

3 How to diagnose web performance issues

To diagnose web performance issues, you need to analyze the data and reports from the tools and metrics you used. Look for any anomalies, errors, or bottlenecks that can slow down or break your website. Common web performance issues include large or unoptimized images, videos, fonts, or other assets that increase the load time and consume bandwidth; excessive or unnecessary requests to the server or to external sources that increase latency and the time to first byte; complex or inefficient code such as CSS, JavaScript, or HTML that affects the rendering process and the time to interactive; and compatibility or accessibility issues preventing your website from working properly on different browsers, devices, or network conditions.

4 How to fix web performance issues

To improve website performance, you can apply solutions and best practices that can enhance speed and functionality. Compressing or resizing images, videos, fonts, or other assets can reduce size and quality without impacting appearance. Minifying or bundling code, such as CSS, JavaScript, or HTML can eliminate whitespace, comments, or unnecessary characters that slow loading time. Caching or using content delivery networks (CDNs) can store and deliver assets from the nearest location to users, reducing latency and time to first byte. Implementing lazy loading or code splitting can defer or load only the assets needed for the current view, resulting in faster first contentful paint and time to interactive. Lastly, testing and optimizing for different browsers, devices, or network conditions ensures compatibility and accessibility.

5 How to explain web performance issues

When explaining web performance issues to non-technical stakeholders, you should use simple language and avoid jargon or technical details. Focus on the impact and the benefits of your solutions. To do this effectively, start by explaining why web performance matters for your website's goals, such as user experience, conversion rates, or SEO rankings. Support your points with data and examples to show the consequences of poor web performance. Use analogies or metaphors to illustrate complex or abstract concepts, such as load time, latency, or rendering. Visualize the data with charts, graphs, screenshots, or videos to highlight the key findings and areas of improvement. Prioritize the solutions and best practices that can fix the web performance issues according to their impact, urgency, and feasibility. Involve the stakeholders in the decision-making process and explain how they can help or support your efforts.