GTmetrix is one of the most popular speed test tools and provides a comprehensive analysis of your website. It also provides suggestions on how to improve your site’s performance. The tool is easy to use and has a variety of features that can help you optimize your website for speed and user experience.
The GTmetrix waterfall analysis is a great way to identify any potential performance issues that are slowing down your site’s loading times. This information can help you determine what’s causing your problems and how to fix them.
When you see a high TTFB (time to first byte) on your waterfall, it means that your server is taking longer than usual to respond to requests from visitors. This can indicate that your hosting provider isn’t providing a fast enough connection.
Another important factor to consider is the latency of your network. The more time it takes to receive data from your host, the slower your website will load. This can be a problem if your visitors are located in different countries and regions.
A good solution for this is to use a caching plugin, which will cache all of your requests and speed up page load times. There are plenty of different options available, and you should try a few to find the best one for your needs.
How to use GTmetrix:
The first thing you’ll want to do is create a free account. This will allow you to choose your test location and device, as well as enable more options.
Once you have your account, it’s a good idea to start testing your site with different connections and devices to get an accurate picture of how your site performs on various devices. You can then use this information to optimize your website for the best possible speed and experience.
Using the History tab to view past tests is also a great way to catch problems before they happen. The history tab displays results for all of your tests in an easy-to-read graph, making it easy to spot issues that could be affecting your site’s speed.
In addition to showing how long it takes for a page to load, GTmetrix also shows how many requests were made during the test. This information can help you figure out what kinds of files are taking up most of the bandwidth and preventing your website from delivering a fast experience.
This is especially important if your site is hosted in an area with poor or slow internet speeds. In fact, it’s possible to run the same test from a different location, such as India, and get very different results.
When you click on an audit, it will open up the request and response headers for that page. This can reveal lots of useful information, such as the exact type and size of each request and byte size it makes up.
You can also view a video of the page being rendered in order to determine what’s causing the problem. Whether you’re looking for information about your host, the plugins you’re using, or any other aspect of your page’s performance, this will help you uncover problems quickly and effectively.