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Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Mobile, Search Engine Optimization

Five Mobile Load Time White Lies

by Jason SiegelApril 2, 2016
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We have all been there. The requirements start stacking from all areas of the enterprise and the politics are thick. Companies are ignoring some white lies they are preaching and it is impacting a major driver that can impact your business….THE LOAD TIME OF YOUR RESPONSIVE OR MOBILE-OPTIMIZED WEBSITE.

WHITE LIE 1: “Just throw that 3rd party code snippet in the header”
Technical Saying: Minimize HTTP requests

What this means:

The quickest way to improve site mobile speed is to simplify your design.

  • Streamline the number of elements on your page.
  • Use CSS instead of images whenever possible.
  • Combine multiple style sheets into one.

And more. Contact us if you would like an SEO assessment.

WHITE LIE 2: “Servers are all the same, it’s the cloud, ya know….right?
Technical Saying: Reduce server response time

What this means:

Your target is a server response time of less than 200ms (milliseconds). Bluetext recommends using a web application monitoring solution and checking for bottlenecks in performance. Contact us if you would like help measuring this.

WHITE LIE 3: “You don’t need compression with these fat pipes we have now”
Technical Saying: Enable compression and Optimize Images

What this means:

Large pages (which is what you could have if you’re creating high-quality content) are often 100kb and up. As a result, they’re bulky and slow to download. The best way to speed their load time is to zip them via a technique called compression. Compression reduces the bandwidth of your pages, thereby reducing HTTP response. You do this with a tool called Gzip. Oversized images take longer to load, so it’s important that you keep your images as small as possible.

WHITE LIE 4: Just throw a redirect on that problem…
Technical issue: Reduce redirects

What this means:

Redirects create additional HTTP requests and increase load time, so you want to keep them to a minimum. Considering redirecting your digital business to another agency? Contact Bluetext

WHITE LIE 5: “As we co-develop just throw the JavaScript up top”
Technical issue: Anchor pages with JavaScript vs Leading with JS
You want to place all your JavaScript at the BOTTOM of the page. This will optimize the perceived latency because as the page is loaded it stops upon encountering JavaScript. Putting scripts at the bottom allows the user interface to display before the JavaScript is loaded.





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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is 'just add the third-party script' a dangerous habit?

Each tag adds requests and potential blocking behavior that slows first paint. Lean pages with consolidated styles and CSS-over-images render faster on mobile. Audit tags regularly and remove what doesn’t earn its keep. Simplicity is the fastest optimization most teams overlook.

Do all servers perform the same in the cloud era?

No — poor configuration and noisy neighbors can hurt response times dramatically. Aim for sub-200ms server response and monitor with APM tools. Identify bottlenecks at the app, database, and network layers. Speed begins at the origin before any front-end tweaks.

Is compression optional on modern networks?

Compression remains essential because rich content makes pages heavy. Enable Gzip or Brotli and right-size images to slash transfer times. You’ll see immediate wins in first byte and total download. Fast pipes don’t excuse bloated payloads.

Can redirects fix messy architecture without trade-offs?

Each redirect adds round trips that compound latency, especially on mobile. Clean internal linking and canonicalization reduce detours. When redirects are necessary, keep chains short and logical. Architecture discipline pays ongoing speed dividends.

Why should JavaScript load after meaningful content?

Parsing JS blocks rendering, so placing scripts at the bottom improves perceived speed. Prioritize HTML and critical CSS so users see and can use the page quickly. Then hydrate interactivity progressively. This ordering aligns performance with human perception.

What's a simple checklist to keep teams honest about speed?

Limit requests, compress assets, optimize images, reduce redirects, and defer noncritical JS. Track Core Web Vitals and set budgets for page weight and third-party tags. Review performance during every release, not just annually. Habits — not heroics — win the speed game.