The last two days I fell into a trap, and a small sanity test could have saved me. The worst part of it was I was warned about this particular trap. I went running after the pages speed insights lab score. I felt I was close but no matter what I did I just couldn’t get the biggest issues to resolve, and then I did, and then I lost all that because our domain was purchased through Wix.
That is now a project for another day. To get our domain off of Wix and onto something that allows me more control over the websites DNS structure. I don’t know if that is what is holding it back or if it is something else, or if I am just a crazy and impatient person.
I talk a lot about process over results, but everyone wants results. We all want to see our work pay off, and getting that close to a breakthrough and having the rug pulled out from under you due to factors not easily controlled doubles the frustration.
Then I decided to put Amazon’s website into the speed test, and it failed spectacularly. It was awful, but the real user experience, that we’re too small to see, gave it glowing results. The lab test on speed test is tested on a slow 4G network on a Moto G telephone. It might as well be dialup. It really isn’t worth chasing that score.
In reality it doesn’t matter if my website loads on someone’s hoopty of a telephone in five seconds or two because none of our clients are going to be using anything outside a much more higher end phone. If I had to guess from the houses I’ve been into we probably have a pretty even split between Samsung and Apple with maybe a couple Google phones in there. We are going to see a lot of LG or Moto or Bob’s discount wireless.
Ultimately it doesn’t matter what that lab score is, and despite being warned about chasing shiny green numbers I dove in head first and chased them, and for one glorious moment I had it, and then had it ripped away thanks to our old Wix website. That sucker is coming off of Wix pretty soon here. Everything I’ve read says the site remains perfectly functional during the 5 to 7 day transition. It is just on me as when I want to make it.
David Huzzard Writes 