Optimising website performance is crucial for a positive user experience and improved SEO ranking. Luckily, there are many tools available to help you identify and address performance bottlenecks. Here's a breakdown of some popular options, categorised by their function:
Website Speed Testing:
Google PageSpeed Insights (PSI): Free tool by Google that analyses your website's speed on desktop and mobile, providing actionable insights based on Core Web Vitals and other metrics.
GTmetrix: Offers detailed performance reports, waterfall charts, and recommendations for improvement. Has both free and paid plans.
Pingdom Website Speed Test: Simple and fast tool for basic speed analysis and suggestions. Free for basic use.
WebPageTest: Advanced tool with various location options and browser emulators for in-depth analysis. Free and paid plans available.
Mobile Optimisation:
Google Mobile-Friendly Test: Checks if your website is mobile-friendly according to Google's standards. Free and easy to use.
Mobile-Friendly Test by Bing: Similar tool by Bing to assess mobile-friendliness. Free to use.
Hotjar: Heat maps and session recordings reveal how users interact with your website on mobile devices. Paid plans offer more features.
Crazy Egg: Visualises user behaviour on your website using heat maps and scroll maps. Paid plans offer additional insights.
A/B Testing and Conversion Optimisation:
Optimizely: Robust platform for A/B testing, personalisation, and feature experimentation. Paid plans offer advanced features.
VWO: Another popular A/B testing tool with comprehensive features and analytics. Paid plans offer various testing options.
UserTesting: Conducts live user testing sessions to observe and gather feedback on your website's usability and conversion points. Paid plans offer different testing options.
SEO and Technical Analysis:
Google Search Console: Free tool from Google that provides insights into your website's search performance, technical issues, and indexing status.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Desktop application that crawls your website like a search engine bot, identifying technical SEO issues and broken links. Paid plans offer more features.
Ahrefs: Comprehensive SEO toolset for keyword research, backlink analysis, and on-page optimisation suggestions. Paid plans offer diverse features.
Moz: Suite of SEO tools for site audits, keyword research, and competitive analysis. Paid plans offer more advanced features.
Image Optimisation:
TinyPNG: Simple online tool to compress PNG images and reduce file size. Free for basic use, paid plans for higher volumes.
ImageRecycle: Optimises image files for web use without losing quality, reducing page load times. Paid plans offer various compression options.
ShortPixel: Optimises images in various formats while maintaining quality. Free plan with limitations, paid plans for higher usage.
Remember, the best tools for you depend on your specific needs and budget. Consider factors like website size, complexity, and desired level of analysis when choosing the right tools for your website optimisation journey.