Background

As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering high-performing websites, we recently conducted a performance audit of Cooney & Conway’s website using Google’s PageSpeed Insights. While the original site speed clocked in at 4.4 seconds, our goal was to optimize performance to pass Google’s Core Web Vitals, which is a key factor in search visibility and user experience.

Goal

Improve website performance to enhance user experience and SEO.

Objectives

  • Reduce page load times
  • Pass all three Core Web Vitals benchmarks
  • Improve responsiveness and visual stability
  • Maintain a seamless experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices

What Are Core Web Vitals?

Google’s Core Web Vitals are real-world metrics that measure key aspects of user experience:

  • Largest Contentful paint (LCP): Measures how quickly the largest content (typically a hero image or headline) becomes visible.
    • Result: 2.1 seconds (well below the 2.5s target)
  • Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Tracks how fast the site reacts to user inputs.
    • Result: 137ms (excellent)
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Detects unexpected layout shifts during loading.
    • Result: 0.00 (perfectly stable)

Approach & Solutions

To bring site performance up to speed, we made several targeted improvements:

  • Image Optimization: The homepage hero image was configured to load differently based on device type, improving load efficiency on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
  • Image Preloading: Key visuals were preloaded, so they begin rendering as early as possbile.
  • Script Optimization with NitroPack: We prioritized critical scripts and deferred less important ones, such as translation scripts (GTranslate), to reduce delays.
  • Performance Monitoring: Automated tools like Lighthouse flagged potential areas for enhancement – but these are based on simulated slower conditions. Real-user data shows significantly better performance.

Results

While Lighthouse may show an LCP of 3.4 seconds due to its conservative testing parameters, real-world user data tells a more accurate and encouraging story.

  • Site load time reduced from 4.4s to under 2.1s
  • Passed all core web vitals
  • Enhanced user experience and SEO positioning

Conclusion

By strategically optimizing media, prioritizing important resources, and fine-tuning performance with NitroPack, the Cooney & Conway website is now faster, more stable, and more responsive than ever. This strong performance foundation ensures better search rankings and a seamless experience for users on any device.

We’ll continue to monitor and refine the site to stay ahead of future performance standards.