Web page testing tools like PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, GTMetrix, and Pingdom may report longer load times for Ceros content. It's important to note that these measurements often do not reflect the actual user experience.
Key Points on Load Time Measurement
Initial Content Loading: Ceros prioritizes loading content immediately visible in the viewport, allowing users to interact with it almost instantly.
Background Loading: Additional assets and pages load in the background, ensuring they are ready when needed without delaying initial interaction.
Artificial Testing Limitations: Many testing tools use simulated conditions that may not accurately represent real-world usage, potentially misrepresenting load times.
Factors Affecting Reported Load Times
Continuous Asset Loading: Assets continue to load even after the initially visible content is available, which can lower performance scores.
Tracking Scripts and Pixels: Elements like Google Tag Manager and custom HTML scripts can impact load times reported by testing tools.
Animations and Analytics: Ongoing animations and analytics operations may extend the reported load time, despite the actual content being usable.
Single-Page Application Architecture
Ceros operates as a single-page application (SPA), dynamically showing or hiding content. This means that tests often consider all content, visible or not, which can skew results.
Real-World Performance vs. Automated Tests
User Experience: The primary concern is the experience of the user, which may not align with automated test results.
Framework and Code Optimization: Ceros continuously optimizes its codebase to support a diverse range of content and improve load times.
Importance of Third-Party Scripts: Tracking scripts essential for marketing and analytics can affect load times but are crucial for campaign success.
Conclusion: Balancing Speed and Functionality
While automated tests provide valuable insights, the true performance measure is the user's experience. Ceros focuses on delivering content quickly and efficiently, sometimes at the cost of automated test scores but with significant benefits in speed-to-market and user engagement.