How to interpret these test results??

Hi there. I’m new to the forum, but I’m not new to wanting to reduce the number of requests on my web pages. The problem is, whenever I run an analysis of my web pages using a website such as webpagetest.org, it identifies a LOT of problems with my web page and I want to address them, but I don’t UNDERSTAND the issues in the first place.

I’ve made a habit of lowering the quality of my images to optimize them for the web (that’s easy enough to do) but as far as anything beyond that, I’m clueless.

If there’s a thread that serves as a resource for these newbie questions, I assure you that I made an effort to find it before posting this thread, but I could not find anything, so I apologize for that.

I’m hoping that by sharing my test results here, someone would be kind enough to give me some pointers so I can take action against what seems to be an excessive amount of requests on my website (at least more than my competitors have)

F - First Byte Time
A - Keep-alive Enabled
A - Compress Transfer
A - Compress Images
F - Cache static content
X - Effective use of CDN

Details:
First Byte Time (back-end processing): 19/100
945 ms First Byte Time
135 ms Target First Byte Time

Use persistent connections (keep alive): 100/100

Use gzip compression for transferring compressable responses: 100/100
502.9 KB total in compressible text, target size = 502.9 KB - potential savings = 0.0 KB

Compress Images: 91/100
358.7 KB total in images, target size = 329.7 KB - potential savings = 29.0 KB

FAILED - (21.7 KB, compressed = 5.1 KB - savings of 16.6 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/logo-sm3.jpg
WARNING - (10.5 KB, compressed = 6.9 KB - savings of 3.6 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-272x125.jpg
WARNING - (8.2 KB, compressed = 5.2 KB - savings of 3.0 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-272x125.jpg
WARNING - (4.7 KB, compressed = 2.6 KB - savings of 2.1 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tubepilot.jpg
WARNING - (2.6 KB, compressed = 1.7 KB - savings of 0.9 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/userphoto/2.thumbnail.jpg?1386893824
WARNING - (2.3 KB, compressed = 1.5 KB - savings of 0.8 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-55x55.jpg
WARNING - (2.1 KB, compressed = 1.3 KB - savings of 0.7 KB) - http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/745e0958e0427585d13d2ca87b64564a?s=60&d=mm&r=g
WARNING - (1.9 KB, compressed = 1.3 KB - savings of 0.7 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wp-scope-box-55x55.jpg
WARNING - (1.7 KB, compressed = 1.0 KB - savings of 0.6 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-55x55.jpg

Use Progressive JPEGs: 90/100
303.1 KB of a possible 335.3 KB (90%) were from progressive JPEG images

FAILED (21.7 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/logo-sm3.jpg
FAILED (10.5 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-272x125.jpg
Info (8.2 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-272x125.jpg
Info (4.7 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tubepilot.jpg
Info (2.6 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/userphoto/2.thumbnail.jpg?1386893824
Info (2.3 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-55x55.jpg
Info (2.1 KB) - http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/745e0958e0427585d13d2ca87b64564a?s=60&d=mm&r=g
Info (1.9 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wp-scope-box-55x55.jpg
Info (1.7 KB) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-55x55.jpg

Leverage browser caching of static assets: 33/100
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/stripe.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/main-menu-bg.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/home.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/userphoto/2.thumbnail.jpg?1386893824
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://s.gravatar.com/css/hovercard.css?ver=2015Sepaa
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wp-scope-box-55x55.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/patterns/body-bg35.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/fonts/tiefontello.woff?88026028
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_youtube.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_linkedin.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_pinterest.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wordpress/wp-scope-review-bonus/
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tubepilot.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-272x125.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - https://app.getresponse.com/images/core/webforms/gradient_middle.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - https://app.getresponse.com/images/core/webforms/lock.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - https://log.pinterest.com/?guid=KjhVNL49Vu1y&type=pidget&sub=www&button_count=2&follow_count=0&pin_count=0&profile_count=0&board_count=0&via=http%3A%2F%2Fmysite.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-scope-review-bonus%2F&callback=PIN_1441664997693.f.callback[2]
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ubuntu:300|Helvetica|Raleway
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://app.getresponse.com/javascripts/core/webforms/webform-out.js?1441664996891
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/favicon.ico
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - https://apis.google.com/js/api.js
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://app.videoleadbox.net/timestamp.php?id=40
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/stars-small.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-55x55.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://s.gravatar.com/css/services.css?ver=2015Sepaa
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-55x55.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/stripes.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/optimizePressPlugin/lib/assets/images/bullet_block/16x16/1.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/fonts/BebasNeue-webfont.woff
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-272x125.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Sans%3Aregular%2C700&ver=4.2.3
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/modules/wpgroho.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://s.gravatar.com/js/gprofiles.js?ver=2015Sepaa
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/js/tie-scripts.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/comment-reply.min.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-lightbox-2/wp-lightbox-2.min.js?ver=1.3.4.1
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/optimizePressPlugin/lib/js/op-jquery-base-all.min.js?ver=2.5.0.2
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/style.css?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-lightbox-2/styles/lightbox.min.css?ver=1.3.4
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/optimizePressPlugin/lib/assets/default.min.css?ver=2.5.0.2
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/css/jetpack.css?ver=3.6.1
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js?ver=1.2.1
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.js?ver=1.11.2
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/logo-sm3.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://app.getresponse.com/view_webform.js?wid=12899805&mg_param1=1&u=5RzR
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bonus-Lineup-August-2015-Revised-515w-q15.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_twitter.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wait.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Download-Now-2.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_site.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/500x62-1.gif
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_facebook.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wp-scope.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/button3.png
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/bonus2.jpg
FAILED - (No max-age or expires) - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_google.png
FAILED - (2.4 minutes) - http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit_main.js
FAILED - (3.4 minutes) - http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js
FAILED - (4.6 minutes) - http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
FAILED - (5.0 minutes) - http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/745e0958e0427585d13d2ca87b64564a?s=60&d=mm&r=g
FAILED - (15.0 minutes) - http://cdn.syndication.twitter.com/widgets/tweetbutton/count.json?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmysite.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-scope-review-bonus%2F&callback=__twttr.receiveCount
FAILED - (15.0 minutes) - https://widgets.pinterest.com/v1/urls/count.json?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmysite.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-scope-review-bonus%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fmysite.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-scope-review-bonus%2F&source=6&callback=PIN_1441664997693.f.callback[0]
FAILED - (15.0 minutes) - https://widgets.pinterest.com/v1/urls/count.json?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmysite.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-scope-review-bonus%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fmysite.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-scope-review-bonus%2F&source=6&callback=PIN_1441664997693.f.callback[1]
FAILED - (15.0 minutes) - https://static.doubleclick.net/instream/ad_status.js
FAILED - (20.0 minutes) - http://connect.facebook.net/en/all.js
FAILED - (50.0 minutes) - http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js?1441665000433
WARNING - (60.0 minutes) - https://oauth.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/js/core:rpc:shindig.random:shindig.sha1.js?c=2
WARNING - (2.0 hours) - http://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js
WARNING - (2.0 hours) - https://yt3.ggpht.com/-myfaWFV5FT8/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAAA/6jLQW9utX0k/s28-c-k-no/photo.jpg
WARNING - (6.0 hours) - https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/_Hgg2lbPhyQ/hqdefault.webp
WARNING - (20.6 hours) - http://assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png
WARNING - (24.0 hours) - https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/postmessageRelay?parent=http%3A%2F%2Fmysite.com
WARNING - (24.0 hours) - http://images.dmca.com/Badges/_dmca_premi_badge_2.png?ID=e1aa42d9-5bcb-4405-adca-7b30e8bda743

Use a CDN for all static assets: 50/100
FAILED - http://app.getresponse.com/view_webform.js?wid=12899805&mg_param1=1&u=5RzR
FAILED - https://app.getresponse.com/images/core/webforms/gradient_middle.png
FAILED - https://app.getresponse.com/images/core/webforms/lock.png
FAILED - http://app.getresponse.com/javascripts/core/webforms/webform-out.js?1441664996891
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-lightbox-2/styles/lightbox.min.css?ver=1.3.4
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/js/tie-scripts.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/comment-reply.min.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/style.css?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/logo-sm3.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/500x62-1.gif
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wp-scope.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/button3.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/bonus2.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bonus-Lineup-August-2015-Revised-515w-q15.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wait.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Download-Now-2.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_site.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_twitter.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/optimizePressPlugin/lib/assets/default.min.css?ver=2.5.0.2
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_facebook.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_google.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_linkedin.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_youtube.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/author_pinterest.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/css/jetpack.css?ver=3.6.1
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-272x125.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-272x125.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tubepilot.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/patterns/body-bg35.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/main-menu-bg.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.js?ver=1.11.2
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/stripe.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/home.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/userphoto/2.thumbnail.jpg?1386893824
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/wp-scope-box-55x55.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/explaindio-local-profits-55x55.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RepWarn-55x55.jpg
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js?ver=1.2.1
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/stripes.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/optimizePressPlugin/lib/assets/images/bullet_block/16x16/1.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/images/stars-small.png
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/optimizePressPlugin/lib/js/op-jquery-base-all.min.js?ver=2.5.0.2
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-lightbox-2/wp-lightbox-2.min.js?ver=1.3.4.1
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/modules/wpgroho.js?ver=4.2.3
FAILED - http://mysite.com/wp-content/themes/sahifa/favicon.ico
FAILED - http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

CDN’s Used:
assets.pinterest.com : Akamai
fonts.googleapis.com : Google
s.gravatar.com : Edgecast
s0.wp.com : WordPress Jetpack
app.videoleadbox.net : Cloudflare
stats.wp.com : WordPress Jetpack
1.gravatar.com : Edgecast
images.dmca.com : NetDNA
www.google-analytics.com : Google
www.youtube.com : Google
pixel.wp.com : WordPress Jetpack
fonts.gstatic.com : Google
s.ytimg.com : Google
s-passets.pinimg.com : Edgecast
yt3.ggpht.com : Google
widgets.pinterest.com : Fastly
www.google.com : Google
static.doubleclick.net : Google
i.ytimg.com : Google
apis.google.com : Google
connect.facebook.net : Facebook
ajax.googleapis.com : Google
static.ak.facebook.com : Facebook
accounts.google.com : Google
syndication.twitter.com : Twitter
s-static.ak.facebook.com : Facebook
cdn.syndication.twitter.com : Fastly
www.facebook.com : Facebook
ssl.gstatic.com : Google
oauth.googleusercontent.com : Google
fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net : Akamai

There are 2 avenues that need to be addressed.

First off, the 1 second TTFB. That’s down to your infrastructure, and how well it’s working. Reconfiguration of the constituent parts - Mysql, PHP, web server - and efficient use of caching at all levels will help to reduce that ( well, until the time where only more processing power is the only way forward ).

The second part is the files that your html want to download. Improving performance here is down to:

  • reducing the number of files
  • reducing the size of the payload
  • adding expiry headers to the files

There is a latency overhead involved with downloading a file which is just lost time to the site. Reducing the number of files reduces that wasted time.

Less volume to download, the faster it it. Stands to reason, your pipe is only so big.

An expiry header associated with a file allows it to be stored in the client’s browser for a set period of time, so that it doesn’t need downloading next time. No difference for the first visit to a site, but a huge improvement afterwards.

Obviously you only have control over the files that you are delivering, so for those coming from all those other source, you’re at the mercy of their Admins. In addition, if you’re out in the 'wops like we are, delivering from mainland USA is not necessarily a good idea.

This is a start… there are loads of other things you can do on top of this ( WP level caching, CDNs, SPDY/HTTP2 when it becomes available, lazy loading of images for example ), but get your site as efficient as possible before you go down that route…