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Page speed optimization: The 8 most important measures
All measures
at a glance
What matters when it comes to load times
The best measures for website performance optimization reduce data volume, shorten the critical rendering path, and avoid unnecessary requests. That is precisely where the greatest performance gains are achieved in practice.
Für einen neutralen Vergleich sind vier Fragen entscheidend:
How significant is the impact on load time?
How much technical effort is required?
What ongoing costs are involved?
For which website types is the measure particularly useful?
CDN | Faster delivery, reduced origin load | Medium | Very high |
Image optimization | Less data, better LCP | Low to medium | Very high |
Caching | Faster repeat visits | Low to medium | Very high |
Async/Defer | Less render-blocking | Low | High |
Lazy Loading | Less initial load | Low | High |
Reduce third parties | Fewer external bottlenecks | Medium | High |
bfcache | Faster back/forward navigation | Medium | Medium |
Core Web Vitals prioritization | Better sequencing of measures | Low | Very high |
Optimizing website performance: Here's how
The following provides an overview of proven measures for improving website page speed – from fundamental levers like CDN deployment and image optimization to targeted fine-tuning via Core Web Vitals and bfcache. The selection of measures and described properties is not exhaustive; all information has been compiled to the best of our knowledge based on official best practices, established web standards, and relevant technical sources, but without guarantee of accuracy, completeness, or currency.
1. Use a CDN
For many projects, a CDN is one of the most effective measures for optimizing load times. Content is delivered closer to the user while the origin server is relieved. CDN providers like Myra also offer additional security features such as DDoS Protection, WAF or Bot Management.
Properties: A Content Delivery Network caches static content at distributed edge locations, reducing transport distances. At the same time, the load on the origin server decreases.
Effort: Medium. The technical implementation is generally manageable but requires clean cache rules, DNS adjustments, and testing.
Advantages: Strong impact under high traffic, better scalability, faster delivery of static assets, infrastructure relief.
Disadvantages: Misconfigurations in caching or purging can result in stale content being served.
Costs: Medium to high, depending on traffic, feature scope, and security level.
Best suited for: Enterprise websites, business-critical processes, online stores, magazines, portals, international websites, and high-traffic platforms.
2. Consistently optimize images
Image optimization is one of the best measures for quickly improving page speed and website performance. On many websites, images are among the largest files and directly affect the Largest Contentful Paint.
Properties: Responsive images using srcset and sizes help the browser load the appropriate image size per device. Modern image delivery significantly reduces file sizes.
Effort: Low to medium. The effort depends on whether the CMS, build process, or DAM is already prepared for this.
Advantages: Quickly visible impact on load time, better mobile performance, reduced bandwidth consumption.
Disadvantages: Without clean processes, oversized images will quickly end up back in the system.
Costs: Low to medium, typically depending on workflow, tools, and editorial discipline.
Best suited for: Landing pages, online stores, blogs, magazines, corporate websites, and any site with large visuals.
3. Properly configure browser and edge caching
Caching is one of the most efficient methods for improving website page speed without completely rebuilding the frontend. Returning visitors in particular benefit greatly from a clean caching strategy.
Properties: For static assets, Lighthouse recommends long cache lifetimes when files are versioned and uniquely named. This reduces follow-up requests and speeds up repeat visits.
Effort: Low to medium. Adjustments to the server, CDN, or build process are usually sufficient.
Advantages: Fewer requests, faster repeat visits, lower server load, better stability under load.
Disadvantages: Without versioning, users may see outdated files from the cache.
Costs: Low.
Best suited for: Nearly any website, especially for CSS, JavaScript, fonts, images, and other static assets.
4. Defuse JavaScript with async and defer
Many websites lose performance because JavaScript unnecessarily blocks rendering. The
asyncanddeferattributes help load scripts more intelligently.
Properties: async is best suited for independent scripts, such as individual third-party tags. defer is better for internal scripts or dependencies, as it preserves execution order and runs after HTML parsing is complete.
Effort: Low. The technical implementation is usually straightforward but requires a solid understanding of dependencies.
Advantages: Less render-blocking, faster first visible content, better technical user experience.
Disadvantages: Incorrect classification can break JavaScript functionality or tracking.
Costs: Low.
Best suited for: Marketing tags, analytics, consent tools, widgets, and internal frontend bundles.
5. Use lazy loading strategically
Lazy loading makes sense when content is not immediately needed for the first visible area. This reduces initial load and makes the page feel subjectively faster.
Properties: Images and other resources outside the visible area can be loaded on demand. Above-the-fold content that is immediately visible — especially LCP-relevant images — should not be lazy loaded.
Effort: Low. In many systems, this functionality is already available or easy to add.
Advantages: Less data on first load, better initial performance, reduced strain on mobile devices.
Disadvantages: When applied incorrectly, lazy loading can unnecessarily delay visible content.
Costs: Low.
Best suited for: Long pages, category pages, image galleries, magazines, and product listings.
6. Reduce third-party scripts
External scripts often slow down websites more than internal frontend code. Every additional service increases requests, execution time, and dependencies on external servers.
Properties: Chat widgets, tracking scripts, consent layers, video embeds, and external tools should be critically evaluated and only included when genuinely useful. Scripts that are not strictly necessary can often be loaded with a delay or triggered by events.
Effort: Medium. The technical work is usually manageable, but coordination with marketing, analytics, and data privacy teams takes time.
Advantages: Often a strong impact on load time, fewer external bottlenecks, more control over website performance optimization.
Disadvantages: Fewer tools may mean less tracking depth or reduced convenience features.
Costs: Low to medium.
Best suited for: Marketing-heavy websites, landing pages, stores, enterprise sites, and portals with many integrations.
8. Prioritize based on Core Web Vitals
Not every measure delivers the same effect on every website. What works well for one platform may have little impact – or even negative consequences – on another. That is why optimizing website performance should always be driven by concrete metrics and data analysis, not by gut feeling or assumptions.
Properties: Google uses Core Web Vitals as key indicators of real-world user experience. The Search Console shows which URLs are rated as good, need improvement, or are poor.
Effort: Low. The data is usually already available once the website is connected to Search Console.
Advantages: Clear prioritization, better resource allocation, less guesswork, stronger focus on real user problems.
Disadvantages: Field data does not respond immediately — there is a time delay.
Costs: Low.
Best suited for: All teams looking to systematically improve page speed, website performance optimization, and technical SEO.
About the author
Stefan Bordel
Senior Editor
About the author
Stefan Bordel has been working as Editor and Technical Writer at Myra Security since 2020. He is responsible for the strategic development and editorial management of all content formats – from website content and specialist publications to whitepapers, social media communication, and technical documentation. In this role, he combines solid expertise from IT journalism with in-depth technical understanding in the field of cybersecurity. As a long-time Linux enthusiast, he closely follows developments in the IT industry both professionally and personally.