Glossary · Performance
Time to First Byte (TTFB).
How long the server takes to start answering — measured before any of the page has been drawn. Under about 800 milliseconds is considered good.
Why it matters.
A slow TTFB puts a floor under every other speed measurement: nothing on the page can appear until the server has replied. The usual causes on small business sites are a shared host under load, a database query the page does not need, or a server on the other side of the world. It is the one speed problem that a lighter design cannot fix.
How to check it yourself.
Run your address through PageSpeed Insights and find the server response time. Over 800 milliseconds and the problem is the host, not the page.
Questions
Before you ask.
How do I check time to first byte (ttfb) on my own site?
Run your address through PageSpeed Insights and find the server response time. Over 800 milliseconds and the problem is the host, not the page.
Check yours
The same test,
on your address.
We do not guess and we do not send a report by email. Type the address, wait ten seconds, read what comes back. If your site is fine it will say so.
Worth a
conversation?
No pitch deck and no discovery call. Tell us the trade and the city, and we will say what we would do and what it costs.