Web applications with the capability to access data and run on any device have changed how we live, work, and play. They've brought a new era of convenience, accessibility, and productivity. However, applications also have a fair share of challenges impacting their performance.
Crashing, slow loading, unresponsive interface, data security breaches, and lack of scalability are common issues plaguing web applications. When left unresolved, these issues drive away potential customers and damage a business's reputation.
Poor performance leads to a significant loss of revenue and customers. According to a recent study, 79% of shoppers who experience performance issues on an e-commerce website are less likely to buy from the same site again. Furthermore, 47% of customers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less.
Therefore, developers must prioritize identifying and fixing application issues in web technology. Let's explore some common web service performance issues and learn how to fix them.
How to Know if Your Web Application Has Performance Issues?
For troubleshooting application performance issues, developers must first understand how to identify them. Some common indicators include:
Client-checkable aspects to improve the performance metrics
Page loading
Slow page loading is a red flag for web application issues. Websites that take more than 3 seconds to load tend to have higher bounce rates. With the average attention span of humans decreasing, users demand faster loading speeds. If your website has long loading times, it's time to address the underlying issues.
User complaints
User feedback is valuable in identifying the performance of your website. When users report slow loading speeds, unresponsive interfaces, or crashes, it's a clear sign that something needs fixing—the more user complaints, the higher the chances of significant performance issues that require immediate attention.
Error messages
Error messages such as 404 or 500 are common indicators of web performance problems. Slow loading times, web server issues, or broken links can cause these errors. Developers must regularly monitor error logs and address them promptly to ensure a smooth user experience.
High abandonment rates
If users frequently abandon your website or app mid-way, it indicates performance issues. Users have little tolerance for slow loading times or unresponsive interfaces and will quickly move on to a different platform. The higher the abandonment rates, the more severe the performance problems.
Mobile responsiveness
Mobile users account for 58.67% of global website traffic in the last quarter of 2023, according to Statista. Therefore, you can't afford to ignore mobile responsiveness issues. Slow loading times, distorted layouts, and unresponsive interfaces on mobile devices are clear signs of performance problems that need fixing.
Specialist-required aspects for the performance of your web application
Database queries and indexing
The data retrieval process from a database can take significantly longer if queries are not optimized. Queries that require complex joins, retrieval of large data sets, or lack proper indexing can lead to slow performance.
As the database grows, these issues compound, resulting in a cascading effect on the performance of your application. Application performance troubleshooting often requires a specialist to review and optimize database queries.
Server resource use
Web applications rely on server resources to process requests and generate responses. When servers have limited resources, web applications can experience slow loading times, crashes, or unresponsive interfaces. With server resources being a finite resource, performance web app issues can arise as more users access the application.
Code structure
Poorly structured code can impact web application performance. Developers must follow best practices and standards to ensure a clean, efficient, scalable code structure.
Bloated code, excessive nesting, and unnecessary iterations can cause delays in data processing, leading to slow performance. For troubleshooting web-based application performance issues, developers must regularly review and refactor code to optimize performance.
Network requests and API calls
To function correctly, web applications often rely on third-party services, APIs, and network requests. If these requests are not optimized or fail to receive a timely response, they can slow specific application performance. Network connectivity issues, high latency, or server downtime impact the performance of these requests.
14 Web Application Performance Problems
Troubleshooting web application performance issues help maintain smooth functionality and a positive user experience. Here are some of the most common performance bottlenecks and how to optimize application performance issues.
1) Focusing mainly on MVP
Developers often prioritize getting an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) up and running quickly, sacrificing performance. While MVPs are useful for validating ideas and getting user feedback, they may not be optimized for long-term scalability and performance.
For example, using quick and easy but inefficient code or opting for a cheaper hosting provider can result in long-term performance issues. With MVPs being the initial version of a product, developers must keep in mind future scalability and performance.
How to fix
Developers can fix this issue by regularly reviewing and optimizing the application's code, hosting provider, and other aspects. Refactoring code to remove redundancies, optimizing database queries, and using caching can all contribute to improving the performance of websites. A reliable hosting provider with the appropriate resources for the application's needs can also help mitigate performance issues.
2) Database queries
As mentioned earlier, poorly optimized database queries can significantly impact the performance of web applications. Inefficient queries can slow down data retrieval, causing delays in loading times and response time. As the amount of data in the database grows, these issues become more severe.
How to fix
To increase application performance, developers must regularly review and optimize database queries. This includes proper indexing, avoiding complex joins wherever possible, and limiting the amount of data retrieved when not needed. Properly indexed tables can significantly improve query response time and overall application performance.
3) Response time
Response time refers to the time it takes for a web application to process a user's request and generate a response. The longer the response time, the slower the application will appear to users, leading to frustration and potentially causing them to abandon the platform.
How to fix
Developers can improve response times by optimizing code, reducing database queries, and using caching techniques. Additionally, a content delivery network (CDN) helps distribute the load and improve response times for users in different regions.
4) Long-lasting requests
In some cases, web applications make requests that require significant processing or retrieval of large data sets from the server. If these browser requests take a long time to complete, it can impact the user experience and cause delays in the application. HTTP requests have a timeout period; if the request exceeds this limit, it can lead to an error or time-out.
Here is an example of how our team optimized long-lasting requests in an application.
By introducing caching of API responses, unnecessary API requests were reduced. This solution improved the performance for users as product data was already stored and did not need to be loaded every time a user visited the page.
In the background, there was a check to ensure that the data had not changed since it was last retrieved. This strategy helped to provide a more efficient user experience by reducing wait times for loading browsing products.
How to fix
To address this issue, developers can use techniques like pagination or lazy loading to limit the amount of data retrieved and improve processing times. Optimizing database queries and code structure can also help reduce request times.
5) Too many items
Too many items or elements on a page can lead to slow loading times, especially on slower internet connections. This can be problematic for users with limited data plans or older devices.
How to fix
To limit the number of items on a page, infinite scrolling or pagination can only load a certain number of items at a time. Developers should also optimize images and other media on the page to reduce file sizes and improve loading times. Software troubleshooting techniques can also be used to identify any other areas of the page that may contribute to slow loading times.
6) App Architecture
A poorly designed app architecture can cause performance issues, impacting the data flow and how elements are processed. A complex or convoluted architecture causes delays in retrieving information and can lead to bloated code.
How to fix
To improve app architecture, developers must regularly review and refactor code, remove redundancies, and simplify processes. Appropriate design patterns and frameworks help improve the overall structure and scalability of the application.
7) Traffic spikes
The applications may experience sudden spikes in traffic, especially during peak usage times or due to viral content. If the application is not adequately prepared to handle these spikes, it can lead to slow performance and even crashes.
How to fix
Developers can fix this issue by optimizing code and using caching techniques to reduce server and application load. Load balancing and auto-scaling are valuable techniques to handle sudden traffic spikes by distributing the load across multiple servers.
8) Network connectivity
Poor network connectivity can adversely affect web application performance. This is especially true for web applications that rely heavily on real-time interactions, such as video conferencing or online gaming.
How to fix
To mitigate the impact of poor network connectivity, developers can implement offline functionality in their applications. This allows users to continue using certain features even when not connected to the internet. Data compression and minimizing background data use are also helpful for improving performance on slower connections.
9) Third-party services
Web applications often integrate third-party services like payment gateways or social media platforms. These services can impact the performance of the web application if they are not properly optimized or have compatibility issues.
The slow response time of a third-party service can cause delays in the application as it waits for a response.
How to fix
To improve web application performance, developers should regularly review and optimize the use of third-party services. Using Asynchronous communication methods or optimizing the integration code can also help reduce delays caused by third-party services.
10) Large images
Images that are too large or not properly optimized can significantly impact application performance. They take longer to load, causing delays in page loading times and increasing the amount of data being transferred. This can be especially problematic for users with slower internet connections or older devices.
How to fix
To address this issue, developers should optimize images by compressing them and using responsive images that adjust based on the user's device. Additionally, using lazy loading techniques can help reduce the initial load time of a page, improving application performance.
11) Caching issues
Caching is a technique that stores frequently accessed data in a temporary storage location, reducing the need to retrieve it from the server every time. However, if not properly configured, caching can cause issues like stale data and increased server load.
How to fix
Developers should regularly review and update their caching strategies to fix web applications' slow performance issues. They should also consider implementing cache invalidation or time-based expiration to ensure data remains current.
12) Cookie size
Cookies are small pieces of data stored on a user's browser that help track their preferences and activity on a website. If the size of these cookies becomes too large, it can impact the performance of web applications as it takes longer to transfer them between the server and the user's browser.
How to fix
To prevent cookie size from becoming an issue, developers should limit the amount of data stored in cookies and regularly review and clean up unnecessary cookies. Additionally, they can use server-side storage options like local or session storage to store larger chunks of data instead of relying solely on cookies.
13) Memory Leaks
Memory leaks occur when an application does not properly release allocated memory, causing it to accumulate and eventually leading to crashes or degraded performance. This can result from improper coding practices or issues with third-party libraries.
How to fix
To fix memory leaks, developers must regularly review and debug their code for any issues related to memory management. They should also ensure that all allocated resources are properly released after use. Tools like heap analyzers can also help identify and fix memory leaks in the application.
14) Poorly written code
Ultimately, the root cause of most performance issues can be attributed to poorly written code. This can include inefficient algorithms, excessive use of resources, or lack of optimization. CSS and JavaScript files that are not minified also contribute to slower page loading times.
You may also encounter issues with compatibility if the code is not written to be compatible with different browsers or devices.
How to fix
For application performance problem resolution, developers must regularly review and refactor their code, removing redundancies and improving efficiency. They should also ensure their code follows best practices and is compatible with browsers and devices. Regular testing and optimization can help identify and fix any common performance issues in web applications caused by poorly written code.
Tools to Check Web Performance for Free
One of the first steps in addressing performance issues is to identify them. Luckily, there are free web application troubleshooting tools available that can help developers analyze and monitor the performance of their web applications.
Application performance analyzer tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console, provide valuable insights into how users interact with the app and can help identify any bottlenecks or issues. Google Analytics can also track page loading times, bounce rates, and other metrics that impact user experience.
Google PageSpeed Insights is another free tool that provides a detailed analysis of the performance of a web application. It identifies areas where improvements can be made, such as image optimization, caching, and minification. Additionally, this tool provides suggestions on how to fix these issues.
Chrome DevTools is a built-in tool in the Google Chrome browser specifically designed for developers. It allows them to analyze network performance, debug JavaScript, and identify any potential issues with the CSS or HTML code.
Optimize your Web App Performance, and Don't Let Poor Performance Hold You Back
While free tools can help identify performance issues, they may not always be enough to fix them. In such cases, you can turn to APM vendors for assistance.
iRonin.IT is one such service that can help identify and fix all challenges of web applications. With 12+ years of experience developing and optimizing web applications, we can help you achieve better performance and improve overall user experience.
Don't let poor performance hold you back. Contact us today for a consultation and take the first step towards improving your web application's performance.
