It can be easy to think that your web application is fine if it’s working—but not knowing when and why to update your online app can lead to slower performance, a frustrating user experience, and security vulnerabilities.
What You’ll Learn
In this article, you’ll learn about the key metrics to measure web app performance, the signs that your web application requires an update, how to improve performance through updates, security risks that come from not updating, and how updating compares to full rebuilding in cost and benefit.
What Key Metrics Measure Web Application Performance
Before you can determine what needs updating, you’ll need to know what web application metrics need to be monitored.
- Page Load Times: Page load times refer to how long it takes to load a page on a cloud-based app with all its images, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and any other assets and resources.
- Time to First Byte (TTFB): TTFB refers to the millisecond measurement of time it takes for a user’s browser to receive the first byte from a web application’s server after a request.
- Speed Index: The speed index is about how fast visible content shows up in the portion of the page that appears immediately in a user’s browser window.
- Time to First Paint (TTFP): TTFP refers to the millisecond measurement of time it takes for the browser to render the online app’s first visible content on screen.
- Network Latency: Network latency refers to the time it takes for data to travel between a user’s device and your web app’s server.
- Peak Response Time: The peak response time is the maximum time it takes for your web-based app to respond to a user’s request over a specific period of time. Examples of this include during high-traffic periods.
- Error Rate: The error rate refers to the percentage of requests made to your web application that result in errors or failures.
By understanding these metrics, you can begin looking for key signs that your cloud-based application may require an update. But other important signs can be found through the integration of user feedback as a part of your web app’s process of continuous improvement.
What Are the Key Signs That Your Web App Needs an Update?
If your web application is in need of an update, you may notice signs such as slow loading speeds, compatibility problems with modern browsers, user complaints about poor design, or even worse, a data breach after a hacker gets through your outdated security measures.
By knowing what symptoms to look out for, you’ll be able to better react when those signs appear or when a customer complains about one of these common problems. But to minimize the chances of these issues popping up, it is critical to be proactive in the updating of your web application.
How an Update Can Enhance Web App Performance
Updates serve to keep your web app’s performance optimized and meet user expectations. In a 2016 Google report, “The Need for Mobile Speed”, it was found that slow page load speeds contributed to “53% of visits” to mobile apps being abandoned if the page took “longer than 3 seconds to load”. Whether an online app or a mobile app, the point of the report was that users have a certain expectation of how an application should be performing.
Compressing Images, Implementing Caching, Optimizing Code
Updates can improve load times by optimizing your app’s JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, and ensuring that your images are properly compressed. Updating your caching mechanisms can reduce latency and speed up response rates. Making your internet application faster in these ways improves user satisfaction, reduces bounce rates, and improves conversions.
Does a Second Make a Difference?
In “Time is Money: The Business Value of Web Performance” by Tammy Everts, “the performance sweet spot is around 2.5 seconds” when it comes to optimal loading time for e-commerce pages. According to a 2006 study the e-commerce company Amazon conducted on its own, a single second of page load slowdown can cost it as much as $1.6 billion in sales annually. For businesses that rely heavily on the success of their internet application: every second counts!
Implementing Lazy Loading
Lazy loading is a technique where, as opposed to loading a page in its entirety upfront, non-critical assets like images and videos are loaded only when they are needed, such as when a user scrolls down a page and reaches a point where they need to see them.
The Impact of Lazy Loading
In September 2013, researchers Alexi Turcotte, Satyajit Gokhale, Frank Tip were able to demonstrate that by using Lazifier to automatically introduce lazy loading of third-party packages in JavaScript applications initial application size was reduced by 36.2% and load time reduced by an average of 29.7%.
Enhancing Database Efficiency and Reducing Server Load
Updates can optimize your database queries and achieve faster retrieval. Server strain can be alleviated by reducing any outdated or redundant code. Updates to query caching and database indexing may also improve performance.
Effectiveness of Advanced Query Optimization Techniques
A 2024 study from researchers at Lamar University used multi-level indexing reducing data retrieval times by approximately 40%, query rewriting decreasing execution times by 35%, and dynamic query execution plans enhancing resource utilization efficiency by 25%. These techniques were also praised for their ease of use, adaptability to different data types and query complexities, and overall reliability.
Performing Continuous Monitoring
While not an update itself, performing continuous monitoring of key metrics can help you proactively identify and resolve issues promptly. This ensures an always-optimized user experience and that updates are data-driven.
The Role User Feedback Plays In Continuous Improvement
Integrating user feedback for continuous improvement creates a ongoing cycle where user input directly shapes product improvements. If users report slow load times, analytics confirm the issue, developers optimize the code, metrics show improved speed, and ongoing monitoring ensures the fix remains effective.
Even with a properly functioning web app, users will not want to use it if the application has a reputation for not being safe and secure. You’ll want to make sure that your application’s security measures are both updated and comprehensively account for common vulnerabilities.
What Are the Security Risks of Not Updating Your Web App?
Like performance issues, the security risks of not updating your web app can impact how a user experiences your cloud-based app through service interruptions and blocked access, user engagement disruptions as trust in your application is damaged, or even complete takeovers by hackers.
Online applications with outdated security become easy targets for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities and conduct cyberattacks such as cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and ransomware.
Ransomware That Struck the World
In 2017, computers running on Microsoft Windows all around the world fell victim to the WannaCry ransomware attack. The ransomware attack was designed to target computers that were using out-of-date Windows systems like Windows XP. This attack had exploited a known vulnerability called “EternalBlue”.
While precise figures are tough to obtain, estimates suggest the global financial losses caused by WannaCry reached approximately $4 billion from the combined effect of business interruptions, recovery, ransom paid, legal costs, and reputational damage.
How to Determine Cost VS Benefit for Update or Rebuild
Updating your web application is generally less than a full rebuild but determining the cost vs benefit between updating or performing a complete rebuild can shine a light on which may be a better long-term investment.
Final Considerations
Before making a decision with the information you gather through this, it is critical to consider the severity of the issues you’ve found, the development costs between an update or a rebuild, how either aligns with your business goals, and you should also consult your developer team for expert advice.