Loading time and encryption - WEBSALE Dokumentation

Two properties of delivery affect ranking without a single piece of content having to be written: how fast a page loads and whether it is transmitted encrypted. Both come largely set up with the delivery shop, and both can be improved further.

Improving loading time

Especially on mobile devices, loading time decides whether a visitor stays. Search engines measure it and factor it into the ranking. The PageSpeed tool of WEBSALE V8s addresses three points for this: fewer requests to the server, smaller files and fewer repeated transfers.

Fewer requests through groupings

To display a page, the browser requests each required file individually, that is every style file, every script, every image. The fewer of these requests are needed, the faster the page is ready. For this purpose, the PageSpeed tool combines CSS and JavaScript files into groupings with a freely selectable identifier. Each grouping is delivered as a single file. This way you integrate on each page only what that page needs, without it turning into a dozen individual requests. Guide: JavaScript and jQuery · CSS

Smaller files through minification

Each grouping is automatically minified when it is provided. Spaces, line breaks and indentation that are not needed for execution are removed. As a result, the files are loaded, read and executed faster.

Only pass non-minified files to the PageSpeed tool. Minifying an already minified file a second time can make it unusable.

Fewer transfers through browser caching

Returning visitors fetch the same images, styles and scripts again on every visit. If the server tells the browser which files it may take from its own cache, these transfers are no longer necessary. The catch: if you change a file, the visitor continues to see the old version from their cache. Depending on the file type, you therefore need to weigh how long files should be cached. For CSS and JavaScript, the PageSpeed tool solves the problem itself. Each grouping gets a fingerprint in the file name. For example, my_css_group.css becomes my_css_group_1234.css. If a file within the grouping changes, the fingerprint changes, the file name is therefore different, and the browser has to fetch the file again. Unchanged groupings keep their fingerprint and continue to come from the cache. For these files, browser caching is therefore recommended without restriction.

Product data is not affected by this question. It is contained in the HTML of the shop page, and this is marked as not cacheable. A new price is therefore immediately visible on every page call.

For other file types, you decide together with the mail-order retailer. A short duration of, for example, one hour for .jpg, .png and .gif keeps the images available for the duration of a shop visit and still stays up to date.

For files that have to be replaced at a specific point in time, such as banners for tightly time-limited promotions, always change the file name as well. Only a new name forces the browser to load the file.

You set the instructions for this per file type via an Expires entry in the .ws_access.conf file in the root directory of the domain. Its function corresponds to the Apache configuration file .htaccess.

Encrypting the shop completely

In SSL-Only mode, every page of the shop is transmitted encrypted, not just the checkout. This increases security, it is visible to customers through the padlock in the address bar, and Google ranks encrypted pages higher. Not only the shop pages are affected. Images, style files and scripts are then also addressed via https://. The additional applications such as TopRank, data feeds for price search engines, BackInStockMail and the E-Marketing Manager also support the mode. After the switch, a call via http:// leads to a 301 redirect to https://. The shop is then no longer accessible unencrypted.

A prerequisite is a separate SSL certificate for the shop. Since V8, all shops have one.

Links generated by the TopRank Manager and the Dataflow Manager are automatically updated daily. After the switch, WEBSALE can also trigger this update immediately.

Preparation

Anything that is still requested via http:// after the switch is blocked by the browser or reported as insecure. Before the switch, every such place must therefore be found. Five areas need to be checked:

Area	What to do
Links	only check links without WEBSALE tags
Third-party JavaScripts	switch the call to `https://`
External applications	switch the call to `https://` and inform the provider
Design elements such as graphics, fonts and styles	only check paths without a WEBSALE tag and without a relative path
Text maintenance platform	check links and embedded scripts in the text variables

For all links and paths that WEBSALE generates itself, that is via tags such as CAT-Link, PR-Link, PR-Image or CAT-AdvNavImage, http:// is automatically replaced by https://. The same applies to relative paths. You do not need to touch these places.

The same procedure applies to every remaining place: call the address with https:// in the browser. If it loads, change the call in the template. If it does not load, contact your representative and initially make the change for this place in design test mode. A fixed target becomes an internal link or gets https://:

<!-- vorher -->
<a href="http://www.ihre-domain.de/Beispielkategorie123">Ihr Banner</a>

<!-- besser -->
<a href="~CAT-Link(123)~">Ihr Banner</a>

A third-party script:

<!-- vorher -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js"></script>

<!-- nachher -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js"></script>

You do not need to check scripts that are only integrated in the ordering process. The ordering process runs encrypted anyway.

Inform external providers about the switch if their services are integrated into your pages, for example a rating provider.

Guide: JavaScript and jQuery Basics: Text maintenance platform

Testing

The SSL test mode is activated by WEBSALE technical staff. Please contact your representative for this.

Call the shop with three parameters:

https://www.ihre-domain.de/?test=on&design-test=on&sslonly-test=on

Then click on any category and any product. The address now starts with https://. Open your browser’s developer console and go through the shop.

Before switching to SSL-Only, the console must not report errors on any page of your shop. Messages about blocked unencrypted content point exactly to the places that are still open.

Switching

Once all calls have been switched and the console remains error-free, remove the ST-DesignTest brackets you used to test individual places. Then contact WEBSALE; the switch itself is carried out by WEBSALE technical staff.

All shops and subshops under the same domain are switched at the same time.

Guide: Switching the shop’s test modes on and off Reference: ST-DesignTest

Guide: CSS
Guide: JavaScript and jQuery
Basics: Text maintenance platform

​Improving loading time

​Fewer requests through groupings

​Smaller files through minification

​Fewer transfers through browser caching

​Encrypting the shop completely

​Preparation

​Testing

​Switching

​Related topics

Improving loading time

Fewer requests through groupings

Smaller files through minification

Fewer transfers through browser caching

Encrypting the shop completely

Preparation

Testing

Switching

Related topics