While most domains consist of hundreds or even thousands of URLs, these unique pages are made up by a small number of shared layouts or templates. The content served for each layout may differ for various pages, but the majority of the code is the same.
Single Page tests are best utilized when we're testing performance defects that exist between these layouts.
How should you designate a single URL to test?
Prioritization for testing should be a collaborative effort with developers, IT Ops, content managers, and designers and aligned with your organizations performance goals.
Common steps to identify URLs for Single Page Performance Tests:
- Identify main site templates and page layouts.
- Select pages that are a part your conversion funnel or those linked to internal KPIs.
- Prioritize heavily trafficked URLs whose content is representative of a majority of similar page types.
Most organizations already have data that can reinforce the most important pages to test.
- Synthetic or RUM data that display performance bottlenecks or bloated pages
- Site analytics KPIs (bouce rate, conversion rate)
- Customer feedback via support channels and social media
Common page layouts or site templates to test
Common page layout types can vary widely and depend on the size of the site, intended purpose, and industry. Below are a few common page layouts by industry.
E-Commerce
Homepage, Category Page, Search Results Page (SRP), Product Details Page (PDP), Cart, Checkout, and Sale/Promotion Landing Pages
Online Publishers and Media
Homepage, Category Page, Article Pages, Image/Video Galleries, Subscribe/Enrollment Pages
SaaS
Homepage, Login, My Account, Dashboard, pages with SLAs
Enterprise
Homepage, About Us, Careers, Internal Resources