In my current project, I am working on optimizing the user interface of a web application used exclusively by company staff. Since the server-client connection speed is significantly faster within our internal network compared to external internet usage, my focus is on improving performance for our in-house users.
To identify areas for improvement, I have utilized tools like Y Slow! and Google Chrome's profiling tool. However, these tools are primarily designed with internet performance in mind. The suggestions from a recent Google Chrome audit include recommendations such as combining CSS and JavaScript files, enabling gzip compression, and leveraging caching mechanisms.
Considering that our users will be accessing the application frequently throughout the day, I am questioning the relevance of some of these recommendations. While optimizing initial page load may be beneficial, I am more concerned about the overall user experience during repeated visits.
For instance, would consolidating CSS and JavaScript files truly impact performance significantly during regular usage? Instead of generic performance advice geared towards internet-facing applications, I am seeking guidance on specific optimizations tailored to our internal network environment.
If anyone has insights on where I should direct my efforts or can recommend alternative auditing tools suited for this scenario, I would greatly appreciate your input.