Creating a beautiful landing page is only half the battle—ensuring it loads quickly, performs well on all devices, and meets accessibility standards is just as critical. That’s where Google Lighthouse comes in. As a web developer, I use Lighthouse regularly to audit and enhance the quality of my landing pages and applications.
🔍 What Is Google Lighthouse?
Google Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool for improving the quality of web pages. It audits pages for:
- Performance
- Accessibility
- Best Practices
- SEO
- Progressive Web App (PWA) readiness
You can run Lighthouse directly in Chrome DevTools, from the command line, or as a Node module.
🚀 My Workflow: Using Lighthouse to Improve Landing Pages
1. Run a Lighthouse Audit
I start by opening the landing page in Chrome, then:
- Open DevTools (Right-click > Inspect)
- Go to the Lighthouse tab
- Select the categories I want to audit (usually all of them)
- Choose the device type (mobile or desktop)
- Click “Analyze page load”
2. Analyze the Report
Lighthouse gives me a score out of 100 in each category, along with detailed diagnostics. I focus on:
- Performance: Are images optimized? Is JavaScript blocking rendering?
- Accessibility: Are buttons labeled? Is contrast sufficient?
- SEO: Are meta tags and structured data in place?
- Best Practices: Are HTTPS and modern image formats used?
3. Prioritize Fixes
I sort issues by impact and ease of implementation. For example:
- Compressing large images
- Removing unused CSS
- Adding alt text to images
- Ensuring mobile responsiveness
4. Re-Test and Iterate
After making changes, I re-run the audit to track improvements. It’s satisfying to see those scores climb and go from orange to green!
💡 Tips for using Lighthouse
- Use it early and often: Don’t wait until launch day.
- Test both mobile and desktop: Mobile performance is often worse.
- Integrate with your dev team: Share reports and collaborate on fixes.
- Track overtime: Keep a log of scores to measure progress.
📈 The Results
Since incorporating Lighthouse into my landing page workflow, I’ve seen:
- Faster load times (especially on mobile)
- Fewer accessibility complaints
It’s a simple tool with powerful insights and it’s completely free.