Hi all,
Unfortunately, not being able to defer some of these .js files could have a significant impact on websites.
1) First and foremost, the Easysocial/Easyblog js files are big and in many cases comprise more than 50% of the page size. So that in itself causes slow page loads, especially on mobiles.
2) Having to wait for the file to download and execute first, before displaying the rest of the page, means that there is a delay before you see content on the page . Its better for users if some content is shown on the page while the rest loads, rather that looking at a blank screen waiting for something to happen.
3) For SEO, Google is penalising slow sites.
4) With the new Google updates, there are rumours that sites are soon going to have a badge assigned indicating their speed. Just like if you aren't using SSL, Chrome shows a message saying that you site is not safe, Chrome browsers will show visitors a badge indicating if your site is fast or slow.
Note that for testing (using Google pagespeed/lighthouse etc) speed is mainly being measured as time to first content i.e. how long before the page shows something. They also measure for mobiles (mobiles-first strategy) .
So even if your site is relatively fast loading, you will still be penalised if you do not defer loading of js files.
Note that Google is ALSO using data from Chrome users to work out page loading speeds, so although speed tests may indicate deferring js files to get speed improvements, they are not the only measure used to work out your site speed for Google performance rankings. Nonetheless, time to first content on mobiles should be your main concern for maximum speed rankings
Having said all that, as indicated elsewhere, the real performance issue should be focused on the user experience, especially on mobiles. If that is good, the rest will follow naturally.
So for me, the most important questions is:
What is the minimum we need to include in the js file to get the site to render.
Anything else, from swipers to notifications, should be packaged into a seperate .js file, which can then be deferred and loaded asyc. This will also benefit logged in users, where page loading speeds are always an issue.
Maybe that's something that the Stackideas team can look into?
How Fast Should A Website Load & How To Speed It Up