Page weight
Total transferred bytes for the first view, split into HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images and fonts.
Data study
The Dorset SME Website Performance Index
A repeatable study of how Dorset's small business websites actually perform: page weight, Core Web Vitals, third-party scripts and basic accessibility. The first edition is in progress; this page publishes the method before the results.
We are publishing the methodology first because a data study without one is just a press release. The index will test a stratified sample of 300–500 Dorset business websites across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Dorchester, Weymouth and Wimborne, plus the surrounding towns. Each site is tested once, on the same throttled mobile profile, on a stated date.
Results will be published as aggregate distributions and anonymised examples, not as a league table of named businesses. The point is to show the local market what “normal” looks like, and to give a business a reason to check its own site.
Method
What is measured
Core Web Vitals
LCP, CLS and total blocking time as a lab proxy for INP, recorded on a throttled mobile profile.
Third-party origins
The number of distinct external domains requested, and the bytes they contribute.
Accessibility basics
A limited automated check: document language, page title, image alt attributes, form labels, heading order and contrast of body text. Automated checks catch only a subset of issues, and the report will say so.
Sampling
How sites are selected
- Stratified by townA fixed number per town, drawn from local business directories and search results, not from our client list.
- One page per siteThe homepage, plus one service or product page where the site has one.
- ExclusionsNational chains, directory pages, sites behind a login, and any site we built. Our own clients are excluded to avoid a conflict of interest.
- RepeatabilityThe same profile, the same tool versions and the same date window. The method is published so someone else can reproduce it.
Status
What is available today
The first edition is in progress. There are no results on this page yet, because inventing them would defeat the purpose. When the sample is complete, the aggregate findings, the date window and the full method will be published here, along with a downloadable summary.
If you run a Dorset business and want your site included, or want to know when the results are out, send a note. Inclusion is free and there is no obligation to buy anything.
Related
Related
- Speed checklistThe fixes the index is likely to point to.
- Website speed serviceA measured baseline for your own site.
- Nominate a siteTell us the URL and the town.
Questions
The things people ask first
When will the results be published?
When the sample is complete and checked. We would rather publish late than publish a number we cannot defend.
Will individual businesses be named?
No. Results are aggregate and anonymised. We may show an example with the business name removed and permission sought if a specific pattern needs illustrating.
Can I nominate a site?
Yes — your own or a competitor's, as long as it is a Dorset business. The sample is stratified, so nomination does not guarantee inclusion.
Is this a marketing exercise?
It is both a public resource and a demonstration of what we do. The method is published so you can judge the first claim independently.
Related
Let’s find out whether technology is the answer
Tell us what you are trying to achieve. We will tell you honestly whether we can help, what it would take, and roughly what it would cost — before anyone signs anything.