What a performance budget is#
A performance budget is a set of limits written down before a website is built. Each limit describes how fast a part of the page should appear, or how large a file may be. The budget does not describe how the site looks. It describes how long a visitor waits before they can read the page and use it.
Writing the limits first matters because speed is easy to lose. Each new photo, script or font adds weight, and the page slowly becomes heavy without anyone noticing. A budget gives the builder a fixed line to check against each time something is added, so the cost of an addition is visible at the moment it is made.
The numbers we use#
The DISPO budget is set for a phone on Thai 4G, not for a laptop on a fast office connection. The main target is that the largest visible block of content, called largest paint, appears in under 2.5 seconds. The hero image, which is the large picture across the first screen of the page, must be 120 KB or less. These two numbers are the first things checked when a page is built.
A hero image of 120 KB is small enough to arrive quickly on a mobile connection. The point is not to make the page plain. The point is that the first screen a visitor sees should appear without a long pause, even when the signal is only average.
Why a shop site needs one#
A shop owner usually wants a visitor to read the page, find the shop, and understand what is available. If the page takes a long time to appear, many people leave before reading anything. Speed is therefore part of how clearly a website speaks for the business, not only a technical detail for developers.
A site built to this budget is also easier to keep fast over time. When the owner adds a page or a new image later, the same limits apply, so the site does not slowly become slower. Thai rules limit how cannabis may be advertised, so check your plans with a lawyer.
Installing the site and using it offline#
A DISPO site can be installed on a phone much like an app. The visitor adds it to their home screen from the browser, and it opens from there with its own icon. This does not require a store listing or a download from an app store.
Once a visitor has opened the site, it keeps working offline. The pages they have already seen remain available when the signal drops, which is common in crowded streets or inside buildings. This helps a visitor return to the shop details they need even when the connection is weak, and it is one more reason the performance budget matters from the start.