Neev optimized the performance of a golf apparel and accessory website improving page load speeds and cutting hardware costs for the client. With its expertise in performance optimization techniques, Neev was able to accomplish this task successfully keeping the website up and running all the while.

The Client

The Company, Games People Play Inc. (GPP) has the businesses of golf retail, a golf practice center and a golf teaching center. GPP has been Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas’ favorite place to purchase top-of-the-line golf equipment and accessories over the past 30 years.

Business Need

GPP approached Neev with a Magento website that was extremely slow with page loads taking nearly 5 seconds, despite a higher server configuration. They wanted performance optimization for their website so that page load time would improve to 3.5 seconds.

Neev Solution

Neev had to optimize the site performance and improve the page load time to 3.5 seconds. A unique feature was the use of Varnish cache and Redis session techniques to improve site performance. Neev used Magento Turpentine extension to implement Varnish. Some other techniques/activities include CDN implementation for JS, CSS and images, Optimizing server configurations, MySQL tuning and using the Magento compiler. Neev also moved the store to a smaller hardware configuration which resulted in a huge reduction in the monthly cost.

Here are a few techniques implemented by Neev Technologies to tune the performance of the Magento store:

• Varnish cache, Nexcess + Page Speed extension
• Redis session
• CDN for media, CSS and JS
• Optimizing Server Configurations
• Magento MySQL Tuning
• Magento Compiler
• NGINX SPDY MODULE
• Yahoo Developer Best Practices
• MySQL tables repair and optimize
• Tuning eAccelerator for Magento
• Admin Panel configurations

Technology footprint

• Magento Enterprise v 1.12
• Varnish Cache
• Redis Sessions
• CDN

Top features

Top Challenges

• Implementing Varnish cache and Redis session techniques together was difficult as there was very little documentation available on this subject.
• The traffic to the website was very high. Hence performance optimization while keeping it running was a challenge.