A faster website helps visitors reach your services, understand what you offer, and contact you without waiting. Website speed optimization often starts with a few practical changes: shrink large images, remove tools you no longer use, and make sure your site is set up to load efficiently on phones.
A slow site can have more than one cause, so start by measuring before making changes. Then work through these 10 fixes, one at a time. You can track whether each change helps using Google PageSpeed Insights, a free tool that tests pages on mobile and desktop.
What should I check before I try to speed up my website?
Run a test on your homepage and a few important pages, such as a service page or contact page. Note the results before you change anything. If possible, check both the lab test and the real-user data: lab tests help identify problems, while real-user data shows how people experience your site over time.
Three useful measures are Core Web Vitals:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How quickly the main content appears. A good result is 2.5 seconds or less.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): How quickly the page responds when someone interacts with it. A good result is 200 milliseconds or less.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How much the page moves around as it loads. A good result is 0.1 or less.
Those are Google’s “good” thresholds at the 75th percentile. They’re useful guides, not a reason to chase a perfect score at the expense of a working website. Read Google’s Core Web Vitals overview for more detail.
1. Are my images making the website slow?
They might be. Large photo files can take longer to download, especially on phones. A common issue is uploading a full-resolution camera image when the page only displays a much smaller version.
Resize images to fit where they appear, then compress them. Use modern formats such as WebP or AVIF when your website platform supports them. Also check image quality after compressing so the photos still look sharp.
If you have lots of product or portfolio images, focus first on the largest files and the images visitors see at the top of the page. Google’s guide to serving WebP images explains why the format can help reduce file sizes.
2. Should I use different images for desktop and mobile?
Often, yes. A large desktop image may be much bigger than a phone needs. Responsive images let a browser choose an image size that fits the visitor’s screen, instead of sending the largest file to everyone.
If you manage your site yourself, check whether your platform or theme has a responsive image setting. If you’re working with a developer, ask them to check that the page serves appropriately sized image files. It’s a useful improvement when a large image is the main content people see first.
3. Should I lazy-load images?
Yes, for images further down the page. Lazy loading tells the browser to wait until an off-screen image is needed before downloading it. That can leave more bandwidth available for the content visitors see first.
But don’t lazy-load the main image at the top of the page if it’s the biggest visible element. Delaying that image can make the page seem slower. For a plain-language explanation, see MDN’s guide to lazy loading.
4. Are plugins, widgets, or scripts slowing things down?
They can. Website features such as chat boxes, sliders, pop-ups, social feeds, analytics tools, and review widgets may add code that the browser has to load and run.
Make a list of the tools on your site. Remove anything you no longer use, and consider whether every remaining feature needs to appear on every page. If you’re unsure what a script does, check with your website provider before removing it. The aim is to keep useful features while reducing unnecessary work.
5. Can I make JavaScript load later?
For some scripts, yes. JavaScript can do useful work, but too much of it can keep the browser busy while the page is loading or responding to a visitor.
Ask your developer or website platform support team to check whether non-essential scripts can be deferred or loaded only when needed. Be careful with scripts tied to forms, payments, bookings, or other essential functions: test those actions after any changes.
6. Is my hosting service the problem?
It might be, especially if the server takes a long time to send the first part of the page. Hosting is one piece of a website’s performance, alongside its images, code, and setup.
Ask your hosting provider whether the current plan is suitable for your website, whether server-side caching is available, and whether the account is running smoothly. You can also compare your site’s time to first byte (TTFB) across several tests. A high TTFB can be a clue that the server needs attention, though it isn’t a Core Web Vital by itself. Google’s TTFB guidance offers more context.
7. Is browser caching turned on?
Caching can help repeat visitors load your site faster. It lets a browser keep a copy of certain files, such as images, stylesheets, and scripts, instead of downloading every file from scratch on each visit.
Many website platforms, hosting services, and content delivery networks offer caching settings or tools. Ask your provider whether they’re set up properly. Avoid changing cache settings without support if your website has personalized pages, logins, bookings, or other content that must always be current.
8. Should I enable file compression?
Compression can reduce the size of text-based website files while they’re transferred to a browser. Your hosting provider or content delivery network may support Brotli or gzip compression.
Check with them to see what’s already active and whether anything needs attention. Image and video files are usually compressed in a different way, so compression settings for text files won’t replace resizing large photos or choosing a suitable image format.
9. Why does my website shift while it loads?
A page can jump around when images, ads, embeds, or other content load without reserved space. That movement can interrupt reading or make a button harder to tap.
Use image dimensions or aspect ratios so the browser knows how much space to set aside before the image arrives. Review embeds and other dynamic content too. If the layout changes when the page loads, Google’s CLS guide explains common causes and fixes.
10. Have I tested the site on a phone after making changes?
A desktop check isn’t enough. Test your most important pages on a phone, preferably with a normal mobile connection. Open the menu, tap the contact button, submit a form, and check that the text and images display correctly.
Measure again after your changes, using the same pages and tool as before. Performance results can vary, so look for a consistent improvement and make sure the site still works as intended.
What if my website is still slow after these fixes?
The underlying issue may need a closer look at the website’s theme, code, server setup, or third-party tools. You don’t necessarily need to replace the whole site. Start by identifying which pages feel slow, what the test results point to, and whether one particular task, such as opening a menu or submitting a form, is taking too long.
If your site also needs clearer messaging or an easier path to contact you, speed may be one part of a broader improvement. Our previous post, 5 Signs Your Website Is Costing You Customers, and What to Fix First, offers a helpful way to review the visitor experience.
At JLS Promo, website design includes a speed and accessibility pass before launch. We can help with website design and build, or connect the site with branding, social media, local SEO, paid ads, print, photography and video, and ongoing support. You can start with one service or talk through the full set of growth tools that fits your business.
Frequently asked questions about website speed optimization
How fast should my website load?
A useful place to start is Google’s Core Web Vitals guidance: LCP at 2.5 seconds or less, INP at 200 milliseconds or less, and CLS at 0.1 or less. Results can vary by page and visitor, so use those measures alongside real-world testing of important actions like contacting you.
Does a high PageSpeed Insights score guarantee more customers?
No single score guarantees a business result. A faster, easier-to-use website gives visitors a better experience, but content, offer, trust, and a clear next step matter too. Focus on improvements people can feel and actions they need to complete.
What should I fix first?
Start with the biggest visible problems from your test, often large images or unnecessary scripts. Then check whether your site works well on a phone and whether visitors can easily take the next step. Make one change at a time and test again.
Can JLS Promo help improve an existing website?
Yes. We can review what’s working, identify practical improvements, and help you decide whether a focused update or a larger redesign makes sense. Start a conversation or talk to John about the next step.