Website speed is not just a technical issue — it's a business issue. A 1-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%, reduce page views by 11%, and increase bounce rate by 16%. Here's everything you need to know about website speed and how to fix it.
Website speed directly impacts your Google rankings and customer conversions
Why Website Speed Affects Your Google Rankings
In 2021, Google officially made page speed a ranking factor through something called Core Web Vitals. This means slow websites rank lower on Google, regardless of how good their content is. You can do all the right SEO work and still get outranked by a faster competitor.
Google's Speed Benchmarks
The Most Common Causes of Slow Websites
1. Unoptimized Images — This is the #1 cause of slow websites. A single full-size photo can be 5MB. A properly compressed version of the same photo can be 200KB — 25x smaller with barely any visible difference. Always compress images before uploading.
2. Cheap Shared Hosting — Hosting on the cheapest plan means your website shares a server with hundreds of other sites. When those sites get traffic, your site slows down. Invest in quality hosting — it's worth it.
3. Too Many Plugins — WordPress websites with 30+ plugins often run very slowly. Each plugin adds code that loads on every page. Remove any plugin you don't actively use.
Test your website speed at pagespeed.web.dev — it's free and made by Google
How to Check Your Website Speed
Go to pagespeed.web.dev and enter your website URL. It will give you a score from 0-100 and a list of specific issues to fix. This tool is free and made by Google. Aim for a score above 80 on both mobile and desktop.