A SLOW WEBSITE LOSES VISITORS BEFORE THE PAGE EVEN LOADS

The most common causes, in order of frequency: unoptimized images (wrong format, excessive file size, no lazy loading), too many third-party scripts (analytics, chat widgets, advertising tags) that block page rendering, poor hosting environment (shared hosting not configured for WordPress), lack of caching, unoptimized database queries on WordPress, and outdated PHP versions. Most slow sites have several of these issues compounding each other.

Google Lighthouse scores run from 0 to 100. A score of 90–100 is considered ‘good.’ A score of 50–89 is ‘needs improvement.’ Below 50 is ‘poor.’ The same thresholds apply to the individual Core Web Vitals metrics. For most business websites, achieving 90+ across Performance, Accessibility, and SEO is an achievable standard - and the one we target on every project.

Speed optimization projects are scoped based on the complexity of the issues found in the initial audit and the extent of changes required. Targeted optimization work on an existing site typically runs less than a full rebuild and delivers measurable results faster. We provide a fixed-price quote after the audit identifies the specific work required. 

Yes, directly. Google uses Core Web Vitals scores as a ranking signal through its Page Experience algorithm. A site that fails Core Web Vitals assessments is at a structural disadvantage in organic search compared to sites that pass, all else being equal. Additionally, slow sites have higher bounce rates, which sends negative engagement signals to Google. Speed is both a direct and indirect SEO factor.

A targeted speed optimization engagement typically runs 2–4 weeks from audit completion to implementation and measurement. More complex situations - sites with significant hosting issues, large accumulated technical debt, or Core Web Vitals failures driven by structural code problems - may take longer. We scope each engagement individually after the audit. 

Yes. We optimize existing WordPress sites regularly, regardless of who built them. The speed audit is a technical assessment of your site’s current performance - it doesn’t matter who wrote the original code. We’ll identify the causes of the performance problems and fix them. If the site has deeper structural issues that can’t be resolved through optimization alone, we’ll tell you directly.