Website speed affects how long visitors stay, whether they contact you, and how Google ranks your pages. Google measures real-world speed with a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals. Here’s what they mean in plain English.
The three Core Web Vitals
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
How long it takes for the main content, usually the hero image or headline, to appear. Target: 2.5 seconds or less.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
How quickly the page responds when someone taps a button or opens a menu. Target: 200 milliseconds or less.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
How much the page jumps around while loading, like a button moving just as you tap it. Target: 0.1 or less.
How to check your site
Run your homepage through Google PageSpeed Insights. Look at the field data first (real visitors), then the lab data for specific suggestions. Check mobile, since that’s where most local customers browse.
The most common speed problems
- Huge images: photos uploaded straight from a camera or phone. Resize and use modern formats like WebP or AVIF.
- Too many plugins and scripts: chat widgets, trackers and page builders all add weight.
- Slow hosting: cheap shared hosting can add seconds before anything loads.
- No caching or CDN: every visit rebuilds the page from scratch.
- Layout shifts: images and ads without set dimensions push content around.
Quick wins you can do this week
- Compress and resize your largest images.
- Remove plugins and scripts you no longer use.
- Turn on caching and a CDN through your host.
- Set width and height on images and embeds.
When to rebuild instead of patch
If your site is built on a heavy theme with years of add-ons, patching often hits a ceiling. A lean custom build can be dramatically faster and easier to maintain. Either way, measure before and after so you know the work paid off.
