Website speed: 10 quick wins

Fast websites convert better and rank better. Here are practical improvements you can apply without rebuilding your site.

1) Enable full-page caching

Cache HTML output for anonymous visitors. This reduces server work dramatically.

2) Use a CDN for static assets

Serve images/CSS/JS from edge locations closer to users.

3) Compress images (and use WebP/AVIF)

Most “slow sites” are image-heavy. Resize images to real display size.

4) Lazy-load below-the-fold images

Load what the user sees first. Defer the rest.

5) Minify and combine CSS/JS (carefully)

Reduce payload and requests, but avoid breaking scripts.

6) Use HTTP/2 or HTTP/3

Modern protocols improve parallel loading and reduce latency.

7) Reduce third-party scripts

Chat widgets and trackers are often the slowest part of a page.

8) Add server-side object cache

Redis/Memcached can speed up database-backed pages.

9) Optimize database

Clean revisions, optimize tables, and index common queries.

10) Monitor with Core Web Vitals

Track LCP, INP, and CLS. Fix the biggest bottleneck first.