Why is my website slow and what can I do about it?

Measuring: PageSpeed Insights

Go to pagespeed.web.dev, enter the address of a page and click on Analyze. You will receive a score from 0 to 100 for mobile and for desktop, and a list of improvement points. Pay special attention to mobile: that’s where most visitors are and where slowness is noticed first.

Test a few different pages: the homepage, a page with many photos, and, if you have one, a product page. Test again after each adjustment.

Cause 1: oversized images

A photo from your phone is often 4000 pixels wide and 3 to 6 MB large. On a website, 1200 to 1920 pixels and a few hundred KB is sufficient. Check in Media → Library for a photo the File size and the Dimensions.

Your website is already helping: photos in the first section of a page load immediately, all others only when the visitor scrolls to them. But an oversized photo remains heavy. Pay special attention to:

• Section backgrounds: they always use the full photo, not a smaller version. Upload them at a maximum of 1920 pixels wide.
• Image size in the blocks: choose Large or Medium large if the photo does not span the full width.

How to resize and replace your photos, read in uploading images in the correct format.

Cause 2: background video on mobile

A video as the background of a section is nice, but heavy, especially on a mobile connection. Select the section and choose in the panel Background video under Load video on mobile the option Do not load video on mobile. On phones, you will then only see the background photo. Read a video as background.

Cause 3: many embeds

A Google Maps map, an Instagram feed, a Facebook widget, or a chat button each load code from another website. One is usually not a problem, five on one page is. Maps and other code in the block Code only load when they come into view, but still place them only where they really add something. See placing a Google Maps map or other code. Regular videos in the block Video are not a problem: they only load when the visitor clicks play.

Cause 4: large galleries and sliders at the top

Everything in the first section loads immediately. A slider with ten large photos at the top of the page makes it slow. Preferably place one good photo at the top, and the gallery or slider further down. Use a smaller Preview image size in galleries.

Cause 5: extra plugins

Every plugin adds code, and some load that on every page. Your website loads the code of its own blocks only on pages where that block is present, but an extra plugin often does not. Do not install plugins without consultation and remove plugins that you no longer use. See which plugins are standard in your website.

What we do

Speed also depends on things you cannot see, such as hosting and caching. If you host your website with us, we take care of that. Do you want us to audit your website and make it faster? Read what we do at optimizing your website or webshop. With WordPress maintenance, we also keep your website in shape afterwards. See also keeping your website safe and up-to-date.

Not working?

• The score varies per test. That is normal: it fluctuates a few points. Look at the trend and test a few times.
• I have resized photos, but the page is still slow. Have you also re-selected the new photo in the blocks and sections? See replacing images.
• Only one page is slow. Check what is different there: a large background, a map, a slider at the top, or a heavy embed.
• The entire website is suddenly slow. That is often not due to the content, but to the server or a plugin.

Can’t figure it out? Call us at 06 35 66 47 73, email to info@lefcreative.nl or contact us.

Frequently asked questions