Step 13: Improve Website Speed

 

Step 13: Improve Website Speed

What is Website Speed?

Website speed is how quickly a webpage loads when someone visits it.

For example:

  • A page that loads in 2 seconds is generally fast.

  • A page that takes 8–10 seconds to load is likely too slow.

Faster websites usually provide a better user experience.

Why do you need to check Website Speed?

A fast website can:

  • Improve the user experience.

  • Reduce the chance that visitors leave before the page loads.

  • Support better SEO, since page experience is one of the factors Google considers.

What should you ask the client?

You don't need additional information from the client if you already have the website URL.

What should you work on?

1. Test the Website Speed

Open Google PageSpeed Insights.

Paste the website URL, for example:

https://rootlearning.com

Click Analyze.

The tool will generate a report for both Mobile and Desktop.

2. Review the Scores

You'll see a score from 0 to 100.

  • 🟢 90–100: Good

  • 🟡 50–89: Needs improvement

  • 🔴 0–49: Poor

Pay special attention to the Mobile score because many users browse on their phones.

3. Check Google's Recommendations

PageSpeed Insights will tell you what needs improvement.

Common recommendations include:

A. Large Images

Problem: Images are too large.

Solution:

  • Compress images.

  • Resize them before uploading.

  • Use modern formats like WebP where possible.

B. Caching

Problem: The website reloads the same files every time a visitor returns.

Solution:

  • Enable browser caching.

  • Use a caching plugin if the site runs on WordPress.

C. JavaScript

Problem: Too much JavaScript slows the page.

Solution:

  • Minify JavaScript files.

  • Remove unused JavaScript.

  • Delay loading non-essential scripts.

D. CSS

Problem: Large or unused CSS files.

Solution:

  • Minify CSS.

  • Remove unused CSS.

  • Load only the styles needed for each page.

E. Server Response Time

Problem: The hosting server responds slowly.

Solution:

  • Upgrade hosting if necessary.

  • Optimize the server configuration.

Tools for Step 13

ToolPurpose
Google PageSpeed InsightsMeasure page speed and get recommendations.
GTmetrixAnalyze loading time and identify performance bottlenecks.
TinyPNGCompress image files.
SquooshCompress and convert images to efficient formats like WebP.
WP Rocket (WordPress, paid)Improve speed through caching and optimization.
LiteSpeed Cache (WordPress, free if supported by the server)Enable caching and optimize CSS, JavaScript, and images.
Autoptimize (WordPress)Minify and optimize CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.

Where do you make these changes?

  • Images: In the website's media library or before uploading them.

  • Caching: In your WordPress caching plugin or hosting control panel.

  • CSS/JavaScript: Through optimization plugins or your developer if the site is custom-built.

Your output for Step 13

By the end of this step, you should have:

  • ✅ Tested the website in Google PageSpeed Insights.

  • ✅ Recorded the mobile and desktop scores.

  • ✅ Identified the main issues affecting speed.

  • ✅ Optimized images where needed.

  • ✅ Enabled caching (if appropriate).

  • ✅ Minified CSS and JavaScript (if appropriate).

  • ✅ Re-tested the website to confirm improvements.

Example Report

CheckResult
Mobile Speed Score68/100
Desktop Speed Score95/100
Large Images⚠️ Needs optimization
Browser Caching⚠️ Not enabled
Unused JavaScript⚠️ Present
CSS Optimization⚠️ Recommended

After making improvements, run the test again to see whether the scores and loading performance have improved.

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