Step 1: How do you measure website speed properly?
Start with PageSpeed Insights, which shows field data from real Chrome users where available and a lab test with specific recommendations. Then check the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console to see which groups of pages fail on mobile and desktop. Test key templates, not just the homepage.
If the metric names are unfamiliar, read Core Web Vitals explained first. This guide focuses on the fixes rather than the theory. If you would rather hand the job over, our website speed optimisation service follows the same steps.
- Field data (real users) is what Google uses for page experience; lab data helps you diagnose.
- Test the homepage, a service or product page, a blog post and any page with forms or a basket.
- Record a baseline for each before you change anything, so you can prove improvements.
- Test on mobile first: Google uses mobile-first indexing, and phones are where slow sites hurt most.
Step 2: How do you optimise images for speed?
Images are the most common reason pages load slowly. Resize each image to the largest size it is actually displayed at, compress it, serve modern formats such as WebP or AVIF, lazy-load images below the fold, and set width and height attributes so the layout does not jump while they load.
- Never upload a camera-sized photo and let the browser shrink it.
- Use responsive images (the srcset attribute) so phones download smaller files than desktops.
- Do not lazy-load the main hero image; preload it instead, as it is often the Largest Contentful Paint element.
- Replace autoplaying background videos with a poster image where possible.
Step 3: How does caching make a website faster?
Caching stores ready-made copies of pages and files so they do not have to be rebuilt or re-downloaded on every visit. Use page caching on the server, set long browser cache lifetimes for versioned CSS, JavaScript and images, and use object caching for database-heavy platforms such as WordPress or WooCommerce.
Be careful with pages that must stay personal or current, such as baskets, account areas and checkout. Good caching setups exclude these automatically; a misconfigured one can show one customer another customer's basket.
Step 4: How do you stop web fonts slowing pages down?
Fonts slow pages when a site loads many families and weights from an external service. Limit yourself to two families and only the weights you use, self-host modern WOFF2 files, preload the main font, and use font-display: swap so text appears immediately in a fallback font instead of staying invisible.
- Subset fonts to the character sets you need (Latin is usually enough for UK sites).
- Consider a variable font if you genuinely need several weights.
- Pick fallback fonts with similar proportions to reduce layout shift when the web font loads.
Step 5: Which third-party scripts should you remove?
Third-party scripts such as chat widgets, heatmaps, social embeds, ad tags and multiple analytics tools often cost more speed than everything else combined. Audit every script, remove anything nobody uses, load the rest after the main content, and only fire non-essential tags after cookie consent, which PECR requires anyway.
| Script | Typical impact | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat widget | Heavy JavaScript on every page | Load on interaction or only on key pages |
| Embedded videos and maps | Large iframes | Show a lightweight preview, load on click |
| Several analytics or tracking tags | Duplicate work on each page view | Consolidate and remove unused tags |
| Social media feeds | Many requests and layout shift | Link to profiles or use a static snapshot |
| Old A/B testing or heatmap tools | Can block rendering | Remove once tests have finished |
Step 6: When should you upgrade hosting or add a CDN?
If the server is slow to respond before the page even starts loading, no front-end fix will solve it. Check server response time in PageSpeed Insights. Cheap shared hosting struggles under load; managed hosting with modern PHP, HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 and server-side caching usually responds faster. A CDN serves files from locations near visitors.
For a business serving mainly UK customers, host in the UK or nearby Europe and add a content delivery network if you get international traffic or serve lots of images. As a typical UK market guide, shared hosting runs about £5–£30 a month and managed hosting about £30–£150 a month, excluding VAT.
Hosting prices are indicative UK market ranges, not a Freehand HQ quote.
Step 7: How do you keep a website fast after fixing it?
Speed slips back as people add plugins, scripts, images and pages. Set a simple performance budget, check PageSpeed Insights after significant changes, watch the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console monthly, and make speed part of routine maintenance rather than an occasional rescue project. Retest whenever you add a new tool.
- Agree who is allowed to add tracking tags and how new ones are approved.
- Teach editors to resize and compress images before uploading them.
- Keep the platform, theme and plugins updated; updates often include performance fixes.
- Include speed checks in your website maintenance and support plan.
When is it worth paying for professional speed optimisation?
DIY fixes go a long way on simple sites, but slow server responses, heavy themes, page builders and script-heavy ecommerce sites often need a developer. A professional speed optimisation audit and fix typically costs around £500 to £3,000 excluding VAT, as a UK market range, depending on the platform and scope.
If a site is built on a bloated theme, sometimes the honest answer is that a rebuild costs less than repeated patching. Our website redesign checklist helps if you go down that route, and the SEO-friendly website checklist covers the other technical foundations to get right at the same time.
This is an indicative UK market range, not a Freehand HQ quote.