Page speed measures how quickly a webpage loads and becomes usable. It’s a critical factor affecting user experience, conversion rates, and search engine rankings. Even delays of a few seconds significantly impact how users perceive and interact with your site.
Why Page Speed Matters
Users abandon slow sites, 53% of mobile visitors leave if pages take over 3 seconds to load. Speed affects conversions, Amazon found every 100ms delay cost them 1% in sales. Google uses page speed as a ranking factor. Faster sites provide better user experience. Page speed impacts accessibility for users with slower connections.
Core Web Vitals
Google’s Core Web Vitals measure user experience aspects. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - How quickly main content loads (target: under 2.5 seconds). First Input Delay (FID) - How quickly the page responds to user interactions (target: under 100ms). Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) - Visual stability as page loads (target: under 0.1).
Common Speed Issues
Large images - Unoptimised images are the most common culprit. Too many HTTP requests - Each file requires a separate request. Render-blocking JavaScript - Scripts that prevent page rendering. No caching - Forcing browsers to redownload resources. Poor server response time - Slow hosting or backend processing. Third-party scripts - Analytics, ads, and widgets add overhead.
Improving Page Speed
Compress and optimise images in modern formats like WebP. Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. Enable browser caching so repeat visitors load faster. Use a content delivery network (CDN) for global speed. Lazy load images below the fold. Remove unused code and plugins. Choose fast, reliable hosting.
Measuring Page Speed
Google PageSpeed Insights provides scores and recommendations. Chrome DevTools shows detailed performance metrics. GTmetrix offers comprehensive analysis. WebPageTest allows testing from different locations. Real User Monitoring (RUM) measures actual user experience. Test on both mobile and desktop connections.
Mobile vs. Desktop Speed
Mobile speed is often slower due to network conditions. Google prioritises mobile performance in rankings. Mobile users are typically less patient with slow loading. Optimise for mobile first, then enhance for desktop. Test on real mobile devices and throttled connections, not just simulators.
The Business Impact
Every second of delay reduces conversions. Faster sites rank better in search results. Improved speed reduces bounce rates. Better user experience leads to more engagement. Speed affects brand perception and trust. For e-commerce, speed directly impacts revenue.
Quick Wins for Better Speed
Optimise images, often the easiest and most impactful improvement. Enable compression (gzip or brotli). Minimise redirects. Reduce server response time. Eliminate render-blocking resources. Use efficient cache policies. These basic optimisations can dramatically improve speed without major redesigns.