“WordPress is just slow.”
We hear this all the time. But it’s not true.
WordPress isn’t the problem. Poor optimisation is.
This post will show you Why Your WordPress Website Is Slow, and how you can fix it using the exact steps we use to fix the websites of our clients.
With the right setup, any WordPress site can load in under 2 seconds and score 90+ on PageSpeed Insights. We’ve done it for hundreds of clients, and you can do it too.
Why Speed Actually Matters
• 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load
• Every 1-second delay reduces conversions by 7%
• Google uses site speed as a ranking factor
• Faster sites build trust and improve user experience
A slow website costs you money, rankings, and customers.
The Real Problem
Speed issues don’t come from WordPress itself. They come from:
• Poorly coded themes and plugins
• Oversized, unoptimized images
• Bloated databases
• Cheap hosting with outdated technology
• Missing optimisation layers (CDN, caching, compression)
Good news? All of these are fixable.
Our 6-Step Optimization Process
These are the exact steps we follow to optimise every client website. You can implement them yourself or reach out to us for help.
1. Set Up a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN stores your files on servers worldwide. Visitors load content from the nearest location instead of your main server.
• Sign up for Cloudflare (free) or BunnyCDN (paid)
• Connect it to your domain through DNS settings
• Enable caching and image optimization
• Turn on SSL
This guarantees 40-60% faster load times for global visitors.
2. Enable Compression
Compression shrinks your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript before sending them to browsers.
• Install WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache
• Enable Brotli or GZIP compression in plugin settings
• Save and clear cache
• Test on GTmetrix to confirm it’s working
60-80% smaller file sizes = faster delivery
3. Clean Your Database
Every edit, revision, and plugin adds data. Over time, your database gets bloated and slows everything down.
• Install WP-Optimise or use LiteSpeed Cache’s database cleaner
• Run a cleanup (remove revisions, trash, spam)
• Optimise database tables
• Add this to your wp-config.php file:
define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', 5);
define('EMPTY_TRASH_DAYS', 7);
• Set up automatic weekly cleanups
This gives you a 20-30% faster admin and front-end performance.
4. Upgrade Your Hosting and PHP
Budget hosting will always bottleneck your site. Your server matters.
• Switch to quality hosting with LiteSpeed or NGINX (Cloudways, Hostinger, Kinsta)
• Upgrade to PHP 8.1 or higher in your hosting control panel
• Enable server-level caching if available
• Increase memory limits if needed
You get a 2-3x performance improvement instantly.
5. Reduce Fonts and Plugins
Every extra font or plugin adds load time. Keep it lean.
• Use only 1-2 font families maximum
• Install OMGF plugin to host Google Fonts locally
• Delete (not just deactivate) unused plugins
• Replace heavy plugins with lightweight alternatives
• Enable lazy loading for images
• Minify CSS and JavaScript
30-50% fewer requests = much faster loading
6. Monitor and Audit Regularly
Set up ongoing monitoring to catch issues early.
• Test your site monthly on PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix
• Check Google Search Console for Core Web Vitals
• Look for large images, render-blocking scripts, unused code
• Fix issues immediately
• Re-test after changes
This causes a consistent performance over time.
Real Client Results We’ve had
E-commerce Site:
• Before: 6.2s load, 42 PageSpeed score
• After: 1.8s load, 94 PageSpeed score
• Result: 34% increase in conversions
B2B Website:
• Before: 4.7s load, 56 PageSpeed score
• After: 2.1s load, 91 PageSpeed score
• Result: 28% decrease in bounce rate
Content Blog:
• Before: 5.3s load, 48 PageSpeed score
• After: 1.6s load, 96 PageSpeed score
• Result: 45% increase in pages per session
Quick Optimisation Checklist
Infrastructure:
- Quality hosting (LiteSpeed/NGINX)
- PHP 8.1 or higher
- CDN configured
Performance:
- Caching plugin installed
- Compression enabled
- Database optimized
- Images compressed
- Fonts hosted locally
- Unused plugins removed
- Lazy loading enabled
Monitoring:
- Baseline speed recorded
- Monthly audits scheduled
WordPress isn’t slow. Unoptimized WordPress is slow.
With proper setup and maintenance, any WordPress site can be fast, smooth, and conversion-ready.
Speed isn’t vanity. It’s user experience, SEO rankings, and revenue.
Test Your Site Now
Check your current performance:
• PageSpeed Insights: https://pagespeed.web.dev/
• GTmetrix: https://gtmetrix.com/
Need help? If you don’t have time to implement these fixes or want expert help, our team specialises in WordPress optimisation. We’ve helped hundreds of businesses achieve sub-2-second load times.
Contact us for a free speed audit, and we’ll show you exactly what’s slowing your site down and how to fix it.
Want professional optimization? Get in touch for a free performance audit and personalized optimization plan.
