Here’s the thing, waiting on a slow website feels a lot like standing in line for coffee only to get to the front and realize they’re out of what you wanted. Frustrating, right? Your visitors feel the same way when your site drags. And in today’s world, no one has the patience to wait. If your site takes more than a couple seconds to load, people will click away before they ever see what you have to offer.
The good news? Most website speed mistakes are easy to fix once you know what to look for. Let’s walk through five of the most common problems and how you can solve them.
Why Website Speed Matters for Small Businesses
A slow site doesn’t just test your visitor’s patience, it impacts your bottom line. Here’s why:
- First impressions count. If your site loads slowly, visitors might assume your business is outdated or unprofessional.
- Conversions drop. Every extra second of load time increases the chances people will leave before they book or buy. In fact, research shows that even a one-second delay in page load can reduce conversions by up to 7% (Portent study).
- SEO suffers. Google favors faster websites in search results, so a slow site can mean fewer eyeballs on your business.
If you’ve been thinking about a bigger update, you might also like my post on Website Redesign Prep: What to Do Before You Start.
For more background on why speed matters for search visibility, check out Google’s own Core Web Vitals guide.
5 Common Website Speed Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
1. Oversized Images
Mistake: Uploading large, high-resolution images straight from your camera or phone.
Fix: Compress your images before uploading. Tools like TinyPNG or plugins like ShortPixel can cut file sizes dramatically without losing quality.
2. Too Many Plugins
Mistake: Installing every fun plugin you come across.
Fix: Audit your plugins. Delete anything you don’t actually need. Stick to reliable, lightweight plugins that serve a real purpose.
3. Bloated Themes or Page Builders
Mistake: Using heavy themes packed with features you’ll never use.
Fix: Choose a lightweight theme (like Astra or GeneratePress) and keep your design simple. Clean code means faster load times.
4. No Caching in Place
Mistake: Every visitor loads your site from scratch.
Fix: Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache. Caching saves versions of your site so pages load much faster for repeat visitors.
5. Cheap or Shared Hosting
Mistake: Running your business site on the cheapest hosting plan out there.
Fix: Upgrade to quality hosting. My own hosting plans come with care included – that means premium tools like WP Rocket, SEOPress, and image optimization (a white label of WPVivid) are already built in. If you’re comparing options, managed WordPress hosts like SiteGround, Flywheel, or WP Engine also prioritize performance and reliability.
A Simple System to Keep Your Site Fast
Speed isn’t a one-and-done project, it’s something you can systemize into your monthly routine. Here’s how:
- Run monthly speed tests with free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
- Keep plugins and themes updated to prevent conflicts and slowdowns.
- Regularly optimize images before uploading new content.
When you treat speed like part of your website care routine, it stops being overwhelming and becomes just another easy system that keeps your business running smoothly.
For more tips on simplifying your website strategy, check out How a Rebrand Can Simplify Your Marketing (and Save Time).
Keep Visitors Coming Back
Website speed mistakes don’t have to hold you back. With just a few small tweaks, like cleaning up plugins, resizing images, or switching to better hosting, you can keep visitors on your site longer and make Google a little happier too.
Start with one change today, and you’ll already be moving in the right direction. And if you’re staring at your site thinking, “This feels bigger than I can handle,” you’re not alone, friend. Let’s make your website something you’re proud to share, and fast enough that people actually stick around to see it.
