Why is my website so slow?
Your website is slow because of unoptimized images (most common), JavaScript bloat (React/jQuery bundles too large), render-blocking CSS and fonts, third-party scripts (analytics, chat widgets, ads), slow shared hosting, or no CDN. Run Lighthouse on your site at chrome.google.com/lighthouse — the report will tell you which of these is your specific problem.
Diagnose first: run Lighthouse
Open your site in Chrome. Right-click → Inspect → Lighthouse tab → Analyze page load. Run in Incognito mode with Mobile selected. Look at the Performance score (out of 100).
Under 50 = critical problems. 50-89 = needs work. 90+ = healthy. The report lists exact issues in priority order with estimated savings in seconds.
The 6 most common slowness causes
1. Unoptimized images (60% of cases). A 5MB DSLR photo on your hero takes 8+ seconds on mobile 4G. Fix: convert to AVIF + WebP with JPG fallback, serve at appropriate dimensions.
2. JavaScript bloat. Loading 500KB of React + 200KB of jQuery + 100KB of plugins = parse delay. Fix: code-split, defer non-critical, remove unused libraries.
3. Render-blocking CSS and fonts. CSS in
blocks rendering. Fix: critical CSS inline, rest async. Self-host fonts with font-display: swap.4. Third-party scripts. Google Tag Manager + Facebook Pixel + Hotjar + Drift chat widget = death. Fix: load via Partytown, defer non-critical, audit ROI per script.
5. Slow hosting. $5/mo shared hosting on overpacked servers = TTFB of 800ms+. Fix: VPS or bare-metal with proper PHP-FPM / static-export.
6. No CDN. Users 1000+ miles from your server wait for round-trip. Fix: Cloudflare (free tier works) or BunnyCDN for serving static assets globally.
Core Web Vitals — what they measure
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): when the main content shows. Target: under 2.5 seconds.
INP (Interaction to Next Paint): responsiveness to user input. Target: under 200ms.
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): how much things jump around as the page loads. Target: under 0.1.
Google ranks faster sites higher in mobile search. Failing any of these = SEO penalty in 2026.
Frequently asked.
What is a good Lighthouse score?
90+ is healthy. ThatDeveloperGuy delivers 95+ on every site as part of the standard scope.
Will switching from WordPress to a static site make my site faster?
Almost always yes — typically 5-10x faster. WordPress's PHP rendering + plugin chain is the slowest common stack.
Do I need a CDN?
If you serve users beyond a 500-mile radius, yes. Cloudflare's free tier works for most small businesses.
How much faster can a custom site be compared to Squarespace?
Typical jump: Squarespace Lighthouse 40-65 → custom 95+. Translates to LCP 4-6s → under 1.5s on mobile.
Is page speed actually a ranking factor?
Yes, Core Web Vitals are part of Google's Page Experience signals. Sites that fail CWV thresholds rank lower, especially on mobile.
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