Speed
Why is my website slow?
7 min read
Free website speed audit
See how long your site really takes to load on a phone, what's slowing it down, and which fixes make the biggest difference.
What this audit checks
Mobile load time
How long your main content takes to appear on a phone.
Desktop load time
The same test on a computer with a fast connection.
Image sizes
Photos that are bigger than they need to be.
Blocking files
Scripts and styles that hold up the first paint.
Server response
How quickly your hosting answers each request.
Layout shift
Whether the page jumps around while it loads.
Page weight
The total size of everything the page downloads.
What results look like
Real examples of what a speed report flags, and what to do about each one.
PoorHero image is too large (2.4 MB)High impact · Quick fix
What it means
This one image makes your homepage load about 3 seconds slower on mobile.
What to do
Resize it to 1600px wide and save it as WebP. It should drop under 200 KB.
Needs work9 files delay your page from showingMedium impact · Some effort
What it means
The browser has to download these before it can show anything, so visitors stare at a blank screen.
What to do
Ask your web person to defer non-essential scripts and inline the critical styles.
Why it matters
Most people give up on a page that takes more than about 3 seconds to load, and most small business customers are on their phones. A slow site quietly loses enquiries you'll never know about, and Google ranks faster sites higher too.
Who fixes this?
Image fixes are often a do-it-yourself job. Slow hosting, heavy themes and too many plugins are a job for your web developer or a speed specialist.
See top-rated speed providersRelated guides
All guidesSpeed audit questions
Why is my score different from last time?
Speed tests vary a little each run, depending on network conditions and what your server is doing at that moment. Look at the trend and the fixes rather than a few points either way.
What counts as a fast website?
On mobile, aim for your main content to appear within about 2.5 seconds. Under 4 seconds is okay. Anything slower is losing you visitors.
Will better hosting fix it?
Only if your server response is slow. If the report says your hosting is quick, the problem is the page itself: usually big images or too many scripts.
Do I need a new website to make it faster?
Rarely. Most slow sites get much faster by compressing images, removing unused plugins and turning on caching. A rebuild only makes sense if the theme itself is very heavy.
Test your speed now
Paste your web address and see your real load times in about a minute.