# Slow website? Find what's slowing it down, then fix it properly Source: https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/slow-website/ \+ Website problems Most slow sites come down to a handful of fixable causes: heavy images, too many scripts, underpowered hosting. We find which ones apply to yours, fix them in order of impact, and show you the before and after. [Get your free audit](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/slow-website/#booking) [See the work](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/) ## How to tell you have this problem If a few of these sound familiar, your site's speed is worth a proper look. - The main content takes longer than 2.5 seconds to appear. That is [the line Google sets](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-web-vitals) for a "good" Largest Contentful Paint. - Your mobile score in PageSpeed Insights is in the red, which [Lighthouse defines](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/performance/performance-scoring) as 0 to 49. - Pages feel fine on the office wifi but drag on a phone on mobile data. - Buttons don't respond straight away, or the layout jumps as images load in. - Customers mention it, or you find yourself apologising for the site before you send the link. ## What causes it Speed problems rarely have a single cause. These are the ones we find most often. Oversized images. Photos uploaded straight from a camera or phone and served at full size to a screen that shows them a fraction as wide. Too many plugins and scripts. Every chat widget, tracking tag, slider and page builder adds code the browser has to download and run before the page settles. Underpowered hosting. Cheap shared hosting puts your site on a server with many others, so it slows down whenever they get busy. No caching. Without caching, the server rebuilds every page from scratch for every visitor. Bloated themes. Multipurpose themes ship styles and scripts for features you never use, and every page loads them anyway. ## What it costs you A slow page costs you twice. Visitors who are ready to call or buy wait, lose patience and go back to the search results, where a competitor is one tap away. The ones who stay form their first impression of your business from a site that feels broken. Speed plays a part in search too, though a smaller one than it is often given credit for. Google [says its ranking systems use Core Web Vitals](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/page-experience), and also that it will still show the most relevant content even when the page experience is poor. A fast page won't outrank a better answer, but where several pages answer a search equally well, a good page experience can help. ## How we fix it 1. Step 1 ### Measure before we touch anything We test your key pages in PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse, check real-user Core Web Vitals where Google has the data, and record the numbers so you can see exactly what changed. 2. Step 2 ### Fix the biggest causes first Images resized and compressed, unused plugins and scripts removed, caching set up and render-blocking code deferred. Our [website performance](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/sitecare-and-hosting/performance/) work runs through these in order of impact. 3. Step 3 ### Fix the foundations if they are the limit If the server is the bottleneck, we move the site to [managed hosting](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/sitecare-and-hosting/). If the theme is so heavy that tuning only goes so far, we recommend a lean rebuild through our [web development](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/web-development/) team, and tell you why before you spend anything. 4. Step 4 ### Retest and keep it fast We run the same tests again and show you the before and after. Sites slow down again as new plugins and images pile up, so we can keep an eye on it for you as part of [SiteCare maintenance](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/sitecare-and-hosting/maintenance/). ## What you can check yourself 1. 1. Run your homepage and your busiest page through PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev) on the mobile setting, and save the scores so you can compare later. 2. 2. Resize photos to the width they actually display at, then compress them with a tool like TinyPNG or Squoosh before uploading. 3. 3. Deactivate and delete plugins you no longer use, testing the site after each one. 4. 4. Remove tracking tags and widgets for tools you no longer use. 5. 5. Ask your host whether caching is switched on and whether your plan includes a CDN. \+ Case studies ## Real results Projects where we took on the same kind of problem. Each one links to the full case study. Property Management · New Zealand ### [360 Property Management: an SEO-optimised rebuild replacing an outdated template](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/360-property-management/) Built to climb out of page two and start winning landlord enquiries #1 Google rank Read case study → Automotive ### [Golden Bay Mech Tech: first mechanic South Islanders find](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/golden-bay-mech-tech/) Now the first mechanic South Islanders find when searching nearby #1 Google ranking Read case study → Property Services ### [J Tip It: 150% more organic traffic](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/j-tip-it/) Built for the same-day mobile searches that drive real bookings +150% Organic Traffic Read case study → Finance ### [Cabin Funders: instant loan estimates that turn browsers into enquiries](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/cabin-funders/) Instant loan estimates that turn browsers into finance enquiries 82% Smaller image payload Read case study → [See all case studies](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/case-studies/) ## What our clients say Real reviews from the businesses we have built, ranked and run campaigns for. 5.0 from 70+ reviews > “Our CPA dropped by 66% and lead quality increased 200-300%. Not only almost immediately, but consistent for the last few months.” Paul Zellman BDM, Austar Property Services Jaide Wooler Executive Assistant, Tom Rawson > We’ve been working with Jason from Lucid Media and couldn’t recommend him more. He’s been a fast communicator, proactive, and always willing to help. Jason goes above and beyond with providing recommendations and support. > > The websites he’s built and implemented for us have been excellent. He has captured our business perfectly and ensured that it is user friendly on both desktop/mobile. Fantastic service! Google review Terry Bradley Director, Precision Building Inspectors > Jason and his team have been fantastic to work with from the initial website design and with the ongoing maintenance. They built us a really professional and well-designed site that represents our business well and it has been great having their continued support. > > It is nice to know someone reliable can manage our website and make sure it stays ranking on Google. They are always responsive when we need updates or changes made, and their technical expertise gives us peace of mind. Google review > “I’ve had around 10 websites developed over the years, and Jason is by far the best web developer I’ve ever worked with.” Andrew Baker Owner, Electrical Plus Mitch Taylor Director, Horton Taylor > I have been working with Jason for a year now and he is absolutely brilliant, honest and reliable. His client first approach has meant his work is always on time and to a high standard. > > Most of all he actually gets the results he says he will. Google review Grace Zhang Sunshine Mortgages > Communication with him is always smooth and effortless. The website he created for me exceeded my expectations in every way. I’m genuinely impressed with both the design and the overall structure. > > I’m looking forward to seeing what else the website can bring to me. If you’re thinking about building a website, Jason is definitely the person to go to. Google review > “Absolutely great in delivering our e-commerce website. A great experience from start to finish, and even beyond.” Harry & Maria Owner, Pots of Joy Samir Khanna Director, Professional Financial > Working with Jason @ Lucid Media on our website was a great experience from start to finish. Jason brought our vision to life with creativity and professionalism; he understood what we were after, and this could be seen in the result. > > The design is clean and modern, and the functionality is exactly what we needed. Communication was smooth throughout the entire process, and deadlines were always met. Highly recommend to anyone looking for top-tier web design and development. Google review Alex Mayo Owner, Playceholdr > I had Lucid Media do some SEO work for us and I'm super impressed with the results. Jason also took the time to educate me deeply on the topic so I didn't feel like everything was smoke and mirrors like I have had with previous agencies. Google review Britta Friedrich Manager, MagicGerman > Working with Lucid Media was an excellent experience from start to finish. They took the time to thoroughly analyse our previous website, understand our product, and align with our company goals before creating a new, professional layout and copy. > > They truly went above and beyond, exceeding expectations at every step. I genuinely enjoyed the collaboration and look forward to working with them again in the future. Google review Melitta Adam Founder, Melitta Skin > I had a call with Jason and was so impressed by how in-depth it was. He really listened, understood where I’m at, and gave me a clear action plan that I can actually use. > > It was practical, straightforward, and made me feel confident moving forward with my ads. I couldn’t recommend working with him enough. Google review > “We wanted to bring our idea for an app to life. He turned our ideas into reality.” Alana Saunders Business Manager, A T Realty Andrew Harvey Director, AES Comp > Lucid Media provides great service, quickly establishing and refining our website. They are always available to us when we need changes made. > > Expert in SEO which is critical, our company now ranks at the top of Google searches, alongside our international suppliers but ahead of other agents around the world. We totally recommend Lucid as a highly competent and committed website developer and manager. Google review Ratu Tau Trekway Shuttle > We had previously used another digital company for our website and digital marketing… things went downhill quickly, and our business suffered badly. > > Within 30 minutes, we were on a Teams meeting discussing the problems we were facing. By 2am, Jason had sent us a detailed report… By 4pm, our Google Ads were back up and running. > > Everything was turned around in less than 24 hours… seeing results that quickly was honestly incredible. > > Jason and the team at Lucid Media have helped get our business back on solid ground… Young, full of energy, passionate, and genuinely driven to help businesses succeed. Google review Alex Fladgate Owner, JunkBoss > Jason created our JunkBoss company website from start to finish. He always responded immediately, shared great ideas, and the final site looks spectacular!! > > Highly recommend to anyone looking to get their website done. Google review > “They took the time to understand our vision and business needs, translating them into a stunning, user-friendly website.” Dev Dhingra CEO, Fundmaster Isaac Smith Managing Director, PSI > Communication was insanely good, the work Jason provided me with was on a new level and blew me away. If you’re looking for someone who will go above and beyond for you then he is your man. Google review Tyler Newman Tillen Finance > From the start, Jason has taken the time to understand my business properly rather than just pushing a generic marketing setup. We’ve built out a new website, landing pages, CRM integration, Google Ads and Meta campaigns, and the attention to detail across everything has been excellent. > > What stands out most is his responsiveness and willingness to adapt quickly. Any time we’ve needed changes or seen something in the data, he’s on it straight away and is always looking for ways to improve performance rather than just letting campaigns run. > > The key difference is that he genuinely feels invested in the success of the business, not just running ads in the background. Google review > “He was really acting in our best interests and went beyond what we were expecting him to achieve.” Brianna Hoy Managing Director, PplPeople Fiona Ashford Manager, Fee Funders > When the finance company I manage, Fee Funders, changed ownership, Lucid Media took over all aspects of our IT and technology, and the impact has been outstanding. Jason quickly learned our legacy systems, implemented critical changes during the transition, and then led the development of our new software platform and reporting systems. > > Jason is exceptional across all areas of technology, both front-end and back-end. He’s practical, solutions-focused, and genuinely understands business needs as well as the technical side. Google review Lynnae Sands Manager, Windsor Industries > Jason has been awesome to work with over the last few months. Whenever we've had any sort of issue with our website, he is extremely prompt in resolving it. Very professional and helpful, I highly recommend. Google review > “Jason is exceptional, excellent communications, a highly motivated individual. Such rare traits - very happy with his development work for us!” Eddie Director, PlastiCard Joel D'leema Director, TSB Living > Jason has been awesome in the work he has done for us. He is fast, very responsive and professional. Would highly recommend. Google review J-Tip It Google review > The team at Lucid Media have provided excellent service while recently coming in to help position J-Tip It to where they need to be! > > We are absolutely blown away with their quick responses, smooth customer service and their initiative to stay 10-steps ahead at all times. Results are immediate and the cost is undeniably justified. > > If you want to be in safe hands, choose Lucid! Google review > “The site looks clean, professional, and easy to use. He made the whole process super simple and stress-free.” Aidan Fraei Agent, Ray White ## Frequently asked questions Straight answers to what people ask us about this. If yours isn't here, ask it below. [Get your free audit](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/slow-website/#booking) **How do I know if my website is slow?** Run it through Google PageSpeed Insights, which is free. It gives you a Lighthouse performance score and, if your site gets enough traffic, real-user Core Web Vitals. [Lighthouse treats 0 to 49 as poor](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/performance/performance-scoring) and 90 to 100 as good, and [Google counts a Largest Contentful Paint](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-web-vitals) within 2.5 seconds as good. Test on the mobile setting, because a phone on mobile data is the hardest case. **What causes a slow website?** Usually a combination of oversized images, too many plugins or scripts, underpowered hosting and no caching. Sites also slow down over time as content, plugins and tracking tags pile up. A speed audit shows which of these apply to your site and which fixes will make the biggest difference. **How much does it cost to fix a slow website?** It depends on what is causing the problem and what your site is built on. Compressing images and setting up caching is a much smaller job than moving hosts or rebuilding a heavy theme. We quote after a free audit, once we know which fixes your site actually needs. **Will fixing my website speed improve my Google rankings?** It can help, but it isn't a shortcut. [Google says](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/page-experience) Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems, and also that it will show the most relevant content even when page experience is sub-par. So speed matters most where you and your competitors answer a search equally well. The more dependable gain is with your visitors: a faster page gives them one less reason to leave. **How long does it take to fix website speed issues?** Straightforward fixes such as image compression and caching can be done quickly. Hosting moves and theme rebuilds take longer. After the audit we give you a timeline for the fixes your site needs, with the highest-impact ones first. **Can I fix my website speed myself?** Some of it. Compressing images, removing unused plugins and turning on caching are all things you can do yourself. Render-blocking scripts, server configuration and theme code are easier to break, so take a full backup first or bring in a developer for those. \+ Related ## Problems that often come with this one - [High bounce rate](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/high-bounce-rate/) Visitors land on a page and leave without doing anything. - [Poor mobile experience](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/poor-mobile-experience/) Your site works on a desktop but is hard to read, tap and use on a phone. - [Low conversion rate](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/low-conversion-rate/) People visit your website, but very few of them buy, book or get in touch. [All website problems we fix](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/solutions/) ## Find out what's slowing your website down. Tell us about your site. We'll look at what is causing the problem and come back with a plain-English plan for fixing it. No obligation. Free consultation & quote Response within 24 hours No obligation to proceed [info@lucidmedia.co.nz](mailto:info@lucidmedia.co.nz) [+64 27 582 4369](tel:+64275824369)