Website Speed Optimization
Speed is a feature, especially on mobile data
A site that takes five seconds to load on a phone has already lost a large share of its visitors before anything appears. That matters more in Ghana than the global averages suggest, because a meaningful share of traffic arrives on mobile data where every unnecessary kilobyte is paid for in waiting. Speed work is measurable, and the before-and-after is not a matter of opinion.
the problem
The problems this solves
- The site is noticeably slow on a phone, particularly away from Wi-Fi.
- Layout jumps around while loading and people tap the wrong thing.
- Google's speed reports are red and you do not know which parts matter.
- Visitors leave before the page has finished appearing.
what's included
What's included
Image optimisation
Modern formats and correct sizing — usually the single largest win available.
Code reduction
Removing JavaScript and CSS that is downloaded but never used.
Caching and delivery
Proper cache headers and content delivery, so repeat visits are near-instant.
Font loading
Fonts served without blocking the first paint of the page.
Layout stability
Reserved space for images and embeds, so the page stops jumping as it loads.
Before-and-after measurement
Real numbers on both sides, so the improvement is demonstrable rather than claimed.
benefits
What speed is worth
Visitors who stay
The largest share of abandonment happens before the page finishes appearing. Fixing that recovers people you were already paying to attract.
Lower data cost for your customers
On metered mobile data, a lighter page is literally cheaper for the person visiting it.
A page that stops jumping
Reserved space for images and embeds, so nobody taps the wrong thing mid-load.
A modest ranking signal
Core Web Vitals genuinely count, though relevance and authority count for more.
Provable improvement
Measured before and after, so the result is a number rather than a claim.
who it's for
Who this is for
- Sites heavy with images — restaurants, retailers, portfolios
- Ecommerce stores where checkout speed maps directly to revenue
- Businesses whose visitors are mostly on mobile data
- Anyone who has seen a poor Core Web Vitals report and wants it addressed properly
process
How the work runs
Measure
A baseline captured on real conditions, not just a lab score on fast broadband.
Prioritise
The few changes carrying most of the improvement identified first.
Optimise
Images, code, fonts and caching addressed in order of impact.
Re-measure
The same tests repeated so the difference is provable.
Protect
Guidance on keeping the site fast as content gets added.
honest scoping
When this isn't the right fit
We would rather tell you now than take on work that was never going to serve you.
- Your site is already fast and the real problem is that nobody is finding it.
- The site is due to be rebuilt shortly — optimise the new one instead of the one you are replacing.
- You want a perfect Lighthouse score for its own sake. Chasing 100 usually costs accessibility or functionality.
- The slowness comes from third-party scripts you are contractually required to keep.
ghana & accra
Why this matters more in Ghana
Global performance advice is written for markets with cheap, fast, unmetered connectivity. That is not the browsing reality for most Ghanaian visitors, who arrive on mobile data and often on mid-range Android hardware where heavy JavaScript is far more punishing than it appears on a new iPhone. A page weight that reads as acceptable on a European benchmark can be genuinely unusable here, which is why testing happens on throttled connections rather than only in a lab.
questions
Frequently asked
How much faster can my site get?
It depends entirely on what is slow now. Image-heavy sites that have never been optimised often see the largest improvements, because the biggest wins are usually still sitting untouched.
Will this change how my site looks?
No. Speed work is about how efficiently the same thing is delivered. Image compression is chosen so the difference is not visible.
Do Core Web Vitals actually affect rankings?
They are a genuine ranking signal, though a modest one next to relevance and authority. The stronger argument is commercial: slow sites lose visitors regardless of ranking.
Can you optimise a site you did not build?
Yes. Speed work is frequently done on existing sites, whatever they were built with.
related
Services that often go together
Need website speed optimization?
Tell us what you're working with and we'll give you an honest view of scope, timeline and whether this is the right service for the problem.