Make my website faster. A practical, step by step guide that gets real results.
If you want to make my website faster, start with the fastest wins, measure everything, then move to deeper changes that deliver lasting gains. This guide gives a short answer at the top, and a full plan you can use today. If you manage client sites, TheWebBooster bundles the same steps below into a managed flow, white label audits, and safe staging so you can scale without breakage.
Table of contents
- Short answer, act now
- Why speed matters
- Quick fixes you can do in 30 minutes
- Intermediate steps that move Core Web Vitals
- Advanced fixes for long term gains
- How to test, and a reproducible test plan
- Example before and after table you can copy
- Migration and rollback checklist for client sites
- How TheWebBooster helps you deliver and prove results
- Conclusion and next steps
- FAQ
Short answer, act now
To make my website faster, do these three things immediately. 1. Compress your images, 2. defer non critical JavaScript, 3. enable caching for static assets. Run a Lighthouse test before and after. These three changes cut page weight and blocking time, and they move LCP and TBT quickly.
Why speed matters
Faster pages make users stay, they increase conversions, and they lower ad and hosting waste. Search engines use Core Web Vitals as part of ranking signals, so speed is both a user problem, and a visibility problem. For agencies, speed is a measurable service you can sell, and for site owners, speed is a direct path to better conversion and lower bounce.
Quick fixes you can do in 30 minutes
These actions are safe, and they show results fast.
- Compress images and use WebP or AVIF. Large images are the top cause of heavy pages. Use your CMS plugin or an online tool, and replace full size images with responsive srcset. Use our image compressor at
/tools/compress-imagesif you want a quick free tool. - Add lazy loading for images and iframes. Native lazy loading reduces initial payload for users below the fold. Add
loading="lazy"where possible. - Defer non critical JavaScript. Use
deferorasyncfor third party and non essential scripts. This reduces total blocking time. - Minify CSS and JS. Remove whitespace and combine files when safe. Most plugins handle this.
- Enable browser caching for static files. Set cache headers on images, fonts, and assets to a long TTL. This helps repeat visitors.
- Remove unused plugins and fonts. Each plugin adds weight and code. Disable anything not needed. Use system fonts where possible to avoid font loading delays.
- Run a simple Lighthouse test. Capture baseline metrics so you know the impact of changes.
These steps often reduce page weight and blocking time enough to move Core Web Vitals for many sites.
Intermediate steps that move Core Web Vitals
When quick fixes are done, work on these items for medium effort gains.
Image pipeline and responsive delivery
- Convert images to WebP or AVIF automatically.
- Serve responsive images with
srcsetandsizes, so devices only download the right resolution. - Use low resolution placeholders or blurred placeholders to improve perceived speed.
Caching and CDN
- Put a CDN in front of your origin, enable Brotli or gzip compression, and use aggressive caching for static assets.
- For HTML you can use smart caching rules, or edge cache plus cache revalidation for dynamic pages.
- If you control hosting, enable server side caching. If not, use a service that provides caching at the edge.
Critical rendering path
- Identify render blocking CSS and inline small critical CSS only for above the fold content.
- Defer non critical CSS and load fonts with
font-display: swap. - Audit main thread work using Lighthouse, and split long tasks.
Reduce third party impact
- Audit third party tags and trackers. Remove or delay scripts that are not mission critical.
- Use tag managers that allow conditional loading, or load analytics after the main content.
Advanced fixes for long term gains
These require more access or dev time, and they pay off for busy or complex sites.
Server and network
- Move to a host with low TTFB, and use HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 where available.
- Use server side caching like NGINX FastCGI cache, or Varnish. These reduce origin latency for HTML.
- Implement edge logic to cache more aggressively and reduce round trips.
Code splitting and resource prioritization
- Split large bundles so the critical page does not download unused code.
- Use resource hints, like
preloadfor critical fonts or hero images. - Use deferred hydration for interactive widgets on complex pages.
Automated testing and CI
- Integrate Lighthouse audits into staging and CI, fail builds on regressions.
- Save Lighthouse JSON and record changes over time to catch regressions.
How to test, and a reproducible test plan
A repeatable test method makes claims defensible.
Tools
- Lighthouse in Chrome for lab metrics.
- WebPageTest for real world network simulation.
- Field data via Google Search Console or Real User Monitoring to validate lab results.
Method
- Choose the pages that matter, usually the home page, product or key landing pages.
- Run five Lighthouse runs on each page, use the median. Use Chrome stable and default throttling for lab tests.
- Record LCP, CLS, FCP, TBT, and TTFB. Save the raw Lighthouse JSON.
- Implement one change at a time, rerun the tests, and compare median values.
- For real world validation, compare Core Web Vitals in Search Console, or use RUM with a small sample.
Publishing raw JSON along with your case study makes the audit defensible.
Example before and after table you can copy
Use this table in client reports. Replace the values with your real medians.
| Metric | Baseline | After optimizations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP | 4.8 s | 1.7 s | Image optimization, critical CSS |
| CLS | 0.18 | 0.03 | Reserve size attributes, font swap |
| TBT | 700 ms | 120 ms | Defer third party scripts |
| TTFB | 800 ms | 220 ms | Server caching, CDN |
Link each row to the Lighthouse JSON when you present it to clients, this builds trust.
Migration and rollback checklist for client sites
When you change optimization tooling, follow this flow.
- Take a full backup or snapshot.
- Capture baseline Lighthouse JSON for target pages.
- Create a clone or staging copy if possible. Test changes on the clone first.
- Apply optimizations in small batches. Test after each change.
- Deploy during a low traffic window. Monitor logs and performance.
- If regressions appear, use rollback and restore the previous settings.
- Re-run Lighthouse and save the new JSON. Send a branded audit that shows the before and after.
If you manage many clients, automate this flow to reduce human error.
How TheWebBooster helps you deliver and prove results
If you manage client sites, doing all the steps above manually takes time and carries risk. TheWebBooster streamlines the same work into a managed workflow.
- One click setup. Install and get a staged clone quickly, no code.
- Automated image pipeline. Auto convert to WebP and AVIF, and deliver responsive srcsets.
- Staged testing and safe rollout. Run changes on a clone, review results, then apply the settings with one click.
- Rollback safety. One click rollback if anything breaks.
- White label audits. Generate branded PDF audits and include the Lighthouse JSON, to prove results to clients.
- Agency seat pricing. Bulk seats that scale per client, with predictable costs.
If you prefer to do the work in house, follow the steps above. If you need to scale delivery and reduce support overhead, TheWebBooster packages the steps into a repeatable service. Start with a free trial at /signup and see how fast you can move from baseline to results.
Conclusion and next steps
To make my website faster, start with the quick fixes, then measure, then iterate into intermediate and advanced work. Use a reproducible testing plan, save JSON outputs, and present the results to stakeholders as branded audits. If you manage many client sites, consider a managed tool that automates the pipeline, and reduces the risk of breakage.
If you want, start with one page today. Run Lighthouse, compress images, defer scripts, then rerun Lighthouse and compare the results. If you would like us to run a free audit, visit /contact or sign up at /signup.
FAQ
How long before I see speed improvements?
Simple changes like compressing images and deferring scripts show results immediately, often in minutes. Server and architecture changes may take days to plan and test.
What metric should I track first?
Track LCP to measure loading performance, and TBT to measure interactivity. CLS is important for layout stability. Capture all three for a full picture.
Do I need a CDN to make my site fast?
A CDN helps reduce latency for global users, but the largest wins often come from reducing page weight, optimizing images, and removing render blocking resources. Use a CDN in combination with payload reductions.
Can I test without hurting my live site?
Yes. Use a clone or staging site, or test with local throttling and screenshots. Always save raw Lighthouse JSON so you can compare reliably.
