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1d • Traffic Generation
10 Things That Slow Down Your Website (And How to Avoid Them)
Most people assume a slow website means they need better hosting or a completely different platform.
Sometimes that's true. Most of the time, it isn't.
Over the years I've discovered that websites rarely become slow because of one huge mistake. They become slow because of dozens of tiny decisions that slowly build up over months or years. The good news is that most of them are surprisingly easy to fix.
Here are ten of the biggest performance killers I see.
1. Uploading Huge Images
This is probably the biggest offender.
Modern phones take incredible photos, but they also produce enormous files. Uploading a 6MB photo straight to your website is like trying to squeeze a sofa through your front door every time someone visits your page.
Instead
- Resize images before uploading.
- Use WebP where possible.
- Don't upload a 4000-pixel image if it's only displayed at 800 pixels.
2. Installing Plugins "Just to Try Them"
We've all done it.
You install a plugin because it sounds useful. A few weeks later you've forgotten about it.
A year later it's still loading code on every page. One plugin probably won't hurt but twenty eventually will.
Instead
Every few months ask yourself:
"If I was building this website today, would I still install this?"
If the answer is no, remove it.
3. Too Many Marketing Scripts
Marketing software is fantastic until you install everything.
Facebook Pixel.
Pinterest Tag.
Google Analytics.
Microsoft Clarity.
Heat maps.
Retargeting.
Live chat.
Cookie software.
Email popups.
Every one of those has work to do before your visitor can use your website.
Instead
Only keep the tools that genuinely help your business.
4. Embedding Everything
It's tempting to embed content everywhere.
Instagram posts.
Facebook videos.
Google Maps.
Calendars.
YouTube playlists.
Review widgets.
Each embed contacts another server before your page finishes loading.
Instead
Ask yourself:
Does this actually improve the visitor's experience?
If not, replace it with a simple image or link.
5. Using Five Different Fonts
Custom fonts make websites look beautiful.
Too many make them slower.
Every font family and every weight has to be downloaded.
Regular.
Medium.
Semi Bold.
Bold.
Italic.
Repeat that across several font families and you've added a surprising amount of extra work.
Instead
Choose one or two font families and only load the weights you actually use.
6. Leaving Old Code Behind
This is one that catches almost everyone.
Old JavaScript.
CSS from an old theme.
Tracking scripts for services you stopped using two years ago.
They're easy to forget because everything still appears to work.
Instead
Do a digital spring clean every few months.
If you don't need it, remove it.
7. Too Many Animations
Animations can make a website feel polished.
Too many make it feel slow.
Everything sliding.
Everything fading.
Everything bouncing.
Visitors usually want information, not a magic show.
Instead
Use animation to guide attention, not to decorate every element.
8. Loading Videos Immediately
Videos are fantastic.
Autoplaying several of them the moment someone opens your homepage usually isn't.
Instead
Use thumbnails and let visitors decide when they want to watch.
Your website will feel much faster.
9. Forgetting Mobile Users
Many websites are built on a large desktop monitor. Most visitors aren't using one. They're using phones. A page that feels fast on a powerful desktop computer may feel completely different on a mobile connection.
Instead
Always test on your phone.
Not just once.
Regularly.
10. Chasing a Perfect Lighthouse Score
This one might surprise you.
I love PageSpeed Insights. I use Lighthouse regularly but don't become obsessed with scoring 100.
A website scoring 95 or 97 can provide exactly the same experience as one scoring 100.
The score is a useful guide bit it isn't your report card. Your visitors don't care whether you scored 97.
They care whether your website loads quickly and helps them do what they came to do.
The Biggest Lesson
The fastest websites usually aren't the ones with the biggest servers. They're the ones where someone regularly asks:
"Do I still need this?"
Every plugin, script, widget, font, image and marketing tool.
If it isn't helping your visitors or your business, it may be slowing both down.
Sometimes making a website faster isn't about adding something new.
It's about having the confidence to remove what no longer belongs.
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10 Things That Slow Down Your Website (And How to Avoid Them)
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Running an experiment: can building an audience be what makes digital products sell? Using eCommerce software I built myself & documenting as I go.
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