Web performance optimization
Loading speed is a Google ranking factor and a direct conversion lever. According to Google (2024), 53% of mobile visits are abandoned when loading takes more than 3 seconds. We optimize your site's Core Web Vitals to reach Lighthouse scores above 95.
What are Core Web Vitals and why do they impact your SEO?
Core Web Vitals are three performance metrics Google uses to evaluate user experience: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), INP (Interaction to Next Paint, which replaced FID in 2024) and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift). Since 2021, these metrics have been an official ranking factor.
According to a Deloitte study (2024), shaving 0.1 seconds off load time increases conversion rates by 8.4% for e-commerce sites and 10.1% for service businesses. Every millisecond counts for your revenue.
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): target < 1.5 seconds
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): target < 100ms
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): target < 0.1
- +8.4% conversions per 0.1s saved (Deloitte, 2024)
- Official Google ranking factor since 2021
How do we diagnose performance issues?
Our performance audit covers the entire rendering chain: server (TTFB), network (CDN, compression), front end (critical CSS, deferred JS, images) and caching (browser, server, CDN). We use Lighthouse, WebPageTest, Chrome DevTools and CrUX data (Chrome User Experience Report) to identify the bottlenecks.
Every audit produces a quantified action plan: estimated gains in milliseconds, impact on the Lighthouse score, and implementation priority. Results are validated against field data (RUM), not just lab conditions.
- TTFB audit and server configuration (Nginx, Apache, LiteSpeed)
- Loading waterfall analysis (WebPageTest)
- Identification of render-blocking resources
- Core Web Vitals benchmark against your competitors
- Quantified action plan with estimated gains
Which performance optimization techniques do we apply?
We work across every layer of the stack. Server side: cache configuration (Redis, Varnish, OPcache), Brotli/Gzip compression, HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, global CDN (Cloudflare, BunnyCDN). Front end: inline critical CSS, deferred script loading, native lazy loading, WebP/AVIF images with responsive sizing.
- Images: WebP/AVIF conversion, responsive srcset, native lazy loading
- CSS: inline critical CSS extraction, unused CSS purging
- JavaScript: defer/async, code splitting, tree shaking
- Server: Redis/Varnish caching, CDN, Brotli compression
- Fonts: font-display: swap, preloading critical fonts, subsetting
Web performance questions
- Why is my WordPress site slow?▾
The most common causes are: a bloated theme (Elementor, Divi), too many active plugins, unoptimized images, no server-side caching, and low-end shared hosting. Our audit pinpoints the exact bottlenecks and prioritizes fixes by impact.
- What Lighthouse score should I aim for?▾
A Lighthouse Performance score of 90+ is considered good. We consistently target 95+ for our clients. Beyond the lab score, what really matters is field data (CrUX): your Core Web Vitals need to be in the green on at least 75% of real visits.
- Does performance really affect Google rankings?▾
Yes. Google has used Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor since 2021. All other factors being equal, a fast site will consistently be favored. On top of that, a slow site increases bounce rate and shortens session time, two negative signals for Google.
- How much does performance optimization cost?▾
A full performance audit with an action plan starts at $500. Implementing the optimizations runs between $1,000 and $3,000 depending on the complexity of the site and the scope of the fixes needed. The return on investment is immediate: conversions climb as soon as load times drop.
Is your site too slow?
Test your site speed for free. We send you a detailed report within 24 hours.