A faster WordPress site improves user experience and can support better conversion. This checklist is ordered so you start with the biggest wins first.
Quick wins (read this first)
If you only do three things:
- Optimise images (size + WebP)
- Use one properly configured cache setup
- Reduce heavy plugins and third-party scripts
Step 1: Measure properly (10 minutes)
☐ Test three pages in PageSpeed Insights: homepage, main service page, contact page
☐ Test on mobile and desktop
☐ Note: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Total Blocking Time (TBT), and any big warnings
☐ Repeat after each major change so you know what helped
Step 2: Image fixes (most common speed killer)
☐ Resize images to the maximum size they’ll display (avoid uploading huge originals)
☐ Compress images before upload
☐ Use WebP where possible
☐ Lazy-load images below the fold
☐ Avoid sliders packed with large images
☐ Keep hero images sensible (one strong image beats five heavy ones)
Step 3: Reduce bloat (plugins, fonts, and extras)
Plugin tidy-up
☐ Delete plugins you are not using
☐ Avoid multiple plugins doing similar jobs (especially optimisation)
☐ Remove page builders or add-ons you no longer need
☐ Keep only what supports real business outcomes
Fonts and icons
☐ Use 1–2 font families
☐ Limit font weights
☐ Avoid loading multiple icon libraries if you only use a few icons
Step 4: Caching and optimisation (high impact)
☐ Use one caching plugin and configure it properly
☐ Enable page cache
☐ Enable browser cache
☐ Turn on minification carefully (test afterwards, as it can break layouts)
☐ Turn on delayed JS loading where safe (again, test)
Important note
Only use one “main” performance plugin. Stacking multiple optimisation plugins often creates conflicts and makes the site slower or unstable.
Step 5: Hosting and server basics (when quick wins are not enough)
☐ Check your hosting plan is suitable for WordPress
☐ Make sure PHP is up to date
☐ Look out for high server response time in performance reports
☐ If your site is slow even with basic optimisation, hosting is often the bottleneck
☐ Too many third-party scripts (chat widgets, heatmaps, multiple tracking tags)
☐ Embedded videos autoplaying
☐ Large background videos
☐ Heavy galleries
☐ Social media embeds on every page
☐ Broken fonts loading repeatedly
Step 6: The hidden speed killers
Quick check
Ask: “Does this tool directly increase enquiries or improve customer experience?”
If not, consider removing it.
Step 7: WordPress housekeeping (monthly)
☐ Update WordPress core, theme, and plugins
☐ Remove old drafts and spam comments
☐ Limit post revisions (carefully, or with guidance)
☐ Clear unused media and optimise what remains
☐ Keep backups running reliably
A simple speed priority order (do this, then this)
- Images
- Plugin tidy-up
- Caching
- Remove heavy scripts
- Hosting upgrade (if needed)
Common speed mistakes
- Uploading massive images and hoping WordPress will “handle it”
- Using multiple optimisation plugins at once
- Adding every marketing widget under the sun
- Ignoring mobile performance because desktop looks fine
- Testing only the homepage instead of key service pages
FAQs
Do I need a developer to speed up WordPress?
Not always. Many wins come from images, plugin cleanup, and proper caching. Hosting or script issues may need support.
Will speed fixes break my design?
They shouldn’t if you make changes one at a time and test key pages after each change.
Should I use a CDN?
A CDN can help, especially for image-heavy sites and wider audiences, but it needs correct setup.
Next step
If you want help identifying what’s slowing your site down and fixing the biggest issues first, explore:
