A useful speed improvement starts with a specific problem: a slow first visit, heavy product pages or an administration area that takes too long to respond. They may need different fixes.
Test with Google PageSpeed Insights
- Open Google PageSpeed Insights, enter your page URL and select Analyse. Test your homepage, a content page and a product page if you sell online.
- Review both mobile and desktop results. Look at the diagnostics and suggested improvements, rather than focusing only on the overall score.
- Save the report link and note the date. Repeat the same tests after each change so you can compare the results.
PageSpeed combines a simulated Lighthouse test with real visitor data when enough is available. The simulated test helps diagnose issues; real visitor data covers the previous 28 days, so it will not immediately reflect a change. A missing real visitor report does not mean your website has passed or failed.
Look for slow main content loading (LCP), layout movement (CLS) and, in real visitor data, responsiveness to interactions (INP). The report gives clues about what needs investigation; it cannot always identify the exact plugin or server issue responsible.
| Report clue | What to investigate |
|---|---|
| Large images or slow main content loading | The main image’s size, format and loading behaviour. |
| Render-blocking resources or unused JavaScript | Theme features, plugins and third-party scripts. |
| Slow initial server response | Caching, database queries and hosting resource usage. |
| Layout shifts | Missing image dimensions, fonts and content inserted after loading. |
Also check the website yourself on a phone. A score does not tell you whether a menu, form or checkout works. Keep a current backup and use a staging copy for changes that could affect orders or customer sessions.
Make focused improvements
- Resize and compress images for their displayed size. Use modern formats where supported and reserve image space to reduce layout movement.
- Review unnecessary plugins, widgets, third-party scripts and oversized theme features.
- Keep WordPress, its theme and plugins maintained after checking compatibility.
Add a suitable caching plugin
Page caching can reduce repeated work by serving a saved version of a page to visitors. Two options to consider are WP Rocket, a paid caching and performance plugin, and WP Fastest Cache, which offers a free version with optional premium features.
- Check which caching tools are already active, including any hosting-level cache. Use one page-caching plugin and check compatibility before adding another optimisation tool.
- Start with basic caching. Enable advanced settings such as script delay or minification one at a time, checking your website after each change.
- Clear the cache, visit the pages to rebuild it, then repeat your PageSpeed tests. Check menus, forms and the experience for both logged-in and logged-out visitors.
When to review hosting
If the site is still slow after reducing page weight, investigate server response times, database queries and resource usage. More server capacity will not automatically fix a slow plugin or inefficient query.
Growing shops may benefit from a VPS, but choose resources around measured needs. We can help assess the website through WooCommerce support or WordPress care.
Need help finding the slowdown?
Existing customers can open a Technical Support ticket. Log in to your customer account, choose Technical Support and include your website URL, PageSpeed report links, which pages feel slow and any caching plugins or recent changes. Never include passwords in your ticket.
If you are considering moving to Ginger, contact our team to discuss your website.
Further reading: Google’s guide to PageSpeed Insights and WordPress performance documentation.
Put the guidance into practice.
Need help with your website? Explore WordPress hosting, WooCommerce hosting and support or WordPress care.