Site speed troubleshooting

Slow page load times hurt user experience, conversions, and search rankings. Here's how to diagnose and fix the most common performance issues.

Common bottlenecks

### Large images

Oversized images are the most common performance killer. Compress images, use modern formats (WebP, AVIF), and implement lazy loading for below-the-fold images.

### Render-blocking resources

CSS and JavaScript files can block page rendering. Inline critical CSS, defer non-critical JavaScript, and minimize third-party scripts.

### Server response time

Slow server response (TTFB) indicates backend issues. Use server-side caching, optimize database queries, and consider a CDN for static assets.

### Too many HTTP requests

Each resource requires a separate request. Combine files where possible, use CSS sprites, and remove unnecessary third-party integrations.

Diagnostic tools

• **Chrome DevTools**: Network tab shows request waterfall
• **Lighthouse**: Automated performance audits
• **WebPageTest**: Detailed waterfall charts and filmstrip view
• **GTmetrix**: Performance scores and recommendations

Quick wins

1. Enable gzip/brotli compression
2. Implement browser caching headers
3. Use a CDN for static assets
4. Optimize and compress images
5. Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
6. Remove unused CSS and JavaScript
7. Defer non-critical resources

Long-term improvements

Adopt lazy loading for images and iframes. Implement code splitting for JavaScript bundles. Use service workers for offline caching. Optimize font loading with font-display: swap. Consider server-side rendering or static site generation for faster initial loads.