Why Page Speed Is the First Thing You Should Fix
If your website takes longer than 3 seconds to load, you’re losing visitors—potentially half of them. In the world of small business websites, first impressions matter. At Highwood Web Design, we make page speed a top priority. Here’s why it matters and how we make it happen.
1. Page Speed Directly Impacts Conversions
Studies show that even a one-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% drop in conversions. Imagine what that means for your online store, booking page, or lead form. When your site loads instantly, visitors are far more likely to stick around, engage, and buy.
2. Google Uses Speed as a Ranking Factor
Page speed is not just a user experience factor—it’s a ranking factor. Google’s Core Web Vitals initiative emphasizes load time, interactivity, and visual stability. If your website loads slowly, you’re already at a disadvantage in search rankings.
3. Mobile Users Have No Patience
Over 60% of web traffic is mobile, and mobile users expect even faster load times. Our mobile-first design ensures performance is optimized across all devices, especially smartphones.
4. Fast Websites Feel More Professional
Whether consciously or not, users associate speed with credibility. A slow site feels outdated and untrustworthy. We hand-code your site for performance—no bloated plugins or laggy templates.
5. What We Do to Get You There
- Lean, custom-coded pages
- No unnecessary scripts or plugins
- Optimized image delivery
- Lazy loading and script deferral
- CDN integration and caching
Real Results
All our client sites load in under 1 second according to Google PageSpeed Insights. Check your current speed at PageSpeed Web.Dev and see how you compare.
Ready for a Faster Website?
If you're frustrated with your current site’s speed—or don't know where it stands—get in touch. We’ll run a free audit and show you exactly what needs fixing. Our $299/month plan includes performance optimization by default.
Also check out our services on SEO, Admin Tools, and Google Ads for a full growth package.
Highwood Web Design — faster websites, better rankings, more customers.
Recommended Reading: