SEO
Page Speed Optimisation: Faster Websites, Better Rankings
We speed up New Zealand business websites—fixing images, code, caching, and hosting bottlenecks so users stay and Google rewards mobile performance.
Why page speed matters
Page speed affects rankings, conversions, and trust. Google uses Core Web Vitals and mobile experience as signals. Customers on phones abandon slow contact forms and checkout pages. For NZ SMEs competing in local search, a fast site is baseline hygiene—not a nice extra.
Speed work supports organic SEO and AEO: answer engines prefer pages that load quickly when quoting or summarising content.
What slows websites down?
- Oversized images—hero banners and product photos without compression or modern formats.
- Plugin and script bloat—especially on WordPress with unused features still loading.
- Poor caching—no browser or server cache, or misconfigured CDN.
- Slow hosting—oversubscribed shared servers; see hosting options.
- Render-blocking resources—CSS/JS loaded in the wrong order.
- Third-party widgets—chat, reviews, heatmaps loading before content.
Our speed optimisation process
- Measure key URLs on mobile and desktop (LCP, INP, CLS where relevant).
- Prioritise templates that drive traffic and revenue—not only the homepage.
- Fix images, defer non-critical scripts, enable sensible caching.
- Verify after changes; avoid breaking forms, analytics, or checkout.
- Document what changed so you can maintain speed after future updates.
We often start from a technical audit when speed is one of several issues.
WordPress & ecommerce speed
WordPress and WooCommerce sites can be fast with the right theme, plugin discipline, and hosting. They can also be slow when every page builder widget loads globally. We trim what is unnecessary and configure caching appropriate to your stack—not one-size-fits-all plugin stacking.
Speed and redesigns
Redesigns sometimes slow sites when heavy themes replace lean ones. If you are rebuilding, include speed in scope from day one via SEO-aware design. If you already launched slow, dedicated speed work still helps before you invest in ads or content.
Frequently asked questions
Will speed optimisation break my site?
We test critical paths—forms, shop checkout, booking tools—after changes. Aggressive deferral without testing causes problems; we balance gain with stability.
Do I need a new host?
Sometimes. We recommend hosting changes only when measurement shows the server is the bottleneck, not as a default upsell.
How much faster will my site get?
Depends on starting point. Sites with huge unoptimised images often see dramatic gains; already-tuned sites see incremental improvement.
Is speed a Google ranking factor?
Yes—especially mobile page experience and Core Web Vitals. Speed also improves conversion regardless of rank.