Performance · 7 min
Your site is slow: what to fix first
An attack order for Core Web Vitals on a business site. No rebrand. No full rebuild by default.
A slow site is not fixed by “moving platform” by default. Measure first. Cut what is unused. Redesign is the last tool, not the first.
Measure on real mobile
Lab scores help prioritise. Field data says whether real users suffer. Start with the URL that moves traffic or money, not a 2019 blog post.
LCP: the image or the hero
LCP is usually a heavy header image, a slider or a blocking font. One well-sized modern image, no carousel, often beats any miracle plugin.
Third-party JS
Chat, pixels, maps, sliders and a Tag Manager full of “just in case” tags. Every script must earn its place. Analytics only after consent in the EU.
Cache and hosting
A bloated theme on cheap hosting is not cured by another slider. Cached HTML, sane images, fewer plugins. If TTFB is 800 ms, the frontend cannot save you.
When a rebuild is justified
When the CMS or builder blocks caching, emits huge HTML or will not let you touch LCP. That is architecture, not a tweak.