Is Your Website Slow? Here’s How to Find Out in 60 Seconds
You’ve probably noticed it. You’re on your phone, waiting for your website to load, and you’re thinking, “Come on, come on…” Meanwhile, a potential client is doing the exact same thing, except they don’t have the patience you do. They’ve already clicked away to look at someone else.
That feeling of dread when you’re about to share your website link with someone new? That’s not just in your head. A slow website doesn’t just feel bad, it is bad for your business. And here’s the thing, almost nobody knows how to measure it, so they just keep wondering if it’s actually a problem or if they’re being paranoid.
You’re not being paranoid. And the good news? You can find out in about 60 seconds if your website needs help.
Why Speed Matters (And It’s Not What You Think)
I talk to a lot of business owners about their websites, and almost nobody brings up speed first. They talk about the design, the copy, whether the colors are right. But speed? Speed is the invisible elephant in the room. It’s one of those things that nobody notices when it’s working beautifully, but everyone notices when it’s not.
Here’s why I care about it: your website is a representation of you and what you offer. When someone lands on your site and it takes 5, 6, or 7 seconds to load, what are they actually experiencing? They’re experiencing friction. They’re experiencing waiting. They’re experiencing a reason to leave.
I make it easy because I understand that technology should work for you, not against you. A fast website isn’t fancy, it’s fundamental. It’s the difference between someone staying long enough to read about what you do and someone bouncing to your competitor before they even see your name.
And here’s the marketing truth underneath all of this, the thing that matters most: people make decisions about whether they trust you in seconds. A slow website tells them, “This person doesn’t care enough about their business to make sure it works.” Fair or not, that’s what they’re thinking.
The 60-Second Test (No Tech Degree Required)
You don’t need to be a developer. You don’t need to hire an expensive consultant. You need about 60 seconds and one free tool.
Here’s what you’re going to do:
Step 1: Go to Google PageSpeed Insights (search for it in Google, or go directly to pagespeed.web.dev).
Step 2: Paste your website URL into the box at the top.
Step 3: Click “Analyze.”
Step 4: Wait about 30 seconds.
That’s it. You’ll get a report that looks like a report card. It gives you a score out of 100 for both mobile and desktop. You’ll see a green score (good, above 90), an orange score (okay, but there’s room to improve, 50-89), or a red score (below 50, and we need to talk).
Most websites I look at are sitting in that orange zone. They’re not broken, but they’re not optimized either. And because the owner doesn’t see the behind-the-scenes issues, they don’t know it’s happening.
The score that matters most? Mobile. Why? Because most of your visitors are on their phones. A lot of business owners I talk to haven’t checked their site on mobile in months. They designed it on a desktop and assumed it looked fine everywhere else. Spoiler alert: it probably doesn’t.
What the Report Actually Means
Here’s where a lot of people get confused. You run the test, you get a score, and then you’re looking at this list of technical jargon that makes your eyes glaze over. “Largest Contentful Paint?” “Cumulative Layout Shift?” What does any of this mean?
I’m going to translate for you.
Performance Score (the big number at the top): This is the overall health of your website’s speed. Think of it like a credit score for how fast your site loads. Anything above 75 is solid. Below 50 means visitors are definitely feeling that lag.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): This is the time it takes for the biggest element on your page (usually an image or a block of text) to show up. If this is slow, people are sitting there looking at a blank screen. That’s not fun for anyone.
First Input Delay (FID): This measures how long it takes for your website to respond when someone tries to click something. If someone clicks a button and nothing happens for 2 seconds, that feels broken. Even if it’s not.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This is the annoying thing that happens when you’re reading something and then suddenly the page jumps and your text moves. You click on the wrong thing. It feels messy and unprofessional.
The report will give you suggestions for each one. Some of them are technical (compress your images, use a Content Delivery Network), and some of them are simple (remove unused CSS, defer JavaScript). You don’t have to understand all of it. You just have to know it’s fixable.
The Most Common Reasons Your Website Is Slow
In my experience, there are usually a few culprits behind a slow website. None of them are your fault. They’re just things that happen when websites get older or when the wrong decisions get made at the beginning.
1. Your images are too big.
This is probably the #1 reason. You upload a photo that’s 4MB because it looks beautiful on your camera, and your website serves that giant file to every single visitor. Images should be optimized, compressed, and sized correctly for the web. This is fixable, and it makes a huge difference.
2. You’re using a slow hosting provider.
Not all web hosting is created equal. Some hosting companies prioritize price over performance. Your website sits on their server, and if their servers are sluggish, your website is sluggish. You can own your domain and your passwords and still be paying for something that doesn’t perform well for you.
3. You have too many plugins running in the background.
Every plugin adds weight to your website. It’s like trying to run with a backpack full of rocks. Some plugins are necessary. Some are just nice-to-have extras that are slowing you down.
4. Your website was designed years ago and never updated.
Technology changes. Web standards change. A website that was cutting-edge in 2018 is probably not optimized for how the internet works in 2024. This doesn’t mean you need a complete redesign, but it might mean some updates under the hood.
5. You’re using an outdated website platform.
Some website builders are faster than others. Some platforms are built for speed. Others prioritize other things. If you’re on a platform that’s slow, you might be fighting an uphill battle no matter what you do.
The good news? All of these are opportunities. They’re all fixable. When you’re ready to talk about what’s happening under the hood of your website, that’s what I’m here for.
What To Do With Your Results
Okay, so you ran the test. You have a number. Now what?
If you scored above 75 on mobile, congratulations. Your website is performing well. You’re not the problem. Keep it up.
If you scored between 50 and 75, you have an opportunity to improve. It’s not an emergency, but it’s worth attention. Think of it like a check-engine light that’s orange instead of red. Something’s going on, and it’s worth investigating.
If you scored below 50, you have a real opportunity here. Your website is probably losing visitors because of speed. This is one of those invisible leaks that’s costing you actual business.
Here’s what I recommend you do next:
Look at the suggestions in the PageSpeed report. Scroll down past the score and you’ll see a section called “Opportunities.” These are ranked by impact, so the ones at the top will make the biggest difference. Start reading through them. You don’t have to understand everything, but you’ll start to see patterns about what’s slowing things down.
Screenshot your results. Take a screenshot of your score and save it somewhere. Later, when you make changes, you’ll run the test again and see if things improved. Progress is motivating.
Talk to someone who understands this. If the suggestions feel overwhelming or if you’re not sure where to start, that’s completely normal. Tech is a language, and not everyone was born speaking it. There’s no shame in bringing in someone who knows how to read the report and translate it into action.
Speed Is Part of Your Brand Now
Here’s what I want you to understand about website speed: it’s not just a technical metric. It’s part of how people experience you.
When someone visits your website and it loads fast, they don’t think about it. They just read your content and think, “This person has their act together.” When your website loads slowly, they do think about it. They think about it while they’re waiting. They might bounce to someone else’s site while they’re thinking about it.
A slow website isn’t a website that’s broken. It’s a website that’s working harder than it needs to be. And more importantly, it’s making your visitor work harder than they need to.
I see a lot of opportunities for improvement in websites that are otherwise beautiful. The design might be perfect. The copy might be compelling. But if it takes 8 seconds to load, all of that work you did is sitting behind a wall of waiting time.
Your website should represent you at your best. That means it should not just look like you, but also perform like you. And you’re someone who respects people’s time. You’re someone who delivers. You’re someone who makes things easy.
Your website should do the same.
The Bottom Line
You have 60 seconds and one free tool between you and the answer to whether your website has a speed problem. There’s no guessing. There’s no wondering. There’s just data, clear as day.
Run the test. Look at your score. If it’s lower than you’d like, know that you’re not alone, and more importantly, know that it’s fixable. I’ve helped a lot of women solopreneurs get their websites running faster, and it’s always worth the effort. The payoff isn’t just a better technical score, it’s knowing that when someone lands on your site, they’re not experiencing friction. They’re experiencing you.
And that matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a “good” score on PageSpeed Insights?
Anything above 75 is solid. Between 50 and 75 is okay but has room to improve. Below 50 means you definitely want to look into it. Remember, these tools are measuring technical performance, not whether your website looks beautiful or communicates your message well. Both matter.
Does my website speed affect search engines like Google?
Yes, Google considers page speed as one factor in how it ranks websites. A faster website doesn’t guarantee better search rankings, but a slow website is definitely working against you. It’s one piece of a bigger picture, but it’s a piece worth paying attention to.
If I get a low score, does that mean my website is broken?
Not at all. A low score means there are opportunities to optimize how your website loads, but it doesn’t mean nothing works or that your site is unusable. It might feel slow to you, but it’s not “broken.” It’s just not performing as well as it could be.
Can I improve my website speed without hiring someone?
It depends on what’s causing the slowness. Some things are simple, like compressing images or removing unused plugins. Other things require more technical knowledge. You could start by trying some of the suggestions in the PageSpeed report yourself, and if you get stuck or want a second opinion, that’s what people like me are here for.
If your website no longer feels like you, let’s talk about it – Book a Free Website Clarity Call with Beth →