Imagine: you go to a website, wait... and wait... and nothing loads. What do you do? That's right - you close it and go to Google to look for something else. That's why website loading speed is not just important, it's really critical.

In this article, I will explain in simple terms what affects website speed and how it can be improved. Without complex terms. Just as it is.

1. Pictures are beautiful, but hard

An image is almost always the most “weighty” thing on a website. And the more “weighty” it is, the longer it takes to load. But the good news is that it’s easy to fix.

Here’s how:

  • The format matters. Regular photos are best stored as JPEG. If there is a transparent background, PNG is better. And if you want maximum efficiency, use WebP or even AVIF (a new format, very lightweight).

  • Lossless compression. You don't have to sacrifice quality. There are services that compress images so that you won't see the difference, and the site will load faster. For example, TinyPNG or Squoosh.

  • Specify the correct size. You don't need to upload a 4000 pixel photo if it will be displayed on the site at 800.

  • "Lazy" loading. Images are loaded only when the user reaches them. Simple and effective.

2. Website code can be "difficult" too

What you don't see - CSS and JavaScript - can slow down loading. It's like the engine compartment in a car: everything works, but if the engine is overloaded, it will run slowly.

What to do:

  • Remove unnecessary. Sometimes a site has a bunch of scripts connected that no one needs anymore. Remove them and the site will breathe easier.

  • Edit. This means removing unnecessary spaces, comments, and indents from the code. None of this is needed for work, but it slows down loading.

  • Combine files. Instead of 10 separate CSS files, make one. The same with JavaScript.

  • Download wisely. Some things can be downloaded immediately, some a little later. This is called "deferred loading".

3. Caching is like memory for a website.

Cache is like when the browser remembers the site and next time opens it many times faster. Because it does not load everything from scratch. This is a super useful thing, especially for regular visitors.

How to set it up:

  • On many hostings, this can be enabled in the settings.

  • If the site is on WordPress , there are a bunch of plugins for caching (WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, etc.).

  • Or ask the developer to configure this via .htaccess or server response headers.

4. HTML — not only for developers

HTML is the "skeleton" of a website. If it is cluttered, with a bunch of unnecessary code, then the site loads slower. Like an old basement that needs to be cleaned out a long time ago.

What can be done:

  • Remove unnecessary tags. Especially those left after editing and do nothing.

  • Use the "correct" tags. For example, <main> , <section> , <footer> — They help the browser better understand the structure.

  • Minify HTML. Same as CSS: remove extra spaces, comments, empty lines.

5. CDN — speed magic around the world

CDN (Content Delivery Network) is like a large network of “copies” of your website all over the world. Imagine that you made one main version of the website, and the CDN placed it on servers in different countries. And when someone visits the website, they are shown a copy from the server closest to them.

For example, if the user is in Poland, the website will open from the Polish server. If in Canada, from the Canadian one. Therefore, everything loads much faster, even if your main server is in Ukraine.

This is especially useful if:

  • You have many visitors from different countries.

  • The site has many photos, videos, large files.

  • You want to reduce the load on the main server.

Popular services: Cloudflare , BunnyCDN , KeyCDN . Many of them have a free plan.

6. The server is the basis of everything

The server is the "home" of your website. If it is old, slow or not configured properly, no optimization will save it.

Tips:

  • Don't skimp on hosting. Cheap hosting often slows down.

  • Allocate a VPS or cloud. If you have a lot of traffic, shared hosting won't handle it.

  • Update PHP. In 2025, you can already go to PHP 8.3. It really works faster.

  • Place a cache on the server. For example, Redis or OPcache - it speeds everything up noticeably.

7. Check the site after changes

Optimization is not a one-time thing. Made changes - protest. See the result - move on.

Really helpful tools:

Pay special attention to Core Web Vitals, three metrics that Google considers super important in 2025:

  • LCP – how quickly the main part of the site is displayed.

  • FID – how long it takes from click to response.

  • CLS – whether the content “jumps” when loading.

Table: What and how much can speed up

What are we optimizing? How much can you speed up a website?
Image up to 50% faster
CSS and JavaScript до 30%
Caching до 40%
HTML-code до 20%
CDN до 50%
Server до 20%

What's new in 2025?

Some fresh things you should know:

  • AVIF for images. Even better than WebP. But not all browsers like it yet.

  • AI optimization. There are services that analyze the site themselves and offer solutions, for example, NitroPack or AI modules in hosting.

  • Edge technologies. Processing is closer to the user, less delays. Google is already actively implementing this.

  • Lighthouse is in development. Companies no longer wait for the site to be published, but check the speed right during creation.

Bottom line: don't put it off for later

A fast website means more users, more sales, a better place in Google. And you don't have to be a programmer to improve something. Much of what is described can be done by yourself, or passed on to a specialist you know.

Start with something simple:

  • Compress images.

  • Enable caching.

  • Check your site speed.

And then gradually move towards the ideal. It's like cleaning your apartment: it's better to do a little than not to do anything at all.