To make your website faster, run your homepage through Google's free PageSpeed test on mobile, then make three changes: shrink your images, remove the code you're not using, and lighten the first thing people see at the top of your page. Most founders can do all three in under an hour, with no developer.
I showed a room of women founders how to do this last week, and a lot of them changed their websites right there in the room. Then I did it to my own homepage.
Cheat code 024 min watch
This post is the companion to it: my own before and after, a checker for your score, and the three changes written out so you can do them with the post open beside you.
My before and after
My homepage is a big, playful page with games and animations, so it had plenty of room to move. These are my mobile numbers before and after the three changes.
The score moves a few points every time you run the test, even when nothing has changed. Run it two or three times and look at where it sits, not at one number.
Check your score
Go to pagespeed.web.dev, paste in your homepage, make sure Mobile is selected and hit Analyse. Then pop your performance score in here.
Pop your number in and your result shows here.
Under 50, and that's a great place to start. You've got the most to gain, and the first change below usually moves the number the most.
50 to 89, and very easy to lift. Most small business sites sit here. Work through the three changes and test again.
90 or above. Lovely work. Your site is quick. Keep an eye on new photos and plugins, and run the test after you add anything big.
All three done. Run the test again and watch the numbers move.
The three changes
Scroll past the scores to the diagnostics. They're written for developers, so ignore most of the list. These three come up again and again, and they're the ones that lift your score the most.
Photos that are too big
Look for warnings about image size and delivery. Usually a photo went straight up off your phone, or it's the biggest file from a shoot, at five megabytes and 4,000 pixels wide.
Code you're not using
In the diagnostics this shows up as "Reduce unused JavaScript". Every app, plugin, chat bubble, pop-up and booking widget loads its own code on every page, whether anyone uses it or not.
- Go through your apps and plugins and remove anything you're not using
- Switch off anything you installed years ago and forgot about
- Run the test again and check nothing's broken
The first thing people see
Google calls this the largest contentful paint: how long the main thing at the top of your page takes to load. Google's mark is 2.5 seconds, which is about right for our attention spans too.
- It's nearly always your hero image or background video
- If it's an image, resize and compress it as in Change 01
- If it's a video, think about swapping it for a strong photo
One thing I noticed on my own report: some of the unused code belonged to my website platform itself, and that part isn't mine to remove. That's normal. Put your energy into what you control, and let the rest be.
Speed is part of Home
In the Digital Triangle, your website is Home: the only part of the internet you own. A fast, clear Home means the people Google sends you actually stay.
Your domain. Your rules.
A website that loads quickly, says clearly what you do and shows people what to do next. Today's three changes live here.
Built once. Working always.
Google and AI search. Speed is one of the signals Google looks at, so a faster Home helps you get found too.
One channel. Done well.
The one platform you enjoy. Every post sends people Home, so Home needs to be ready for them.
New here? Take the free Triangle Check to see which point needs you first. Nine questions, under a minute.
Questions I get asked
What is a good PageSpeed score?
Google shows 90 and above in green, 50 to 89 in orange and under 50 in red. Most small business websites sit in the orange on mobile, and the three changes in this post are usually enough to lift you well within it or into the green.
Why is my mobile score lower than my desktop score?
The mobile test pretends to be a mid-range phone on a slower connection, so it's much harder on big images and heavy code. Start with mobile, because most of your visitors are on their phones and Google looks at the mobile version of your site first.
What is largest contentful paint?
It's how long the biggest thing at the top of your page takes to load, usually your hero image or background video. Google's mark is 2.5 seconds or less.
Do I need a developer to make my website faster?
Not for these three changes. Resizing images, removing unused apps and lightening your hero section are all things you can do yourself in your website builder, in about 10 to 30 minutes.
