Every second your website takes to load, a fraction of your visitors leave. Google calls it "bounce rate," but for a small business it has a more direct name: lost revenue.
The numbers are stark
Research from Google consistently shows that a one-second delay in mobile page load time can reduce conversions by up to 20%. For a local business getting 100 enquiries a month, that's 20 enquiries that never happen.
Beyond conversions, page speed is now a confirmed Google ranking factor. A slow site doesn't just lose customers directly — it makes you harder to find in the first place.
What makes a website slow?
The most common culprits are large unoptimised images, bloated page-builder themes, too many third-party scripts (cookie banners, chat widgets, analytics), and cheap shared hosting that can't handle traffic spikes.
The good news
Most speed problems are fixable. A well-built modern website — using tools like Astro, which ships zero JavaScript by default — can score 99/100 on Google's Lighthouse speed test without any compromise on design quality.
If your current website feels sluggish, it's worth getting a free audit. The fixes are often simpler than you'd expect.