Is your WordPress website feeling a little… slow? Luckily, a few simple tweaks can make it noticeably faster.
A faster site keeps visitors happy, helps you rank better on Google, and makes your business look more professional. Let’s see how to speed up your WordPress site while keeping things simple.
Key takeaways
- ✓ A good web host like 123 Reg will give a solid base for quicker load speeds.
- ✓ Trim the extras. Remove unused plugins, themes and images to keep your site light.
- ✓ Optimise your files. Compress files and lazy-load images to cut down on load times.
- ✓ Clean up and minify your CSS, JavaScript and HTML if you can.
- ✓ Choose a host with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) so visitors from around the world can load your content faster.
- ✓ Keep checking in with monthly speed tests to stay on top of performance.
Why hosting speed matters to visitors
WordPress powers millions of websites, but heavy themes, too many plugins, and extra features can quickly slow it down. A sluggish site frustrates visitors and makes your business look unreliable.
Steady research backs this up: studies from Akamai and partners show that around 47% of users expect a page to load within 2 seconds, and many will simply abandon a site (or “bounce”) if it takes more than 3 seconds to appear.
How speed affects SEO and conversions
Speed is also a key SEO signal. Google looks at how fast pages load on both mobile and desktop, and slow sites can slip down the search results.
Google confirmed it as a ranking factor, and their Speed Update made slow pages lose ground in search results. Research shows a mere 100ms delay can slash conversions by 7%. Amazon noted every extra second costs them 1% in sales.
For UK sites chasing top spots, these impacts hit traffic and revenue hard. Slow website speeds can turn away potential customers faster than you can say “page not found.”
What most often slows down WordPress sites?
Understanding these culprits helps you know where to start when speeding things up:
✗ Too many heavy or poorly coded plugins that hog resources
✗ Large, unoptimised images that take ages to load
✗ Loads of separate CSS and JavaScript files causing delays
✗ Bloated themes with features you don’t actually use
✗ Slow or cheap hosting that can’t keep up with traffic
✗ No caching set up, so pages rebuild every visit
✗ Outdated PHP versions that hold back backend speed
Why your WordPress host matters
Your hosting is the foundation of your site’s speed. Even the best front-end tweaks won’t help much if your server is slow or overloaded. Choosing the right host often makes more difference than switching themes or plugins — it’s the first step towards a faster WordPress site.
123 Reg Managed WordPress Hosting takes care of updates, performance tweaks, and security for you. That means faster load times with less effort. Fast, reliable servers help pages load fast, even during busy periods. Built-in tools like caching and a CDN help reduce the load and keep things for visitors everywhere.
Current host holding you back? Switching can make all the difference. Find out how in our guide: How Do I Migrate My WordPress Website?
So, how do I speed up my WordPress site?
1. Check your settings are optimised within WordPress
Before touching plugins or themes, your dashboard has several tweaks that can make a real difference. There are a few simple changes you can make to keep your site faster without any extra tools.
☐ Limit post revisions to three to stop your database from getting overloaded. WordPress auto-saves drafts, and old versions pile up fast.
☐ Turn off pingbacks and trackbacks—they’re outdated link notifications that often spam your site. Disable them in Settings > Discussion.
☐ Show post excerpts rather than full posts on category pages so visitors load less content upfront.
☐ Check media settings under Settings > Media to stop WordPress creating extra image sizes you won’t use.
☐ Clean up unused images and old content regularly. Tools like WP-Optimise can remove spam comments, expired temporary data, and old revisions, keeping your database lean. Think of it as a tune-up for your site.
2. Make sure your homepage is speedy
The homepage is usually the first thing visitors see, so it needs to load quickly. Heavy elements like sliders and widgets can slow it down.
☐ Show fewer posts on the front page—5–10 is enough to keep it light.
☐ Display excerpts instead of full posts for faster loading.
☐ Cut heavy sliders and unnecessary widgets, or replace them with static images or simple carousels.
☐ Inline critical CSS and defer extra scripts so visible content appears first.
3. Clear out unused plugins, themes, and media
Old plugins, themes, and images can quietly slow your site. Cleaning them up frees resources and trims load times without touching anything important.
☐ Delete plugins and themes you’re not using—they still load code even when inactive. ☐ Clean up unused images in your Media Library with a free plugin like Media Cleaner. ☐ Tidy your database with WP-Optimize to remove old revisions, spam comments, and temporary data.
4.Turn on caching and compression
Caching saves pre-made copies of your pages, so visitors get instant loads instead of waiting for your server to rebuild everything. Compression squashes files down before sending them, making downloads lightning-quick. Together, they can halve your site’s load time.
Some of the more well-known and user-friendly caching plugins include:
- WP Rocket (simple setup, paid but powerful)
- LiteSpeed Cache (free, great for LiteSpeed servers)
- FlyingPress (lightweight, optimised for speed)
- W3 Total Cache (free, feature-packed)
5. Clear out plugins, themes, and media
Over time, WordPress sites collect digital clutter — unused plugins, old themes, and images that aren’t attached to any content. This can quietly slow your site down. A good cleanup frees resources, trims load times, and keeps your backend tidy without touching anything important.
Start by deleting plugins and themes you’re not using. Even inactive plugins can load code, so remove anything unnecessary from Plugins > Installed Plugins or Appearance > Themes.
Next, tidy your media library. Search for unused images or use a free plugin like Media Cleaner to scan and delete orphan files. This can be especially useful if your site has years of uploads piling up.
Finally, maintain a lean database. Plugins like WP-Optimize remove old revisions, spam comments, expired transients, and temporary data in a few clicks. Regular maintenance like this keeps your site running smoothly and prevents small slowdowns from building up over time.
6.Tidy up your code and keep it minimal (if you can!)
Extra CSS, HTML, and JavaScript can make your pages heavy. Minifying removes unnecessary spaces and comments without breaking the site.
☐ Minify files using your caching plugin or Autoptimize.
☐ Move render-blocking scripts to load after main content so pages appear faster.
☐ Combine CSS and JS files carefully to reduce browser requests.
☐ Always test changes to make sure your site looks right.
7.Optimise your images and media
Images often take the most space and slow pages. Optimising them keeps your site lighter without losing quality, while modern formats load quicker for visitors.
☐ Compress images and use modern formats like WebP for faster load times.
☐ Lazy-load images so only those in view load first, letting visitors see content immediately.
☐ Add alt text to images for SEO and accessibility.
☐ Consider creating an image sitemap—plugins like Yoast SEO can do this automatically.
8. Reduce extra load on pages
Small extras like too many comments or redirects can quietly slow your site. Trimming them keeps pages lighter and faster for visitors.
☐ Limit comments per page to 20 or 50 in Settings > Discussion so pagination handles the rest.
☐ Reduce unnecessary redirects, which bounce users from one URL to another—fewer hops mean quicker loads.
☐ Keep post revisions capped at three to stop your database from bloating with drafts.
9. Make sure your host has a CDN to deliver content faster
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) spreads your site across global servers, serving files from the nearest location. This cuts load times for visitors, even those far away.
123 Reg’s Managed WordPress Hosting includes a built-in CDN powered by Cloudflare. You can easily enable or disable it from your hosting dashboard. Just go to My Products, select Manage All next to your Managed Hosting for WordPress, choose Settings for your site, and toggle the CDN option under Production Site.
For more, check out: Superfast WordPress – What is a Content Delivery Network?
10. Keep performance high over time
And finally, speed gains won’t stick without a bit of regular care. Think of your site like a car—small checks now keep it running well for years.
☐ Run monthly speed audits with free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to spot issues early.
☐ Test all changes on a staging site first. Most hosts give you this safe copy of your live site to tweak without risk.
☐ Use Query Monitor to keep an eye on performance. It flags slow plugins or database queries straight away.
☐ Automate image and code optimisation with plugins—they’ll handle new uploads for you.
☐ Set a page budget under 2MB and stick to it. This helps guide future content and design additions.
☐ Focus on mobile speed. Phones often load first in search rankings, so fast mobile pages keep visitors happy.
Wrap up
There you have it — simple steps to turn your slow WordPress site into a fast one. Above all, make sure you’re using a reliable WordPress host to begin with. From there, start with dashboard tweaks and caching, then optimise files for lasting results. Visitors will stay longer, SEO will improve, and hopefully your business will see the benefit.
Learn more about Managed WordPress Hosting from 123 Reg
FAQs
Why does site speed matter for WordPress?
Slow speeds frustrate users and raise bounce rates. Google uses speed in rankings, so fast sites get more traffic and sales.
How fast should my site load?
Aim for under 3 seconds, ideally 2 or less. Most visitors leave after 3 seconds.
What slows down WordPress sites most?
Heavy plugins, big images, poor hosting, and no caching top the list.
How often should I check my speed?
Test monthly or after big changes. Use tools like PageSpeed Insights.
Is managed hosting worth it for speed?
Yes, for busy sites. It handles tweaks and caching better than shared plans.
