Why is my WordPress site slow? Causes and how to fix it

If your WordPress site is slow, it usually comes down to one or more of these four causes: extra code loaded by plugins (the add-ons that give it more features) and the page builder (the tool for putting pages together by dragging blocks), uncompressed images, slow shared hosting and no cache, which is a ready-made copy of each page so it can be served faster. It can almost always be improved, and sometimes it makes more sense to rebuild it. Well looked after, WordPress can be fast; what tends to weigh it down is what gets added to it over the years.

Why it matters that your site loads fast

According to a 2016 Google study, 53% of mobile visits are abandoned if the page takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Those people leave before they see your phone number or your prices, and you never find out they were there.

Let's say 20 people a day visit your site from their phone and it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Going by Google's figure, around 10 of them would leave before seeing it, which adds up to around 300 a month. These are example numbers: run the same sum with your real visitor numbers.

According to Google itself, speed is also one of the signals it uses to rank its results, although it gives priority to the content that best answers the search. We cover the other things it looks at in what SEO is and what it's for.

The most common causes

Plugins and a page builder loading extra code

Every plugin adds its own files, and many load on every page even if they are only used on one. A page builder makes design easier and, in return, usually loads styles and code for lots of block types, even if your page uses only a few. The phone has to download and read all of that before showing the page.

Uncompressed images

A photo taken with a phone can weigh several megabytes, and if it is uploaded as is to fill a small space, your visitor downloads far more than they see. Compressing it reduces its weight while keeping a quality that looks the same to the naked eye, and it is usually the easiest thing to fix.

Slow shared hosting

Hosting is the server where your site lives. On a shared plan, that server splits its power among many sites, and if it is stretched, it takes a while to start sending the page even when the page is well built.

No caching

WordPress builds each page when someone requests it, by querying its database, which is where it stores the text and settings. Caching keeps a ready-built copy of each page and serves it directly, so the server saves that work on every visit. Over the years, the database also fills up with old page revisions, spam comments and leftovers from plugins you have already deleted, and the fuller it gets, the slower it responds.

How to measure your site's speed for free

Before touching anything, measure the site. You have two free options:

• PageSpeed Insights, Google's tool: you type in your site's address and it gives you a score from 0 to 100 for mobile and another for desktop.
• Our free speed test: it uses the same Google measurement, simulating a phone, and shows you the score and how long the main content takes to appear, with no sign-up.

According to Google, this is how to read the score:

Pay special attention to the mobile score, which Google measures by simulating a phone on a slow mobile connection.

The score combines several measurements, and the easiest to understand is LCP (Largest Contentful Paint, how long the main content of the page takes to appear, such as the large photo or the headline). According to web.dev, Google's guide site, an LCP of 2.5 seconds or less is good and one over 4 seconds is poor. As the score varies a little, measure two or three times.

What to fix first, in order

The steps go from cheapest to most expensive. Make a backup first and measure again after each step.

1. Images. Resize them to the size they are shown at on the page and compress them before uploading; you can do it for free with Ligerox, our image compressor. Start with the heaviest ones, especially the main photo on the home page, which is usually the one that sets the LCP.
2. Plugins you don't need. Deactivate the ones you no longer use and, if the site still works properly, delete them. If two plugins do the same thing, keep one.
3. Caching. Turn on a caching plugin, or your hosting's caching if it includes one, and then check that the forms still work.
4. Hosting. If the page still takes a while to start loading, what is holding it back is usually the server. Ask your provider whether your site uses the PHP version (the language WordPress runs on the server) that WordPress recommends on its requirements page, and consider moving to a better plan.

When it makes sense to rebuild the site

Sometimes fixes fall short. It is worth considering a new website in these cases:

• You have done all four steps and the mobile score is still below 50.
• The weight comes from the template or page builder the whole site depends on, and changing it means rebuilding the site anyway.
• Besides speed, you want to change the design or the text.
• Keeping it up to date means paying for fixes every few months.

To decide, compare what the fixes would cost with the price of a new website. In how much a website costs in 2026 you'll find typical prices in Spain and what each quote should include.

How we do it

We code every website from scratch, with our own code instead of a template and plugins, so it loads fast on mobile and Google understands what your business does and where. Anyone can measure them with PageSpeed Insights: Pollo Frito Chino, a fried chicken buffet in La Laguna, scores over 90 out of 100 for mobile speed and 100 for SEO (how well prepared the site is for Google) in Lighthouse, Google's tool (September 2026). You can open the websites we have built on your phone and measure them yourself.

Prices are fixed, with IGIC (the Canary Islands' indirect tax) included: a landing page, which is a single-page website, costs €450, and a corporate website of up to 5 pages, €900. Both packs include the domain (we register and renew it ourselves), hosting and 2 months of maintenance. The landing page is ready in 3-5 working days and the corporate site in 5-8, from when we have your text and photos.

Before you pay, we prepare a free demo for you to see on your phone: if you like it, we finish it, and if you'd rather leave it, you owe us nothing. You'll find all the details in our web design packs.