5 DIY Steps to Improve Your PageSpeed Score

Introduction: Why Is Site Speed So Important Now?

"My business website feels slow..." "I checked Google's PageSpeed Insights and my score was in the red." Many business owners and web managers have felt this way. With the rise of smartphones, users can search for information anytime, anywhere. However, they won't hesitate to leave a website that's even slightly slow.

Website speed isn't just about making customers wait. A poor user experience (UX) directly leads to higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates. This impact is a critical factor not only for traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) but also for MEO (Map Engine Optimization) to optimize visibility on Google Maps, and for the upcoming era of AI Search, also known as AIO (AI Optimization).

A fast website is not only user-friendly for your customers but is also more likely to be recognized as a "high-quality site" by search engines and AI. In this article, we will explain five concrete steps you can take to improve your PageSpeed score yourself, even without technical expertise, complete with figures and benchmarks. Why not start with what you can do on your own before hiring a professional agency?

The Problem: Why Is Your Site Slow? Benchmarks and Causes

There are many reasons why a site might be "slow." However, for most small and medium-sized business websites, the causes are often concentrated in a few specific areas. First, let's use objective data to understand where your site currently stands.

PageSpeed Insights Score Benchmarks

Use Google's free tool, "PageSpeed Insights," to test your site by entering its URL. The "Performance" score it displays is the metric for your current website speed.

• 90–100 (Green): Good. Your site is very fast. Keep it this way.
• 50–89 (Orange): Average, but with room for improvement. Mobile scores are often particularly low in this range.
• 0–49 (Red): Needs Improvement. The risk of user abandonment is very high. Immediate action is necessary.

Since many users searching for local businesses are on smartphones, a "Mobile" score below 50 could be causing a significant loss of opportunity.

The Top 3 Reasons Websites Slow Down

While the technical reasons can be numerous, these are the top three causes commonly found on local business websites:

1. Image file sizes are too large: High-resolution photos are uploaded without optimization.
2. Too much unnecessary code (CSS/JavaScript) or too many plugins: Unused features and design scripts are running in the background.
3. Slow server response: The server hosting the website data has poor performance.

These might sound complex, but each one can be addressed by following the right steps. Let's dive into the specific solutions in the next section.

Concrete Solutions: 5 Actions to Boost Your Score

Here are five concrete actions you can take to improve your PageSpeed score. We'll present them in order, starting with the ones you can implement at no cost, so we recommend tackling them one by one.

1. Image Optimization: The Easiest and Most Effective Fix

A primary cause of slow loading speeds is "heavy" images. This is especially true if you're uploading high-resolution photos from a professional photographer without changes. You don't need print-level quality for a website.

• Why it's necessary: Images often account for the majority of a page's data size. Simply reducing their file size can dramatically improve loading speed.
• Estimated time: 1–3 minutes per image. Reviewing all images on your site could take around 2–5 hours.

Specific Steps

1. [Compress] Reduce the file size.
   You can use web tools to reduce file sizes by 50% to 80% with minimal loss of quality. We recommend Google's free tool, "Squoosh." It's incredibly easy to use—just drag and drop an image into your browser, and you can adjust the compression while viewing a live preview.
2. [Resize] Change to the appropriate display dimensions.
   For example, if an image is displayed at a width of 800px on your site, but the original file is 4000px wide, the browser is forced to load unnecessary data. Use a simple image editor on your PC (like Paint or Preview) to resize the image to its intended display dimensions (a good rule of thumb is about 1.5x the display size) before uploading.
3. [Next-Gen Formats] Convert to WebP.
   WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that offers superior compression compared to traditional formats like JPEG and PNG. Squoosh can also convert images to WebP. If you use WordPress, plugins like "EWWW Image Optimizer" can automatically convert your existing images and serve them in WebP format.

Checklist

• □ Are the file sizes of your site's main images under 300KB each? (Ideally under 150KB)
• □ Are the image dimensions (width and height) appropriate for their display size?
• □ Have you converted images to the WebP format where possible?

2. Disable and Delete Unnecessary Plugins: A Website Cleanup

If your website is built on WordPress, plugins are extremely useful for adding functionality. However, it's common to accumulate a large number of them over time. Unused or redundant plugins often weigh down your site.

• Why it's necessary: Every active plugin runs code each time a user visits a page. By disabling and deleting unnecessary plugins, you can reduce the server's workload and improve its response time.
• Estimated time: 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Specific Steps

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to "Plugins" → "Installed Plugins."
2. Review your list of plugins and organize them based on the following criteria:
   • Plugins you "are not currently using": Don't hesitate to "Deactivate" them. If everything still works, "Delete" them. (e.g., a plugin used for a limited-time announcement).
   • Plugins with "redundant functionality": If you have plugins with overlapping features, choose one and remove the other. (e.g., having two different contact form plugins).
   • Plugins whose "purpose is unclear": Search for the plugin's name online to find out what it does. It could be essential to your site's core functionality, so don't deactivate it rashly. It's safer to check with your site's developer or a professional.
3. After you've finished cleaning up, always check to make sure your site's display and key functions (like contact forms) are still working correctly.

Checklist

• □ Do you have 20 or fewer active plugins? (This is just a guideline, but fewer is better.)
• □ Are there any plugins left in a "deactivated" state?
• □ Are there any old plugins that haven't been updated in several years? (These can also be a security risk.)

3. Leverage Browser Caching: Speed Up Repeat Visits

"Browser caching" is a mechanism that temporarily stores data from a previously visited site (like logos and CSS files) in the user's browser (like Chrome or Safari). This means that when a user revisits, they don't have to re-download all the data from the server, resulting in faster display times.

• Why it's necessary: It improves the experience for repeat visitors and users browsing multiple pages on your site. PageSpeed Insights evaluates this under the recommendation "Serve static assets with an efficient cache policy."
• Estimated time: 15–30 minutes.

Specific Steps

While you can configure this by directly editing a server file called ".htaccess," this requires technical knowledge, and a mistake could break your site. If you're using WordPress, installing a caching plugin is the safest and easiest method.

1. Recommended plugins include "WP Super Cache" or "W3 Total Cache." "WP Fastest Cache" is known for its simple, beginner-friendly settings.
2. From your WordPress dashboard, add and activate the new plugin.
3. Open the plugin's settings page and enable the basic caching feature. Most plugins have recommended settings that provide significant benefits right away.
4. After configuring, open your site in an incognito (or private browsing) window to confirm that it displays correctly.

Checklist

• □ Is a caching plugin installed and enabled?
• □ Has the "Serve static assets with an efficient cache policy" item in your PageSpeed Insights report improved?

4. Implement Lazy Loading: Defer Off-Screen Images

Lazy loading is a technique that loads only the images visible in the initial screen view (the "above-the-fold" content) when a page first opens. Images further down the page are loaded only as the user scrolls to them.

• Why it's necessary: It dramatically improves the perceived loading speed when a page first opens. It's especially effective for long pages, such as blog posts or project portfolios.
• Estimated time: 10–20 minutes.

Specific Steps

Modern versions of WordPress (5.5 and later) include native image lazy loading by default, so you may not need to do anything. However, if you are using an older theme or want more control, a plugin is the easiest solution.

1. Confirm that your WordPress installation is up to date.
2. If the feature isn't working, or if you need more advanced options, install a dedicated plugin like "LazyLoad - Optimize Images."
3. Simply activating the plugin is often enough to apply basic lazy loading.

Applying lazy loading to video content (like embedded YouTube videos) can further enhance performance.

Checklist

• □ When you scroll down a long page, do you see images appear just as they enter the screen? (This is a sign that lazy loading is working.)
• □ Has the "Defer offscreen images" item in your PageSpeed Insights report improved?

5. Re-evaluate Your Hosting Server: Consider Your Website's 'Foundation'

If your score doesn't improve significantly after implementing the first four steps, the problem might lie with your "server" itself. Think of your server as the 'land' your website is built on. No matter how lightweight you make your house (website), if access to the land (server) is poor, it won't be fast.

• Why it's necessary: Server response time is the foundation of your site's overall speed. If PageSpeed Insights gives you a warning for "Reduce initial server response time (TTFB)," it's a clear sign you should consider your hosting.
• Estimated time: 1–3 hours for research and comparison. Migrating a server is best left to professionals and can take from half a day to several days.

Guidelines for Choosing a Server

If you're using a budget host (less than ¥500/month), you may experience extreme slowdowns during traffic spikes. Here are some guidelines for choosing a server that can reliably support a business website:

• Monthly cost guideline: Around ¥1,000–¥3,000. This price range includes many plans with sufficient performance for business use.
• Disk (Storage) type: Choose a host that specifies "SSD" or "NVMe." These are significantly faster for data read/write operations than traditional "HDD."
• Speed-related features: Hosting companies that advertise features like "HTTP/3 support" or "LiteSpeed server" are a good sign they are confident in their performance.

Since migrating a server involves technical work, we recommend consulting your website's creator or a web development agency if you are unsure about doing it yourself.

Checklist

• □ Do you know the plan and specifications of your current hosting contract?
• □ Is "Reduce initial server response time (TTFB)" listed as an issue in PageSpeed Insights?
• □ Have you checked your hosting provider's website for higher-performance plans or speed-enhancing technologies?

Implementation Steps: Your Roadmap to Improvement

Here is a concrete roadmap outlining the order in which to tackle the five solutions we've introduced.

Step 1: Assess Your Current Status and Set a Goal (Time: 10 minutes)
First, use "PageSpeed Insights" to record your current mobile and PC scores. Your initial goal should be to get into the "orange" range (50+), with an ultimate goal of "green" (90+).

Step 2: Implement Low-Risk, High-Return Fixes (Time: 1–5 hours)
Start with "1. Image Optimization" and "2. Cleaning Up Unnecessary Plugins." These measures have a low risk of breaking your site and tend to produce noticeable results. It's most efficient to start with the images on your homepage.

Step 3: Make Technical Improvements with Plugins (Time: 30 minutes–1 hour)
Next, implement "3. Leveraging Browser Caching" and "4. Implementing Lazy Loading" using plugins. The configuration itself is quick. Be sure to check that your site displays correctly afterward.

Step 4: Measure Your Post-Improvement Results (Time: 10 minutes)
Once you've completed Step 3, test your score again with "PageSpeed Insights." Compare the new score to your original one to see how much it has improved. The issues you addressed should now be gone from the report.

Step 5: Address the Root Cause (If Necessary)
If your score is still below 50 after Step 4, or if the warning about "server response time" persists, it's time to consider "5. Re-evaluating Your Hosting Server." Since this involves cost and effort, think of it as a final step.

Conclusion: Website Speed is the Ultimate Hospitality

Improving your PageSpeed score isn't just a technical task. It's the first step in providing 'hospitality' to the customers who visit your site. Providing information comfortably and without making them wait builds your business's credibility and brand image.

The five methods we've introduced today are all practical steps that non-experts can take.

1. Image Optimization
2. Cleaning Up Unnecessary Plugins
3. Leveraging Browser Caching
4. Implementing Lazy Loading
5. Re-evaluating Your Hosting Server

These improvements not only enhance the user experience but are also fundamental to SEO, boosting your evaluation from search engines. A fast site also strengthens your MEO efforts by retaining visitors from Google Maps. In the future, it will become a critical factor for AI Search to recommend your business to users—in other words, it is the foundation of AIO.

Start by understanding your current situation with PageSpeed Insights. Each small improvement helps create encounters with your future customers.

For a more systematic approach to AIO, please see the TrendPackage AIO solution for a detailed explanation.