Fix library · Performance
Server response time: the wait before anything appears
Before a browser can draw anything, it asks your server for the page and waits. That wait happens before any image loads or any script runs, so nothing you do to the page itself can hide it. It is usually caching, an overloaded hosting plan, or a pile of plugins doing work on every single request.
The server is slow to respond
What SEOPert detected
Your homepage took a long time to send its first byte.
What this means
Your homepage took a long time to start loading. Slow sites lose visitors and can rank lower.
How to fix it
- Turn on page caching (most hosts and site builders have it).
- Compress large images before uploading them.
- Remove plugins, apps or widgets you don’t use.
- If it’s still slow, ask your host whether your plan is overloaded or consider a faster plan.
On WordPress
- Install a caching plugin (your host may provide one) and enable page caching.
- Deactivate and delete plugins you don’t need.
- Use an image-compression plugin for existing images.
If you are handing this to a developer
Investigate TTFB: enable full-page caching, reduce server-side work, check hosting resources and CDN.
Check it worked. Test the homepage at pagespeed.web.dev a few times and compare “Time to First Byte” with before.
The server is a little slow to respond
What SEOPert detected
Your homepage was slower than ideal to send its first byte.
What this means
Your homepage is a bit slow to start loading. Faster pages keep more visitors.
How to fix it
- Turn on page caching and compress large images.
- Remove plugins, apps or widgets you don’t use.
On WordPress
- Enable a caching plugin and an image-compression plugin; remove unused plugins.
If you are handing this to a developer
Improve TTFB with caching; review server-side work.
Check it worked. Test the homepage at pagespeed.web.dev a few times and compare “Time to First Byte” with before.
Related
Check your own site
See which of these apply to you.
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