Before buying a new host or plugin, audit what you have. This 30‑minute checklist finds real, measurable wins. You'll leave with a prioritized backlog tied to Core Web Vitals.
1) Hosting & caching (5 minutes)
- Enable server caching and page caching. Check TTFB with WebPageTest.
- Turn on HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 and compression (Brotli preferred).
- Confirm object caching (Redis/Memcached) for dynamic views.
2) Images & fonts (10 minutes)
- Replace heavy hero images with AVIF/WebP and ensure width/height are set.
- Use
font-display: swapand preload critical fonts with size‑adjusted fallbacks. - Lazy-load offscreen media; defer iframes with placeholders.
3) Scripts (10 minutes)
Remove unused plugins and defer third‑party scripts. Lazy‑load embeds below the fold. Replace tag managers with server-side if possible.
4) Measure (5 minutes)
Record Core Web Vitals before/after. Ship only if metrics improve. Track in GA4 or a RUM provider monthly.
Deliverables
- Top 3 opportunities with estimated LCP or INP impact.
- Ticket links with owners and due dates.
Bonus: Quick wins by template
- Blog index: replace featured image grid with CSS aspect‑ratio, defer JS.
- Product page: collapse below‑the‑fold tabs, hydrate on interaction.
FAQ
What's a good target?
LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1 across your top 10 landing pages.
Conclusion
Speed wins are cumulative. Audit quarterly and ship small, safe improvements. See more in WordPress Website.
