Why Slow Loading Websites Are Bad For Business (and How to Fix It)

How to Fix Slow Loading Websites

2025. A world of instant answers and endless scrolling. What does that mean? It means speed isn’t a luxury for your website. It’s a dealbreaker. Slow loading websites are simply not an option.

We’re used to super fast internet, 5G everything, and Wi-Fi pretty much everywhere. Customers no longer want websites that load quickly. They expect them to. If your site drags its feet, they’ll happily click away to a competitor and never come back.

And the numbers don’t lie:

• 47% of users expect a page to load in under two seconds.
  
• If your site takes longer than three seconds to load on mobile, expect around 53% of them to leave.
  
• It’s even estimated that a 1% slowdown could cost giants like Amazon £1.3 billion a year. 

Then, there’s Google. The SERP takes page speed seriously when ranking sites. Slow loading websites = high bounce rates = lower rankings. So, if Google thinks you’re wasting their users’ time, they’ll boot you down the search results.

If you’re asking “why is WordPress so slow?”, and are ready to stop losing traffic, customers, and revenue, you’re in the right place. Let’s talk about why your WordPress site might be running like a 90s dial-up connection, and how you can improve WordPress site speed for good.

Why Is WordPress So Slow? 7 Common Culprits

Here are the 7 most common culprits of slow loading websites.

1. Plugin Overload

One of WordPress’s biggest selling points is its plugin ecosystem. Need a membership area? There’s a plugin. Want to add a chatbot? Plugin. But, every new plugin is a piece of extra baggage your website has to carry.

Without regular WordPress maintenance, outdated or poorly coded plugins can slow your site to a crawl or even break it altogether. Here’s what to do:

• Keep a spreadsheet of your active plugins.
  
• Update them regularly.
  
• If you’re not using one? Remove it.
  
• Always favour quality over quantity.

Remember, a leaner CMS is a faster CMS.

2. Poor-Quality Hosting

It’s always surprising how many businesses pour thousands into branding, only to spend peanuts on hosting. If your WordPress hosting isn’t up to scratch, no amount of optimisation will save you.

Shared hosting might be cheap, but you’re gambling your site’s speed (and security) on complete strangers. Here’s what to do:

• Ditch shared hosting.
  
• Upgrade to a VPS (Virtual Private Server) for better speed and security.
  
• Or, go fully managed with WordPress-optimised hosting like our WordPress Hosting package, here at KIJO.

Your hosting should work for you, not against you.

Related Read: KIJO’s WordPress Hosting

3. Bloated Databases

Over time, your WordPress database picks up a lot of digital dust. This can be from post revisions, deleted plugins, and general clutter. All that junk can seriously slow things down. A tidy database is a speedy database so here’s what to do:

• Use a tool like WP-Optimize.
  
• Regularly clean your database and wp_options table.
  
• Always backup your site before doing any serious spring cleaning.

4. Unoptimised Images

Images are often the biggest files on your site. If you’re uploading 5MB photos straight from your iPhone, you’re basically asking your website to crawl. Here’s what to do:

• Compress images using tools like Imagify which we use at KIJO.
  
• Optimise before uploading — or automate it with a plugin.
  
• Stick to modern formats like WebP where possible.

KIJO Pro Tip: Pair your images with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) via a robust and reliable WordPress Hosting package like ours to deliver them even faster.

5. Outdated Technology

Running on an ancient PHP version? Ignoring those WordPress update prompts? You might as well run a marathon in flip-flops! Stay sharp by:

• Regularly updating your WordPress version, themes, and plugins.
  
• Checking your PHP version through your WordPress Hosting provider (upgrade to the latest stable release).

Modern tech = better performance and stronger security.

6. Unminified Code

CSS and JavaScript files are the bones of your website. If they’re bloated with unnecessary comments, spaces, or unused code, it slows everything down. Thankfully, you can stay on top of this:

• Minify CSS and JavaScript files using tools like WP Rocket.
  
• Keep a separate “readable” version for editing, but serve users the slimmed-down version.

Lightweight code = lightning-fast site.

7. No Caching System

Caching is basically a shortcut for your website. Instead of rebuilding every page from scratch each time someone visits, caching saves a static version ready to serve instantly. No waiting. No fuss. If you want to get started:

• Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket (which also allows you to minify CSS and Javascript – less plugins required to do both things!)
  
• Or, set up server-level caching through your WordPress Hosting (if they offer it… Ahem, we do. Just saying).

FYI: Doing this is one of the easiest ways to shave seconds off your load time.

Slow Loading Websites Lose. Fast Websites Win.

A slow loading website isn’t just an annoyance. It’s actually a business killer. Luckily, speed is completely in your control.

By tightening up plugins, choosing proper WordPress Hosting, keeping tech up-to-date, optimising images, and embracing caching, you can build a fast, efficient website that ranks better, converts higher, and leaves your competitors in the dust.

If all this sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t worry. At KIJO, we’re experts in building stunning, lightning-fast WordPress websites that don’t just look the part. They perform at the highest level.

Need a hand speeding things up? Get in touch today and let’s futureproof your WordPress site.

Book a Complimentary Consultation with KIJO’s Head of Partnerships

Need expert guidance on how to improve WordPress site speed or your next digital project? Book a complimentary, 30-minute consultation with our Head of Partnerships & Co-Founder, Kirk Thompson. During your call, we’ll review your brand’s current performance, discuss your goals, analyse competitor insights, and explore your brand’s potential. Let’s bring your vision to life — book your free consultation via the link below:

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