Why Your Website Might Be Slowing You Down (and How to Fix It)

A beautiful site is great. A fast site is better. And a fast, beautiful site? That’s the dream.

Lately, we’ve been helping more clients figure out why their websites aren’t performing like they should. Sometimes it’s slow load times. Sometimes it’s confusing navigation. Sometimes it’s just a bloated design that looks good on a designer’s laptop but breaks on a phone.

Whatever the issue is, the result is the same. People leave. Leads bounce. And even the best marketing efforts don’t land the way they should.

Here’s what we’re seeing, what we’re fixing, and what you should be thinking about if your website isn’t pulling its weight.

1. Speed still matters

We’ve all done it. Clicked on a link. Watched it load… and then just closed the tab. If your site takes more than three seconds to load, you’re already losing visitors.

Big hero videos, oversized images, and unnecessary plugins pile up fast. And they’re killing your user experience.

Quick fix:

Compress images, limit third-party scripts, and make sure your host is up to the job. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can give you a quick rundown.

2. Mobile should come first

We still see sites designed desktop-first, then squished into a mobile layout. It doesn’t work. More than half of your traffic is probably on a phone. If your buttons are too small, your layout breaks, or your load time drags on mobile, you’ve already lost the sale.

Quick fix:

Design mobile-first. Test everything on a real device. Don’t assume your responsive template is handling it all.

3. Your homepage isn’t clear

You’ve got three seconds to make it obvious what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters. If your homepage is filled with vague headlines and industry jargon, people won’t stick around to figure it out.

Quick fix:

Write like a human. Say what you do in plain English. Put your call to action front and center.

4. Bloated design is killing your conversions

The more clever we try to be, the more confused users tend to get. Yes, we love a creative layout. But if people can’t find the menu, don’t know where to click, or feel overwhelmed by animations, they’re gone.

Quick fix:

Simplify the layout. Use hierarchy. Ask someone outside your team to click through and tell you where they got stuck.

5. SEO isn’t just keywords

Search performance isn’t only about sprinkling in the right phrases. Site structure, speed, mobile experience, and accessibility all factor into how you rank.

Quick fix:

Run an SEO audit. Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or even a basic Yoast scan can show you what’s dragging you down.

How We’re Thinking About Performance at Ghost

We’ve started treating website performance like a core part of every brand experience. From the first wireframe to final launch, we’re thinking about speed, clarity, and mobile experience right alongside design.

We use Lighthouse audits, mobile testing, heatmaps, and real human feedback to pressure test every site. Because the truth is, no one cares how pretty your site is if it loads slowly or makes them work to find what they need.

Website Performance Checklist

Use this to quickly spot where your site might be underperforming:

Page Speed

✔ Loads in under 3 seconds

✔ Optimized image sizes

✔ Minimal third-party scripts

✔ Hosting platform is reliable

Mobile Experience

✔ Fully functional on mobile devices

✔ Buttons and links are easy to tap

✔ Menus and navigation work cleanly

✔ Tested on both iOS and Android

Content & Clarity

✔ Clear homepage headline

✔ Strong call to action above the fold

✔ No jargon or vague messaging

✔ Each page has a clear purpose

Design & Usability

✔ Layout is simple and easy to scan

✔ Animations don’t slow down the site

✔ Fonts are legible on all devices

✔ Navigation is obvious and intuitive

SEO & Structure

✔ Metadata is in place

✔ Heading tags are structured correctly

✔ Site is indexed and crawlable

✔ Broken links are cleaned up

Tracking & Feedback

✔ Analytics are installed

✔ Heatmaps or user recordings are reviewed regularly

✔ Feedback from real users is collected and applied

TLDR

• Speed, clarity, and mobile-first design matter
  
• A slow or confusing site will drag down your entire brand
  
• Your homepage needs to be clear and direct about what you do
  
• Fixes can be simple, but performance should be part of your strategy from day one
  
• A high-performing website makes everything else work better
  

If your site feels heavy or clunky or just a little tired, we can help. Whether it needs a few tweaks or a total rebuild, we’ll make sure it’s built to perform, not just impress.