Answer · Custom Web Design
How Do You Make Sites Load Fast?
The short answer
By engineering performance from day 1, not optimizing it after launch. Custom WordPress block themes (no Elementor or Divi), 4-6 plugins instead of 17-22, optimized images (WebP, lazy-loaded), and minimal JavaScript. Our builds typically hit 1.1-1.6s LCP and 90+ Lighthouse Performance scores.
№ 01The longer answer
The single biggest performance lever is what you DON’T put on the page. We start with a clean WordPress block theme — no page builder, no theme framework, no premium plugin ecosystem. That alone cuts 1.4-2.0MB of JavaScript out of every pageview.
Images: every image converted to WebP, properly sized for breakpoints, lazy-loaded below the fold. We don’t ship 1920×1080 hero images for mobile users. Average image weight on our builds: 400-700KB total for a page, vs. 1.5-2.5MB on typical mid-market sites.
Plugins: 4-6 per site instead of 17-22. Each plugin adds JavaScript, CSS, database queries, and update risk. We use plugins only where the alternative is custom code with no maintainable benefit. Typical stack: form plugin, backup plugin, SEO plugin, security plugin, sometimes WooCommerce, sometimes a caching plugin.
CDN + caching: Cloudflare on every build. Litespeed Cache or WP Rocket where appropriate. Server-side: Kinsta or Cloudways for hosting (we don’t recommend GoDaddy or Bluehost for any mid-market site; their performance ceilings are too low).
№ 02What Lighthouse scores can I expect?
On launch: Performance 85-95, Accessibility 95-100, Best Practices 95-100, SEO 95-100. Performance can drift if you add heavy plugins post-launch; Care Plan covers monitoring.
№ 03Will my site pass Core Web Vitals?
Yes, on launch. LCP under 1.6s, INP under 200ms, CLS near 0. We don’t ship sites that fail CWV — performance is wired in during Sprint 2, not after launch.
№ 04What if I have video on the homepage?
Hosted on Mux, Cloudflare Stream, or YouTube (with the embed lazy-loaded). We don’t self-host video in the WordPress media library; it tanks performance.
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