FOVIQWhy speed matters to your business
People on phones do not wait. If a page is slow to show something useful, many will go back to the results and pick another business. Speed also affects how pleasant a site feels, and that feeling shapes trust. Google has said that page experience is one signal among many in search, so a fast site helps but does not replace good content.
What Core Web Vitals measure
Core Web Vitals are Google's measures of real-world page experience. The three current metrics are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): how quickly the main content appears. Google's guidance for "good" is 2.5 seconds or less [1][2].
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): how quickly the page responds when someone taps or clicks. "Good" is 200 milliseconds or less [1][3].
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): how much the layout jumps around while loading. "Good" is 0.1 or less.
You can check yours with Google's PageSpeed Insights and the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console.
Practical fixes that make the biggest difference
Optimise images
Oversized photos are the most common cause of slow pages. Resize to the size actually displayed, use modern formats such as WebP or AVIF, and lazy-load images below the first screen. Always set width and height so the layout does not jump.
Ship less code
Every script, plugin and tracking tag costs time. Remove what you do not use. A site built with lean HTML, CSS and a small amount of JavaScript will usually beat a heavy page builder.
Load fonts carefully
Limit the number of font files, use font-display: swap and preconnect to the font host so text appears immediately.
Use good hosting and a CDN
Serving files from servers close to your visitors reduces delay. Static sites on a global network are fast by default.
Cache and compress
Enable compression and sensible caching so repeat visits are quick.
Avoid layout surprises
Reserve space for images, embeds and ads, and avoid inserting content above what the visitor is already reading.
Test on a real phone and a slow connection
Your office wifi is not your customer's mobile data. Test on an actual phone, ideally on a slower connection, and look at the first screen. If it takes more than a couple of seconds to show something useful, there is work to do.
Speed ties into everything else: it supports local SEO, reduces bounce and makes your redesign checklist shorter. If you want a performance review of your site, send it our way.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good page speed for a small business site?
Aim for Largest Contentful Paint under 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint under 200 milliseconds and Cumulative Layout Shift under 0.1, measured on real mobile devices.
Does page speed affect Google rankings?
Google says page experience is one of many signals. Speed alone will not outrank relevant content, but a slow site loses visitors and makes everything else harder.
Sources & References
- OfficialWeb Vitalsweb.dev, Google
- OfficialOptimize Largest Contentful Paintweb.dev, Google
- OfficialInteraction to Next Paint (INP)web.dev, Google
- OfficialUnderstanding page experience in Google Search resultsGoogle Search Central
- Research paperMilliseconds Make MillionsDeloitte Digital and Fifty-Five for Google, 2020
Statistics are quoted from the sources above and describe the studies they come from. Results for your own site will vary.