When a prospective client asked us to rebuild their marketing site, their biggest pain point wasn't design — it was speed. Their old WordPress site took 6.8 seconds to load on mobile. Bounce rate was 72%. We delivered a new build that consistently loads in under 2 seconds. Here's how.
Start with a lean foundation
We chose a file-based PHP architecture with no database queries on page load. Static JSON for blog content, hand-coded templates for pages, and no page builder bloat. Every asset is intentional.
Optimize images aggressively
Images are the number one cause of slow pages. We serve WebP format where supported, use responsive srcset attributes, and lazy-load anything below the fold. A hero image that was 2.4MB became 180KB without visible quality loss.
Minimize render-blocking resources
CSS is inlined for critical above-the-fold content. JavaScript is deferred or eliminated entirely on content pages. We load fonts with font-display: swap so text appears immediately even before custom typefaces load.
Measure, don't guess
We use Lighthouse and WebPageTest before and after every launch. Core Web Vitals — LCP, INP, and CLS — are tracked in Google Search Console post-launch. Performance is a deliverable, not an afterthought.
The results
After launch, the client's mobile bounce rate dropped from 72% to 41%. Organic traffic increased 34% over three months. Page speed isn't vanity — it's revenue.
Curious how your current site stacks up? Request a free performance audit and we'll send you a report within 48 hours.