Every second of delay means fewer visitors and more customers going to your competitors. Google has used speed as a ranking factor for years.
What does Google measure?
Google relies on a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals:
- LCP: how long the largest element takes to appear.
- INP: how quickly the page responds to interaction.
- CLS: how stable the layout is while loading.
How do we make a site faster?
- Compress images and use modern formats like WebP and AVIF.
- Ship less unnecessary code.
- Serve the site from a CDN close to your visitors.
- Choose a lightweight stack instead of plugin-heavy themes.
A fast website does not only please Google. It pleases your customer first.
The takeaway
If your site needs more than three seconds to appear, you are losing a large share of visitors before they see what you offer.