A slow website affects far more than user patience. It directly impacts conversion rates, search rankings, and brand perception. Visitors expect pages to load quickly, especially on mobile devices. When that expectation isn’t met, trust erodes instantly. Many business owners don’t notice speed issues because they view their site on fast connections. Real users may be on slower networks or older devices. Even a delay of a few seconds can cause users to abandon a page. Search engines consider performance as a ranking factor. Slow sites struggle to compete in local search results. Speed problems usually come from bloated themes, excessive plugins, large images, or poor hosting. These issues compound over time. Optimizing speed doesn’t always require a full rebuild. Often, targeted fixes can deliver noticeable improvements. Speed is not a technical detail — it’s a business asset.