Website speed matters. Irish users won’t wait more than a few seconds for a page to load — and Google penalises slow sites with lower rankings. Whether you're running an eCommerce shop or a brochure site, improving your load speed is one of the best investments you can make.
1. Use Fast Irish or EU Hosting
Many small Irish businesses use slow, shared hosting plans. These cheap providers cram too many sites onto one server, causing delays — especially during peak hours.
Tip: Choose a local host with SSD servers and low customer-to-server ratios. Our favourites include Blacknight, SiteGround (EU), and Cloudways (EU region).
2. Optimise and Compress Images
Large images are the #1 culprit of slow sites. Avoid uploading 4MB photos from your phone or stock libraries without compression.
Tip: Use free tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh, or WordPress plugins like ShortPixel. Keep homepage hero images under 200KB where possible.
3. Enable Caching and Minification
Caching stores a version of your site for quicker repeat visits, while minification strips unnecessary characters from your code (HTML, CSS, JS).
Tip: Use plugins like WP Rocket (paid) or LiteSpeed Cache (free on LiteSpeed servers). Or ask your developer to enable server-side caching.
4. Reduce External Scripts and Plugins
Every extra tool — like live chat, popups, or social widgets — adds to load time. Many Irish sites unknowingly load 15+ external scripts before even showing content.
Tip: Audit your site using Google PageSpeed Insights and remove anything you don’t absolutely need.
5. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
CDNs store your website's assets in servers around the world — including Ireland. This helps deliver your site faster to local users.
Tip: Free options like Cloudflare offer excellent performance gains and added security.
6. Clean Your Codebase
If you're using WordPress or a website builder, themes can include bloated scripts and unused elements. This creates a heavy, slow-loading site.
Tip: Use lightweight themes (like GeneratePress or Astra), and only load the sections or templates you actually use.
7. Monitor and Maintain Performance
Speed isn’t a one-time job. Regular updates, plugin bloat, and new content can slowly degrade performance.
Tip: Run monthly speed audits, update plugins/themes, and keep an eye on Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console.
Need Help?
At Mean Web Design, we offer speed optimisation services for Irish SMEs — tailored to your CMS, budget, and audience.
Contact us now for a free audit and quick-win recommendations.