3 quick fixes to improve website performance.
The new year is one of the busiest times for many businesses, offering fantastic potential for growth. But if your website is slow, clunky, or full of dead links, you could be losing customers before they even get to see what you offer.
But you don’t need to be a web developer to make a positive impact. Here’s your website health checklist, with three fast, practical fixes for a high-value website tune-up that will help improve your website’s speed, trust, and search performance.
01. Broken links
As your business grows, pages move, products change, and links sometimes break. It’s completely normal. But those broken links create a frustrating user experience and give the impression that your site is neglected and out of date, both to users and Google.
Fortunately, they’re easy to spot and fix, and doing so makes a big difference to your visitors and your Google ranking. So keep your site running smoothly and professionally with a quick check and a few smart redirects.
Take action:
Step 01: Use a free tool
Open Google Search Console and check under: Pages → Not Found (or Crawl Errors in older versions). No access? Try a free broken link checker like Ahrefs’ free tool or SEMRush’s site audit.
Step 02: Prioritise key pages
Focus on your most-visited pages first. Start with your top 5–10 pages that get the most traffic. These are where you’ll see the biggest improvements, the fastest.
Step 03: Redirect smartly
Instead of removing broken pages, create 301 redirects from those URLs to the most relevant live page. For example, redirect an old About page to your current About page, or a discontinued product page to your latest product or category page.
Tip: Create a helpful custom 404 page that gets visitors back on track should they find a broken link. Add a friendly message, quick links to popular pages, or even a site search bar to keep people engaged instead of losing them.
02. Improve website speed
Users are known to abandon pages that take longer than three seconds to load, and Google uses site speed as a key ranking factor. So make sure your website is quick. This is also one of the simplest ways to improve both user experience and your search rankings.
Take action:
Step 01: Measure your score
Head to Google PageSpeed Insights and test your homepage and one or two key pages. The free report will highlight what’s slowing things down, and in most cases, the issue will be uncompressed images.
Step 02: Lighten the load
Find your largest homepage image, often the hero banner, and run it through a free online image optimiser like TinyPNG or Squoosh. Aim to reduce file size by 50–80% without visible quality loss.
Step 03: Save smart
Make sure each image is saved at the actual display size. If it only shows at 800px wide, don’t upload a 4000px version.
Tip: If using WordPress, install a free caching or optimisation plugin like LiteSpeed Cache. They handle image compression and optimisation automatically, so your site stays speedy without extra effort.
03. Eliminate friction & increase conversions
A great website guides visitors towards their next step, whether that’s contacting you, booking a call, or making a purchase. A quick review of your calls-to-action (CTAs) ensures those pathways are clear, compelling, and working perfectly.
Take action:
Step 01: Identify revenue drivers
Choose the three most important actions on your site. These are the moments that drive your business forward, such as ‘Request a Quote,’ ‘Buy Now,’ or ‘Book a Consultation.’
Step 02: Test the journey
On both desktop and mobile, click through each of these CTAs. To optimise your lead captures and conversions, check that:
+ Every button leads to the correct page or form.
+ Each form submits successfully.
+ Notifications or confirmation emails arrive where they should.
Step 03: Clarify the message
If your button says ‘Click Here’ or ‘Submit,’ try giving it purpose and energy. Swap it for action-driven, benefit-based text like ‘Start Your Project’ or ‘Get a Free Quote.’
Tip: Make sure your phone number is clearly visible and clickable on mobile. It’s a simple backup that keeps connections open and responsive if a contact form is temporarily offline.
Small steps for big wins
These simple, high-impact website fixes help your business look sharper, load faster, and perform better. This is how you maintain a healthy website that builds trust, drives conversions, and reflects the quality of what you’re offering.
Carry out this three-point website health check every quarter to stay on top of things and keep your site running at its best all year long. Looking for more website performance tips? Here’s a more detailed guide on how to optimise your website and improve conversions.
Think the issue might be deeper?
Feel free to reach out to our Shrewsbury-based brand and digital agency. Whether your website needs a conversion rate optimisation strategy or the issue lies deeper with your brand, let’s grow your business with a bespoke strategy tailored to your business goals.
