Lesson 1: What Affects Website Speed

Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify the main causes of slow performance on a WordPress website.

Step 1: Review installed themes and plugins

Each active theme and plugin adds code and database queries.

Action:

• Open the Plugins list
• Identify unused or unnecessary plugins
• Note which plugins are essential and which are optional

Step 2: Inspect images and page assets

Large images and excessive assets slow down page loading.

Action:

• Open a page with images
• Check if images are oversized
• Identify repeated or heavy assets

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming speed issues are caused by a single factor
• Ignoring hosting limitations
• Adding plugins without evaluating impact

Lesson takeaway

Website speed depends on hosting, configuration, and content decisions. Identifying issues is the first step toward optimization.