What Does Website Speed Optimisation Cost?
By CodexierPublished 4 min read
Ask what it costs to speed up a website and the honest answer is: it depends on why it is slow. Oversized images and missing caching are quick fixes. A heavy page-builder theme with thirty plugins is a structural problem, and sometimes the cheapest real fix is a rebuild. This guide prices the work by cause, so you can tell which kind of problem you have before you pay anyone.
Cheap fixes vs structural fixes
| Cause | Typical fix | Effort | Risk of breaking something |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oversized images | Resize, convert to WebP or AVIF, lazy-load below the fold | Low | Low |
| No caching or compression | Page cache, browser cache, Brotli or gzip | Low | Low |
| Slow hosting | Better plan or host, newer PHP version, CDN | Low to medium | Low |
| Too many third-party scripts | Remove, defer or load after consent | Medium | Medium |
| Heavy theme or page builder | Replace theme, rebuild templates | High | High |
| Platform limits | Rebuild on a leaner stack | High | Managed through a project |
Hosting upgrades and what they buy
Hosting decides how fast the server answers the first request, measured as Time to First Byte. If that is slow, nothing on the page can make up for it. Moving from a crowded shared plan to a better managed host, updating PHP and adding a CDN is often the single cheapest improvement for a WordPress site. What hosting cannot fix is a page that ships several megabytes of scripts to the browser; that problem sits in the site, not the server.
Our guide to web hosting costs explains what the different hosting tiers include and when an upgrade is worth the monthly fee.
Theme and plugin bloat
Most slow business sites we see are slow for the same reason: a multipurpose theme or page builder that loads code for features the site never uses, plus plugins added over the years and never removed. Every plugin can add scripts, styles and database queries on every page. Fixing this means auditing each one, removing what is unused and replacing heavy plugins with lighter ones — careful work, because removing the wrong thing breaks forms or layouts.
- List every plugin and what it is actually used for
- Check which scripts load on pages that do not need them
- Move chat widgets, maps and video embeds to load on interaction
- Load marketing tags only after consent, which also helps GDPR compliance
- Test forms, checkout and booking after each change
When speed needs a rebuild
A rebuild is justified when the fixes above have been done and the site still fails Core Web Vitals on mobile, or when making it fast would mean rewriting most templates anyway. At that point you are paying for a rebuild either way, and doing it properly gives you a site that stays fast. It is also worth considering if the site is due for a redesign within a year: spend the speed budget on the new site instead.
Our fixed prices for this work are on the website performance and SEO page: packages start at 7 990 kr for a technical starter fix, with larger packages at 12 990 kr and 19 990 kr for broader optimisation. When not to buy from us: if a free PageSpeed test shows only oversized images and your host offers one-click caching, do those two things yourself first and measure again.
How to verify the improvement
Agree on the measurement before the work starts. Lab tests like PageSpeed Insights change between runs, so test the same pages several times before and after. The field data in Search Console, based on real Chrome users, is what Google uses, and it takes about four weeks to reflect a change. Ask for a before-and-after report with the same pages, the same device type and the three Core Web Vitals: LCP, INP and CLS. Our guide to Core Web Vitals explains each.
Frequently asked questions
How much faster will my site get?
Nobody can promise a figure before diagnosing the cause. Image and caching fixes often give a clear improvement; bloat caused by the theme may only improve so far without a rebuild.
Is a PageSpeed score of 100 necessary?
No. The score is a lab indicator. What matters is passing Core Web Vitals for real users on mobile, and a fast feeling on your key pages.
Will speed work improve my Google rankings?
Page experience is one ranking factor among many, so speed alone rarely moves rankings much. It does reduce people leaving before the page loads, which helps enquiries directly.
Can I speed up WordPress myself?
Partly. Image compression, a caching plugin and removing unused plugins are manageable. Theme replacement and script work are better done with testing on a staging copy.
Find out why your site is slow
Fifteen minutes: we look at your site's measurements with you and tell you whether it is a cheap fix, a structural one or a rebuild.
Book a free 15-minute call