Why mobile speed matters for local businesses
What Google's mobile speed test measures and the usual causes of a slow page.
Most local searches happen on a phone
Someone searching for a plumber, a dentist or a place to eat is usually on a phone, often on a mobile connection. If your page is slow to show anything useful, the back button is one tap away and so is the next result.
What the test measures
Our audit runs Google's PageSpeed test, which loads your page the way a mid-range phone on a typical mobile connection would. Two numbers matter most:
- How long the main content takes to appear. This is usually the banner image or headline.
- Whether the page jumps around while loading, which causes mis-taps.
The usual causes
On small-business websites, slow loading nearly always comes from a short list:
- A large banner image that was uploaded at full camera size.
- Plugins, widgets and tracking scripts that are no longer used.
- Sliders and video backgrounds.
- Low-cost hosting that is slow to respond.
Where to start
Compress and resize the banner image first; it is often the single biggest gain. Then remove plugins and scripts you no longer need. If the server itself is slow to respond, turn on page caching or ask your host about a faster plan.