Short answer
Speed optimization finds what slows your dental website down and fixes it. We measure against Google’s Core Web Vitals targets, then deal with the usual causes: oversized images, heavy fonts, unused scripts, slow plugins, page builders and third-party widgets. You get a report before we start and measurements after, so you can see what changed.
The targets
Google’s Core Web Vitals give three targets, measured at the 75th percentile of page loads and split by mobile and desktop. Largest Contentful Paint, which tracks when the main content appears, should happen within 2.5 seconds. Interaction to Next Paint, which tracks how quickly the page responds to taps and clicks, should be 200 milliseconds or less. Cumulative Layout Shift, which tracks how much the page jumps around while loading, should be 0.1 or less.1 A page passes when it meets all three.
These numbers are useful because they describe what a patient feels: how long before they can read, whether buttons respond and whether the phone number moves just as they try to tap it.
The usual causes on dental websites
- Large images. A hero photo exported straight from a camera can be several megabytes. We resize, compress and serve modern formats, with the right size for each screen.
- Fonts. Several font families, each with many weights, add up. We trim to what the design actually uses and load fonts so text appears immediately.
- Scripts and plugins. Older sites often carry sliders, animation libraries and plugins that are no longer used. Each one adds weight. We remove what is unused and delay what is not needed at first.
- Page builders. Visual page builders can load a lot of code for simple layouts. Sometimes a lighter theme or rebuilt templates are the only real fix.
- Third-party widgets. Chat widgets, review feeds, social embeds and tracking tags all load code from other servers. We list them, ask whether each one earns its place and load the rest only when needed.
- Hosting. A slow server affects every page. If hosting is the bottleneck, we say so and suggest options.
How the work runs
We start with an audit of your key pages: home, the most visited treatment pages, the contact page and a location page. For each page we record the Core Web Vitals and the main causes behind any failures. You receive a report with fixes listed in order of impact and effort.
Once you approve the plan, we apply the fixes on a staging copy, test that nothing has broken, then publish. We measure again and send a short before and after summary. Field data in Google’s reports takes about four weeks to reflect changes fully, so we check again after that.
Speed and accessibility go together
Many speed fixes also help accessibility. Removing auto-playing sliders helps people who are distracted by motion. Reducing layout shift helps everyone who uses a screen magnifier. Ontario requires organizations with 50 or more employees to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA on public websites, with exceptions for live captions and pre-recorded audio descriptions.2 We keep accessibility in mind with every change, so a faster page does not become a harder one to use.
When a rebuild makes more sense
If most of the weight comes from the theme or page builder itself, patching may only gain a little. In that case, the audit report includes an estimate for a redesign on a lighter foundation, so you can compare the cost of patching with the cost of rebuilding.
What you receive
- A speed audit of your key pages with causes and fixes in order of impact.
- Fixes applied and tested on a staging copy before going live.
- A before and after summary, plus a follow-up check once field data updates.
- Notes for your team on keeping the site fast, such as how to size images before uploading.
Keeping the site fast after launch
Sites slow down over time as new images, plugins and widgets are added. A few habits prevent that: resize photos before uploading, avoid adding a new plugin for a small feature, ask whether each new third-party widget is worth its weight and check the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console every few months. The handover notes include these habits in plain language.
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Get a Free PlanFrequently asked questions
How do you measure speed?
We use field data from real visitors where Google has enough of it, and lab tests for pages without field data. Lab tests are useful for finding causes, while field data shows what patients actually experience.
Will you remove features we use?
Not without asking. Some slow features are worth keeping, such as an online booking widget. We look for a lighter way to load them, for example only when a patient taps the booking button.
How long does a speed project take?
An audit takes a few days. Fixes on a site we can edit usually take one to three weeks, depending on how many causes we find and whether the theme needs deeper changes.
Does a faster site rank higher on Google?
Speed is one of many signals, and it is unlikely to outweigh relevant, useful content. The stronger reason to fix speed is the patient: a page that loads and responds quickly is easier to use, especially on a phone.
Sources
- web.dev: Web Vitals Google developer documentation
- Government of Ontario: How to make websites accessible Government
Checked on 29 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current version with the regulator before you publish.
