Fast apps convert better, rank better, and feel more trustworthy. The best part: you don’t need a “rewrite” to get meaningful wins—you need a repeatable system.
If you’re building a product, dashboard, or marketing-driven app, start here:
- If you need a build partner: Web Applications.
- If you need speed + technical SEO execution: Performance SEO.
Start with the right performance baseline
Before optimizing anything, capture a baseline in:
- Real-user metrics (RUM) if you have them
- Lighthouse (mobile) for a controlled snapshot
- A slow 4G simulation for your “worst normal” experience
Track these three metrics first:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): how fast primary content renders
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): responsiveness to user input
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): visual stability
Architecture choices that usually win
Most teams get the biggest performance wins from foundational decisions:
- Prefer server rendering for first load when it makes sense (especially for SEO-sensitive pages).
- Ship less JavaScript: fewer dependencies, smaller bundles, fewer client-only components.
- Cache at the edge where possible: HTML + API responses that don’t change per-user.
A simple optimization workflow (that doesn’t stall delivery)
- Pick the page or flow that matters (signup, checkout, lead form).
- Measure (before/after) using the same conditions.
- Fix one bottleneck at a time (images, JS, layout, fonts).
- Verify in real-user metrics and search performance (if relevant).
Common performance bottlenecks (and what to do)
Images and media
- Use modern formats (WebP/AVIF)
- Serve responsive sizes
- Lazy-load below-the-fold images
JavaScript and third-party scripts
- Remove what you don’t need
- Defer what doesn’t need to block rendering
- Audit tag manager and ad scripts for runaway payload
Layout shifts
- Reserve space for images, embeds, and banners
- Avoid late-loading fonts without proper fallback behavior
Where performance meets SEO
Performance improvements often increase crawl efficiency and engagement, especially on mobile. If you’re seeing indexing issues or thin visibility despite good content, pair speed work with a technical audit.
Recommended next read: Core Web Vitals for growth teams.