My website is too slow: what should I do?
· by the Agence Web Premium team, Guéliz Marrakech
Direct answer: a site that takes more than three seconds to display loses half of its mobile visitors. In Morocco, where a large part of the traffic goes through 4G, this is a net loss of customers. The causes are almost always the same five, and correction usually costs between 1,500 and 5,000 MAD.
Before redoing your site, check if it can be repaired. In the majority of cases we see, optimization is enough.
How do I know if my site is really slow?
In short: Enter your address into Google's PageSpeed Insights. Below 50 on mobile, the problem is serious.
The tool is free and gives two ratings: mobile and computer. Look at the mobile bill, it's the one that counts in Morocco.
The three indicators to monitor: the display time of the main content (ideally under 2.5 seconds), visual stability, and reaction time to clicks.
Also test in a real situation: open your site from your phone, on 4G, off wifi. It’s your customers’ experience.
Cause #1: Unoptimized images
In short: This is the cause in approximately 70% of cases. A 4 MB photo taken from a device posted online as is is enough to fill a page.
An image displayed at 800 pixels wide has no reason to be 4,000. However, this is the most common situation.
What to do: resize to actual display dimensions, convert to WebP format, and enable lazy loading for off-screen images.
Typical gain: a 4 MB page drops to less than 500 KB. This is often the only correction necessary.
Cause #2: Too many plugins on WordPress
In short: Each extension adds files loaded on all pages. Beyond twenty, the site becomes mechanically heavier.
We regularly see sites with thirty to forty extensions, half of which are no longer useful.
The method: list extensions, deactivate unused ones, replace heavy page builders when possible, and measure after each deletion.
Warning: deactivating without prior backup may break the site. Make a complete backup before any manipulation.
Cause #3: saturated shared hosting
In short: Hosting at 300 MAD per year shares a server with hundreds of sites. During rush hour, everything slows down.
Characteristic symptom: the site is fast at 7 a.m. and slow at 8 p.m. If your images are optimized and the problem persists, the hosting is to blame.
Proper accommodation in Morocco costs between 600 and 1,500 MAD per year. Below, performance is rarely there.
Also check the location of the server: a server in the United States adds delay for Moroccan visitors. A European server with broadcast network is preferable.
Cause #4: lack of cache
In short: Without caching, the server rebuilds each page on each visit. With cache, it serves a ready version in a fraction of the time.
This is the most cost-effective fix on WordPress: a well-configured cache plugin can cut loading time by three in one hour of work.
To configure: page cache, browser cache, compression, and content delivery network if your audience is dispersed.
Cause #5: too many external scripts
In short: Google fonts, advertising pixels, chat tools, interactive maps: each adds an external connection and delay.
We saw sites loading five different trackers, three of which were no longer viewed by anyone.
The rule: keep what is actually used, host fonts locally rather than calling them from Google, and defer anything that is not necessary for initial display.
How much does the correction cost?
In short: Between 1,500 and 5,000 MAD for complete optimization. A redesign is only justified if the site is technically obsolete.
Our typical interventions:
- Express optimization (1,500 MAD). Images, cache, compression. Results visible in 48 hours.
- Complete optimization (3,000 to 5,000 MAD). Plus cleaning up extensions, scripts and database.
- Change of accommodation (500 MAD + subscription). Migration included.
- Redesign (from 2,499 MAD). Only if the site is unrecoverable.
We always start with a free diagnosis: sometimes the answer is “change your host”, and that doesn't bring us anything.
Quick diagnosis by symptom
| Symptom | Probable cause | Correction | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow throughout, heavy images | Unoptimized images | Compression + WebP | 1,500 MAD |
| Slow during rush hour | Saturated hosting | Change host | 500 MAD + subscription |
| Slow WordPress to admin | Too many extensions | Cleaning | 2,000 MAD |
| Slow first visit | No cache | Cache configuration | 800 MAD |
| Slow from abroad | Poorly located server | CDN | 600 MAD/year |
| Slow even when empty | Theme too heavy | Redesign | from 2,499 MAD |
Indicative prices as of October 4, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my site slow?
In around 70% of cases, these are unoptimized images. Then come the excess of extensions, saturated hosting, lack of cache and external scripts.
How do I test my site speed?
With PageSpeed Insights from Google, free. Look at the mobile rating: below 50, the problem is serious.
How much does it cost to optimize a slow site?
Between 1,500 and 5,000 MAD depending on the size. The diagnosis is free with us.
Should we redo the site or optimize it?
Optimize it in the majority of cases. The redesign is only justified if the site is technically obsolete.
Does a slow site harm SEO?
Yes, speed is a ranking factor confirmed by Google, and above all a factor in visitor abandonment.
What hosting for a fast site in Morocco?
Between 600 and 1,500 MAD per year, on a European server with a distribution network. Below that, performance is rarely decent.
How long does it take to see improvement?
Express optimization gives visible results in 48 hours.
Can you optimize a site that you didn't create?
Yes, it is an important part of our business.
Free speed diagnosis within 24 hours
Send us your site address. We tell you precisely what's slowing it down, and if it's fixable.
