SP WebconsultingSTEFAN PILZ LTD.
DEEN

Page speed optimisation

Load faster.
Without rebuilding your website.

Your website is slow, PageSpeed shows red scores or Search Console reports Core Web Vitals issues? I measure where the time is lost and fix the causes in the code, on the server and in the content.

Request a speed review

Stefan Pilz · PHP development and performance · 100% remote

IllustrationMeasure first, then improve where it matters.

SERVICE OVERVIEW

What page speed optimisation involves

Page speed optimisation means finding and removing what actually slows a website down, rather than installing yet another caching plugin. I examine server response time, database queries, scripts, fonts, images and third-party services. We then decide together which measures will have the greatest effect.

A single fault is rarely to blame. Usually it is the sum of many small things: a heavy theme, a dozen plugins each loading their own scripts, uncompressed images, tracking code in the page head and a database that has grown for years. Slow pages cost visitors, enquiries and revenue, and Google factors loading performance into its assessment through the Core Web Vitals.

Your contact: Stefan Pilz · Stefan Pilz Ltd. · Collaboration is 100% remote

SERVICE SCOPE

Finding causes where they really are

Core Web Vitals: LCP, INP and CLS

Search Console assesses your pages with three metrics. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures when the largest visible element appears; 2.5 seconds or less is good. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures how quickly the page responds to clicks and input; 200 milliseconds or less is good. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures how much content jumps while loading; 0.1 or less is good.

When Search Console reports an issue, I map it to the affected page templates and fix the cause, such as a hero image that loads too late, render-blocking scripts or banners that push content down.

WordPress, Joomla, TYPO3 and other CMSs

Many slow websites run on a popular content management system. The bottlenecks are rarely in the system itself, but in what has been added over the years: page builders, themes with features for every possible case, overlapping plugins and a database full of revisions and orphaned entries.

I check what is actually needed, remove the ballast and configure caching and image delivery properly. If that is no longer worthwhile, I show you what a leaner solution could look like.

PHP and Symfony applications

In custom applications, the cause is often in the back end: many or slow database queries, missing indexes, expensive calculations on every request, missing caching or an outdated PHP version. Profiling shows me the costly parts of the code so I can fix them specifically. A PHP upgrade can also noticeably improve response times.

COMMON BOTTLENECKS

What often makes websites slow

The following points describe typical causes, not documented client projects.

The hero image loads last

The largest image on the page is too big, in the wrong format or only loaded once everything else is done. This is one of the most common causes of poor LCP and is often easy to fix.

Third-party scripts

Chat widgets, tracking, cookie banners, embedded maps and videos load their own code and block rendering and interaction. The question is what is really needed and what can load later or not at all.

The database slows every request

Tables have grown for years, indexes are missing or large amounts of settings are loaded on every page view. Server response time increases before the browser can display anything. See database clean-up.

VERIFIABLE

Websites I have built, as evidence.

I measure websites I have built with Lighthouse, the audit tool behind Google PageSpeed Insights. The scores below come from a measurement on 6 November 2026, each for the home page, in the order performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO.

You do not have to take my word for it: enter the addresses yourself at PageSpeed Insights.

stefanpilz.ltd

Desktop 100 / 100 / 100 / 100

Mobile 99 / 100 / 100 / 100

prozessruhe.de

Desktop 100 / 100 / 100 / 100

Mobile 100 / 100 / 100 / 100

shopruhe.de

Desktop 100 / 100 / 100 / 100

Mobile 99 / 100 / 100 / 100

webruhe.de

Desktop 100 / 100 / 100 / 100

Mobile 99 / 100 / 100 / 100

webseitenwechsel.de

Desktop 100 / 100 / 100 / 100

Mobile 99 / 100 / 100 / 100

Lighthouse measures under lab conditions, and individual runs vary by a few points. Search Console also takes field data from real visitors into account.

DELIVERABLES & SCOPE

Your result, and what cannot be promised in general

Your agreed deliverables

We agree the deliverables before starting. Depending on the scope, these may include:

  • Measurement report with baseline values for the key page templates, including lab data and field data where available
  • Prioritised list of measures with effort and expected impact
  • Agreed optimisations, tested in a staging environment first
  • Re-measurement with the same tools so the effect is documented

What we clarify beforehand

Nobody can seriously guarantee a specific score. The result also depends on hosting, embedded services and content you maintain yourself. Search Console field data covers the previous 28 days, so improvements only show fully after a few weeks.

Effort and costs

For an initial assessment, the address of your website and, if available, a screenshot of the Search Console report are enough. We agree the scope of the analysis and implementation beforehand; I work fully remotely.

WORKING TOGETHER

From measurement to a fast website

Measure and arrange access

I measure the key page templates and, if you grant access, analyse the Search Console data. We clarify whether a staging environment is available.

Causes and plan

You receive a clear overview: what slows the site down, by how much, and what fixing it involves. You decide what gets implemented.

Implement and test

I implement the agreed measures in a staging environment and check layout and functionality before anything goes live.

Deploy and re-measure

After deployment I measure again. If Search Console reported issues, we start validating the fix there.

RELATED SERVICES

Often goes hand in hand

Database clean-up

Remove orphaned tables, logs and outdated data with a tested backup and a way back.

PHP upgrade

Adapt your code to PHP 8.4 or 8.5 before your current version stops receiving security fixes.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Questions about page speed optimisation

Do you guarantee a PageSpeed score of 100?

No. How high the score can go depends on your system, your hosting and the services you embed. After the analysis I give you a realistic estimate and document the result with a re-measurement.

My hosting provider says the website is to blame. Is that true?

That can be measured. If the server's first response is already slow, the cause lies in the server, database or application. If the server responds quickly but the page still appears late, images, scripts or fonts are responsible. Often it is a mix of both.

Isn't a caching plugin enough?

A cache shortens server response time but does not fix oversized images, render-blocking scripts or shifting layouts. Several caching and optimisation plugins at once can also interfere with each other and cause new errors.

When will I see the improvement in Search Console?

The Core Web Vitals reports are based on real-visitor data from the previous 28 days. After a fix it therefore takes a few weeks until the values are fully updated. Validation in Search Console lets you follow the progress.

What do you need from me?

To start, the address of the website and a short description of the problem. For implementation I need access to a staging environment or the code, plus a current backup. We exchange credentials through an agreed secure channel, not via the enquiry form.

NEXT STEP

Which page is too slow for you?

Tell me the address of your website, the system you use and, if available, the Search Console report. I will tell you where I suspect the biggest bottlenecks and how we can proceed.

Your enquiry goes directly to me, Stefan Pilz. We agree the scope and costs before you commission any work.

What happens next

  1. Clarify the situation

    I read your enquiry and get back to you. Together, we clarify your goals, constraints and open questions.

  2. Choose a practical starting point

    Depending on the project, we start with a specific implementation or an analysis agreed in advance.

  3. Agree on scope and a proposal

    You know which services and deliverables are included. We agree on scope, effort and costs before you commission the work.

Request a speed review

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Which pages are particularly slow? Which system do you use, for example WordPress or a custom PHP application? Are there reports in Search Console?

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