Your WordPress site takes 5, 8, even 10+ seconds to load. Visitors leave before they see your content. Google ranks you lower because of it. A WordPress speed audit shows you exactly what is causing the slowdown and what to fix first. Sometimes it is a $50 fix. Sometimes the theme needs replacing. We tell you which.
Call 0412 606 287 Get a Free ConsultationWe go through every layer of your WordPress site that affects performance - from the server response to the last image that loads. This is a manual expert review, not an automated scan.
These are real issues from WordPress speed audits we have completed for Melbourne and SE QLD businesses. Most are fixable without a rebuild.
Many WordPress sites accumulate plugins over the years - SEO plugins, security plugins, contact form plugins, social media plugins, analytics plugins. Half of them are redundant, some conflict with each other, and a handful have not been updated in years. Every plugin adds code that loads on every page. We identify which to keep, which to remove and which to replace.
Divi and Avada load 2MB+ of CSS and JavaScript on every single page, even pages that only use basic text and images. That is like forcing every visitor to download a small application before they can see your content. Elementor is lighter but still adds significant overhead when not optimised. We measure the exact performance impact and give you options.
5MB hero images straight from a phone camera when 200KB would deliver the same visual quality. We regularly find WordPress sites loading 20-30MB of images per page. Proper compression and WebP conversion can cut image sizes by 80% with no visible quality loss. This is often the single biggest speed improvement available.
Without caching, WordPress rebuilds every page from scratch for every visitor. That means database queries, PHP processing and file loading on every single page view. A properly configured caching plugin serves pre-built pages in milliseconds instead of seconds. Some hosting providers include server-side caching but it needs to be activated.
Budget shared hosting puts your site on a server with hundreds of other websites, all competing for the same resources. When other sites on your server get busy, your site slows down. If your server response time (TTFB) is over 600ms, your hosting is likely the problem and no amount of plugin optimisation will fix it.
When CSS and JavaScript files are loaded in the header, the browser cannot display anything until every file finishes downloading. Your visitor stares at a blank screen while 15 files load sequentially. Deferring non-essential scripts and inlining critical CSS lets the page appear instantly while background resources continue loading.
WebP images are 25-35% smaller than JPEG and PNG with identical visual quality. Most WordPress sites still serve the original format because WebP conversion was never set up. Tools like Imagify and ShortPixel can convert your entire image library automatically. This is a quick win that improves speed immediately.
Every time you edit a page, WordPress saves a revision. After a few years, you can have thousands of revisions, expired transients, spam comments and auto-drafts clogging your database. Database queries slow down and your entire site feels sluggish. A cleanup and revision limit can cut database size dramatically.
These are actual results from WordPress speed audits and optimisation work we have completed. The numbers below come from an Avada theme optimisation project for a local business.
A professional report that shows you exactly what is slowing your site down and what to fix first. Written for business owners, not developers.
We show your current scores and estimate what your scores should be after implementing our recommendations. You see the expected improvement before you spend any money on fixes.
Not all speed issues are equal. We tell you which fixes will give the biggest improvement so you start with the high-impact changes. Fix three things and see a 50% speed improvement instead of spending weeks on minor tweaks.
Every plugin on your site gets a verdict. We tell you which are essential, which are redundant, which have better alternatives, and which are actively slowing your site. No guesswork.
Specific caching settings for your hosting environment. Whether you need WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache or server-side caching, we tell you exactly which plugin to use and how to configure it for your specific setup.
Which images need compressing, what format to convert to, which tool to use (Imagify, ShortPixel, or built-in hosting tools), and how to set up automatic optimisation for future uploads so the problem does not come back.
If your hosting is the bottleneck, we tell you. We recommend specific Australian hosting providers that suit your site's needs and budget. If your current hosting is fine, we say so - we do not push unnecessary hosting changes.
Your WordPress speed audit report is delivered within 2-3 business days. Need it faster? Same-day or next-day priority audit available - just ask.
WordPress Speed Audit: 1.5-2 hours at $99/hr ($148-$198 + GST)
We confirm the expected time before we start. If the audit takes less time than estimated, you only pay for actual hours worked. Initial consultation is always free.
We check Google PageSpeed Insights scores for desktop and mobile, Core Web Vitals including LCP, FID and CLS, plugin count and conflicts, theme and page builder performance, caching configuration, image sizes and optimisation, database bloat, JavaScript and CSS delivery, server response time, hosting suitability, CDN configuration and mobile-specific performance. You get a prioritised report showing exactly what is slowing your site down.
Our WordPress speed audit takes 1.5 to 2 hours at $99 per hour, so the typical cost is $148 to $198 plus GST. We confirm the expected time before we start. If the audit takes less time than estimated, you only pay for actual hours worked. Initial consultation is always free.
The most common causes we find are too many plugins with many redundant or conflicting, page builder bloat from Divi or Avada loading 2MB or more of CSS and JavaScript on every page, unoptimised images with 5MB hero images when 200KB would do, no caching configured, cheap shared hosting struggling under load, render-blocking CSS and JavaScript, and database bloat from years of post revisions and transients. A speed audit identifies exactly what is causing your slowdown.
Google recommends pages load within 2.5 seconds for a good user experience. Most WordPress sites we audit in Melbourne load in 5 to 10 seconds, some even longer. Every second of delay costs you visitors - research shows 53% of mobile users leave a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Google also uses page speed as a ranking factor, so slow sites rank lower in search results.
Yes, but it depends on how much bloat the theme adds. Divi and Avada load 2MB or more of CSS and JavaScript on every page even when those features are not used. We can optimise caching, images and database to improve speed significantly, but there is a limit to how fast a bloated theme can go. Our audit tells you honestly whether optimisation is enough or whether the theme needs replacing for real speed improvements.
Yes. Google uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor. Faster sites rank higher and get more organic traffic. Page speed also directly affects conversion rates because visitors leave slow sites before they see your content. We have seen ranking improvements within weeks of implementing speed audit recommendations.
Most WordPress speed audits are completed within 2 to 3 business days. If you need it faster, we offer same-day or next-day priority audits. Just ask when you book and we will accommodate your timeline.
Sometimes a caching plugin is all you need, and we will tell you that honestly. But if your site has 30 plugins, a bloated theme, unoptimised images and database issues, a caching plugin alone will not fix it. A speed audit identifies every problem so you fix the right things in the right order instead of guessing. We have seen businesses waste money on premium caching plugins when the real problem was their hosting or theme.
Free consultation. We will check your current page speed and tell you what your site needs. No obligation.
Call 0412 606 287Or email frank@sitedesignnow.com
The new WordPress brings built-in AI to every website, and the time to act is now. We offer three services to help Melbourne, Logan and South East QLD businesses get AI-ready, fix WordPress problems fast, and add a smart AI assistant to their site, with training included. Local support, no lock-ins, no jargon.
We offer a free audit that checks your PHP version, plugins, hosting and database. Most sites need minor updates. We handle everything on a staging copy so your live site is never at risk.
A contact form waits for a visitor to fill it in and hope you reply in time. An AI assistant responds instantly, 24 hours a day, answers the specific question they have, and captures their details before they lose interest and call a competitor. Most enquiries are lost because the response is too slow. AI fixes that.
Fewer missed enquiries (AI responds instantly, even at 2am), lower admin workload (common questions answered automatically), more bookings (AI qualifies leads and books appointments), and a better customer experience. Accurate answers every time, without putting anyone on hold.
It can answer customer questions 24/7, capture leads and book appointments, help shoppers find products, recover abandoned carts, send review requests, and follow up with past clients, all automatically, while you focus on your work.
Yes. An AI shopping assistant can answer product questions, help customers find the right item, follow up on abandoned carts, handle returns and refund queries, and send post-purchase review requests, all automatically. Stores typically see fewer support emails and higher conversion rates.
No. We tune the AI's tone to match your brand, whether that's a friendly tradie, a professional clinic, or a polished retailer. It uses your own words, service descriptions and FAQs. Most customers have no idea they're talking to an AI until they're told.
Most emergency fixes are resolved same day. Simple plugin conflicts are usually sorted within 2–4 hours. We prioritise broken sites, especially when WooCommerce or bookings are affected.
Not necessarily. Many sites on popular Australian hosts (Hostinger, VentraIP, SiteGround, WP Engine) will be compatible with minor configuration changes, mainly PHP version and memory limit. We check this in the free audit. If your hosting has restrictions, we'll tell you exactly what needs to change or recommend a better-suited plan.
No. We install the AI on your existing WordPress site. No rebuild needed. If you're currently on Wix, Squarespace or GoDaddy, we migrate you to WordPress first, then add AI from day one.
Yes, that's exactly what the training session covers. We show you how to add new FAQs, update service information, review conversation logs and adjust the AI's tone, all through your WordPress admin, no coding required.
Yes, we provide on-site consultations and training across Melbourne, Logan & South East QLD. All technical work is handled remotely, but we can meet in person for discovery and training sessions.
Not getting enquiries from your WordPress website? Ads spending but no leads? WordPress site running slow? We audit WordPress websites, Google Ads accounts, WordPress performance and SEO to find exactly what's wrong and give you a clear plan to fix it. Plain English reports, no jargon, real recommendations you can act on.
A website audit is a thorough review of your website to find problems that are stopping it from performing well. This could be slow page speed, poor SEO, thin content, broken tracking, or wasted ad spend. Think of it like getting your car serviced - you find the issues before they become expensive problems. Most Melbourne businesses we audit discover issues they had no idea existed.
Our audits start at $99/hour, and most take 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the scope. A basic website health check might take 1.5 hours ($148.50 + GST), while a comprehensive Google Ads audit with search term analysis typically takes 2-3 hours. We tell you the expected time before we start, so there are no surprises.
A professional report written in plain English - no tech jargon. It covers exactly what we found, why it matters, and what we recommend doing about it. Each recommendation includes what to do, why it matters, and the expected outcome. You can use the report to fix things yourself, or we can do the work for you.
Yes - this is one of the most common reasons businesses contact us. We've audited Google Ads accounts where over 50% of the budget was going to Display Network banner ads (worthless for local services), ads were showing across all of Australia instead of the local area, and there was zero conversion tracking. We find exactly where the money is going and give you a clear plan to fix it.
We run a full performance audit covering page speed scores, plugin conflicts, image sizes, caching configuration, hosting quality and mobile performance. We've improved sites from 10+ second load times down to under 3 seconds. Speed directly affects your Google ranking and how many visitors stay on your site.
We specialise in WordPress and WooCommerce, but our SEO and Google Ads audits apply to any website platform. If your site is on Wix, Squarespace or another platform, we can still audit your SEO, content quality, and Google Ads account.
We design sites that are modern, mobile-responsive, and easy to navigate.
From store setup to advanced cart features, we streamline your online sales.
Fast, secure hosting with ongoing support means you’re never left in the dark.
We refine pages and content to connect you with ready-to-buy customers in Melbourne.
Need a fresh look or new features? We’ll revamp your pages and keep you relevant.
Hosting failures or data loss can happen. We fix the root issue, restore your site, and back up everything.
We apply updated logos, colours, or brand elements seamlessly across your site.
We resolve plugin or theme conflicts to give users a stable, hassle-free experience.
We look for Google indexing errors or broken links, then fix them for better visibility.
If malware strikes, we clean it out and prevent future intrusions.
We sort out spam filters, server errors, or shift you to Office 365.
We guard your checkouts from fraud, safeguarding your reputation.
We handle design, domain pointing, backups, and migration to a hosting service that suits your needs.
We create, optimise, and update online shops so you can offer products or services easily.
Broken checkout pages, slow site loading, or glitchy plugins? We identify and fix them promptly.
Faster sites rank higher. We compress images, optimise code, and sharpen SEO tactics.
If your old developer left things half-done, we’ll step in, fill the gaps, and polish your site.
Server meltdown or file corruption can be stressful. We retrieve data, fix the issue, and restore your online presence.
Need a new look? We redesign and update your pages, focusing on user-friendliness.
We track down code or plugin conflicts and resolve them, ensuring a stable site.
We fix indexing blocks, meta issues, or broken links, helping you climb search rankings.
We fight malware infections, apply patches, and change credentials to keep your site safe.
We manage WordPress updates, keep track of plugin conflicts, & fine-tune performance, all with zero fuss.
One call to 0412 606 287 sorts out your hosting or technical needs quickly. You do what you do best—we’ll handle the rest.
We specialise in blocking threats and removing malicious code if an attack happens. Suspect a breach? Let’s talk right away.
Sleep better knowing your site is protected. For emergencies, phone 0412 606 287.
At Now Technology Systems, we offer all-in-one services, from website builds to hosting and SEO. If you want a new WooCommerce store or you’re just keen on securing your site, we’re around whenever you need us.
Web Design Services built to stand out and run smoothly every day.
Over the years, we’ve helped many Melbourne businesses get online, sell more, and stay secure. Our offerings include custom designs, eCommerce support, WordPress fixes, hosting, SEO, and finalising half-completed websites. If you need help or want to chat about your next move, let’s connect.
Web Design for businesses large or small in Melbourne, delivering practical solutions that work.
Phone: 0412 606 287
Email: info@webdesignmelbournenow.com.au
Use the form below. We’ll respond during business hours.