Core Web Vitals in 2026

If your website looks great but isn’t generating consistent enquiries, performance could be the hidden issue.

In 2026, Google still rewards websites that load quickly, feel smooth to use, and don’t frustrate people on mobile. That’s what Core Web Vitals are all about: real-world user experience signals that influence how your site performs in search and how well it converts once people land on it.

The good news? You don’t need a complete rebuild to see improvements. In many cases, a few targeted updates can make your website faster, more usable, and far more likely to turn visitors into customers.

Want to know if your website performance is helping or hurting your enquiries?
Send us your URL and we’ll point out the quickest wins you can action straight away.

Call: 01424 400090 | Email: hello@freshonline.net

What are Core Web Vitals, in plain English?

Core Web Vitals are a set of performance metrics that reflect how your website feels to real users. Think of them as the difference between a site that loads instantly and is easy to use on mobile, versus a site that takes ages, jumps around, and makes people give up.

They focus on three main areas:

1) Loading speed

How quickly the main content shows up. If someone clicks your site from Google and has to stare at a blank screen, they’re more likely to leave.

2) Interactivity

How responsive your site feels. Buttons should click when tapped, menus should open quickly, and pages should feel smooth.

3) Visual stability

How stable the page is while it loads. Ever tried to click something and the page shifts, so you click the wrong thing? This is what visual stability aims to prevent.

Why it matters: these aren’t just “Google metrics”. They’re user experience metrics. And user experience affects everything: rankings, trust, enquiries, and sales.

How Core Web Vitals impact SEO in 2026

You can have the best content in your area, but if your website is slow or frustrating, performance can hold you back.

Here’s how it tends to show up:

• Higher bounce rates: people leave quickly if pages take too long
• Lower engagement: fewer page views, fewer form submissions, fewer calls
• Reduced visibility: especially in competitive local searches where many sites offer similar services
• Wasted ad spend: if you’re running Google Ads and the landing page is slow, you pay for clicks that don’t convert

For small businesses, this is often the difference between “we get traffic but no leads” and “we’re fully booked”.

Signs your website performance is costing you enquiries

If any of these sound familiar, performance is worth checking:

• Your site feels slow on mobile data, even if it’s fine on Wi-Fi
• People tell you they “couldn’t find what they needed” (even though it’s there)
• Your traffic is OK, but enquiries are inconsistent
• Your pages load in chunks, or images pop in late
• The layout jumps about while loading
• Forms feel clunky or take ages to submit

The biggest causes of slow websites (and what to do about them)

Here are the most common culprits we see for SMEs, plus fixes that don’t require a full rebuild.

1) Image files that are far too large

This is the number one issue on service websites.

What to do:

• Resize images to the maximum size they’ll be displayed (not huge originals)
• Compress images properly (without wrecking quality)
• Use modern formats like WebP where possible
• Add descriptive alt text (good for accessibility and SEO)

Quick win: your homepage hero banner is often the biggest offender.

2) Too many plugins or heavy features

WordPress websites can become sluggish if they’ve gathered too many plugins over time, especially page builders, sliders, pop-ups, and multiple tracking scripts.

What to do:

• Remove plugins you don’t use
• Replace heavy features with lightweight alternatives
• Check for duplicate functionality (for example, multiple SEO or caching plugins)

3) Cheap hosting (or the wrong hosting setup)

Hosting isn’t glamorous, but it matters. If the server is slow, everything is slow.

What to do:

• Upgrade to better hosting suited to your website size and traffic
• Consider managed WordPress hosting if performance is a priority
• Enable server-level caching where available

4) Too many fonts, animations, or “extras”

A website can be visually beautiful and still perform well, but unnecessary extras often slow things down.

What to do:

• Limit font families and weights
• Avoid auto-playing videos and heavy animations
• Keep effects subtle (especially on mobile)

5) No proper caching

Caching helps your site load faster for repeat visitors (and often improves first load too, depending on setup).

What to do:

• Use a reliable caching setup
• Make sure browser caching and compression are enabled
• Ensure your site is serving optimised assets

Performance improvements that also boost conversions

Speed is only half the story. The other half is how the website feels.

These upgrades improve Core Web Vitals and help convert more visitors:

Make navigation effortless on mobile

• Sticky call button for service businesses
• Simple menus
• Clear “Book / Enquire” buttons near the top of the page

Reduce friction on contact forms

• Keep forms short (name, email/phone, message)
• Make form labels clear
• Confirm submission with a helpful thank you message

Build trust quickly

• Add reviews near key call-to-actions
• Show accreditations, memberships, or experience
• Use real photos where possible (team, location, work)

When visitors trust you, they stay longer. When they stay longer, performance signals improve. Everything feeds into everything.

What you can do today (a practical checklist)

If you want a quick plan for your next website tidy-up, start here:

• Replace oversized images on your homepage
• Remove unused plugins and old scripts
• Test your site on mobile data (not Wi-Fi)
• Check that buttons are easy to tap on mobile
• Reduce pop-ups and heavy sliders
• Make sure your main call-to-action is visible quickly
• Add internal links to relevant services (keeps users moving)

Want this done properly, without the guesswork?
Our SEO Boost includes performance, on-page SEO and local improvements that help your website rank better and convert more leads.

How our SEO Boost helps (without a full rebuild)

If you want improvements that actually move the needle, this is where our SEO Boost package comes in.

It’s designed for small businesses that already have a website, but need it to perform better in search and convert more of the traffic they’re getting. Depending on what we find, an SEO Boost can include:

• Fixing technical SEO issues that slow down crawling and indexing
• Improving Core Web Vitals through performance tweaks (especially on mobile)
• Tightening up on-page SEO (titles, meta descriptions, headings, internal links)
• Improving key service pages so they match search intent and drive enquiries
• Strengthening local signals so you show up for the areas you actually serve

It’s a practical, targeted way to build momentum, without the time and cost of a complete redesign.

FAQs

Do Core Web Vitals really affect rankings?

They can. But more importantly, they reflect the experience your customers are having. Even if rankings stay the same, better performance often increases conversions.

What’s a “good” website speed?

As a rule of thumb, your key pages should feel fast on mobile, not just desktop. If it takes long enough that users notice it, it’s too slow.

Will improving speed guarantee more leads?

Not by itself, but it removes a major barrier. A faster, smoother website helps your SEO work harder and makes it easier for people to enquire.

Is this just for ecommerce websites?

No. Service businesses benefit massively because users are often in a hurry and comparing options quickly, especially in local searches.

Ready to improve your rankings and enquiries?

If you’re investing in SEO, content, or paid ads, your website performance needs to support it. Otherwise, you’re paying (in time or budget) to send people to a site that’s harder to use than it should be.

At FreshOnline, we help small businesses across Hastings, Sussex, Kent and 1066 Country improve website performance and visibility. If you’re not ready for a full rebuild, our SEO Boost is a great place to start. It focuses on the fixes and improvements that help your site rank better, run smoother, and generate more enquiries.

Ready to make your website faster, more user-friendly and more visible in Google?
If you’re not ready for a rebuild, our SEO Boost is the ideal starting point.

Call: 01424 400090
Email: hello@freshonline.net