Troubleshooting a Slow Website

Is your website loading slower than expected? 

We understand how frustrating that can be. 

At HOSTAFRICA, we prioritize performance by ensuring our servers are never overloaded—every client receives the resources included in their package.

However, websites can still slow down due to various reasons unrelated to the server. Before considering an upgrade, it’s important to identify the cause.

A great starting point is to use a free online tool such as:

• GTmetrix

• Pingdom Tools

• Google PageSpeed Insights

• WebPageTest

Visit GTmetrix.com
Enter your website URL (e.g. https://yourdomain.com)
Click “Test your site”

The tool will analyze your website and return a performance report showing:

• Page load speed

• Page size

• Number of requests

• Optimization tips (e.g., image compression, caching, and minifying CSS/JS)

Note: These tools test from international servers, so the reported speed might be slower than what you experience locally.

These tools often highlight specific problem areas such as:

• Minimize Redirects

• Leverage Browser Caching

• Optimize Images

• Reduce Server Response Time

• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Clicking on any of the suggestions will show a breakdown and recommended solutions.

Once you've identified what’s slowing your site down, you or your developer can take steps to address those issues. 

In many cases, small tweaks can significantly improve performance.

If your site is resource-heavy (e.g., running many plugins or handling large traffic), you may consider:

• Upgrading your hosting plan

• Switching to LiteSpeed or NGINX-based servers

• Using caching plugins (like WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache)

If you're unsure how to interpret the speed test results or how to improve your website’s performance, our support team is here for you.