5 tips for a faster static site

Static sites are already fast by default, but a few habits separate a good one from a great one.

1. Ship less JavaScript than you think you need. Most content-heavy pages don't need a framework running client-side at all — reach for interactivity only where the page actually requires it.

2. Compress and size your images before they ever reach your build folder. A single unoptimized hero image can outweigh your entire JS bundle.

3. Set far-future cache headers on hashed static assets (most build tools already name-hash your files, so this is usually a one-time setup, not ongoing work).

4. Preload the fonts and critical assets your first paint actually depends on, and lazy-load everything below the fold.

5. Measure before you optimize. A five-minute pass with your browser's performance panel usually finds the one thing worth fixing, instead of guessing at ten things that don't matter.

None of this is exotic advice — it's the boring fundamentals. But the boring fundamentals are what actually move the needle for visitors on a slow connection.