I’ve been working hard to attract more visitors to my affiliate marketing blog. Then I discovered something that made me wonder how many potential readers might be leaving before they even got started.
In one Google mobile performance test, the largest visible element on my homepage took a staggering 20.6 seconds to appear!
Not exactly the first impression I wanted to make.
It turns out that some of the featured images I’ve been creating for my articles were contributing to a much bigger loading problem than I’d realized.
So yesterday, instead of writing another article, I spent a good part of the day investigating WordPress image optimization with the help of ChatGPT.
And I think I’ve finally found a way to tackle the problem.
But it hasn’t all been technical headaches.
My cumulative ClickBank Profit Club commissions have now reached approximately $1,760, and I’ve gained another email subscriber.
Meanwhile, it’s been a rather peaceful All Saints’ weekend here in Sweden, with visits to beautifully candlelit family graves, some work at my regular job, and a stubborn cold that still refuses to go away.
Here’s what happened this weekend, what I discovered about my website, and what I’m doing to make things better.
My Affiliate Earnings Have Reached Approximately $1,760
First, some good news.
My total affiliate commissions associated with ClickBank Profit Club have now reached approximately $1,760.
That’s my cumulative gross commission figure, not net business profit after expenses.
It’s encouraging to see the total gradually increasing, even though individual days and weeks can look very different.
Some periods bring several commissions, while others are considerably quieter.
I’ve learned that affiliate marketing isn’t necessarily about generating a new sale every single day. It’s about developing systems and relationships that can continue creating opportunities over time.
Of course, I’m still working on building more consistent traffic to my own website.
If you’re interested in the affiliate marketing community and training I’ve been using, you can explore ClickBank Profit Club. The basic membership is free, with optional paid upgrades available.
Another New Email Subscriber
I’ve also gained one more subscriber since my previous update.
It’s only one person, but every subscriber represents someone who has shown enough interest to join my email list.
I want that list to grow substantially over time.
However, attracting subscribers is only half the job. Building trust and sharing useful information is just as important.
That’s why I continue to work on my blog alongside social media marketing.
I’d like my website to become a place where people can find helpful information about affiliate marketing, digital products, online tools and the lessons I’m learning along the way.
And that brings me to yesterday’s discovery.
Why I Started Investigating My WordPress Website Speed
I spent a considerable part of Saturday examining my website’s performance.
I’ve been putting plenty of effort into writing SEO-friendly articles, improving internal linking and sharing content on LinkedIn, Facebook and Substack.
But I started wondering whether visitors were actually getting a good experience when they arrived.
So I opened Google PageSpeed Insights and examined my website.
The result was rather disappointing.
My mobile performance score was 65 out of 100, and one test reported a Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of approximately 20.6 seconds.
That’s extremely slow.
LCP measures how long it takes for the largest visible content element to appear on the screen.
Google recommends an LCP of 2.5 seconds or less for a good user experience.
A slow result doesn’t automatically mean that every real visitor experiences the same delay. PageSpeed’s laboratory tests simulate particular devices and network conditions.
Nevertheless, the results made it clear that I had some work to do.
The Main Problem: Too Many Large Images
As I worked through the report with ChatGPT, one problem stood out.
My homepage was loading far too much image data.
Several of my featured images were PNG files weighing hundreds of kilobytes each.
One was approximately 756 KB, another about 731 KB, and several others were in the same range.
That might not seem terrible when looking at one image individually.
But when a homepage displays multiple articles, featured images and smaller thumbnails, all those files add up.
Google’s report estimated that better image delivery could potentially reduce the amount of data downloaded by approximately 6 MB.
That was quite an eye-opener!
It also identified one of my most recent featured images as the largest visible content element on the page.
I had spent plenty of time making those images attractive, but not enough time thinking about their file sizes.
A lesson learned.
How I’m Optimizing My WordPress Images
Fortunately, I discovered that my website already had a useful plugin installed: LiteSpeed Cache.
Rather than installing several different optimization plugins, I decided to work with the tools already available.
Here’s the process I’ve followed.
1. Identify the Problem With PageSpeed Insights
I started by checking my website using Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool.
The most useful sections were the recommendations for improving image delivery and the LCP breakdown.
These helped me understand which images were contributing to the problem.
2. Review the Existing WordPress Plugins
I then examined my installed plugins to see whether I already had a suitable image optimization tool.
LiteSpeed Cache was active, but its cloud image optimization service hadn’t been fully connected.
3. Connect LiteSpeed Cache to QUIC.cloud
I connected my website to QUIC.cloud, which provides image optimization services for LiteSpeed Cache.
This allows image files to be processed outside my WordPress server.
I didn’t need to activate a separate content delivery network or change my website’s DNS settings for this step.
4. Enable WebP Image Optimization
Next, I enabled WebP as the preferred next-generation image format.
WebP can provide substantially smaller image files than many traditional PNG images, depending on the image content.
I also kept the option to retain backups of my original images.
That matters because I want the ability to restore them if something doesn’t look right.
5. Enable Automatic Image Optimization
Finally, I enabled automatic optimization requests.
The system has already begun sending images to QUIC.cloud for processing.
I’m hoping to see more progress over roughly the next 24 hours, but the exact timing depends on the processing queue and whether the optimized images are successfully returned to WordPress.
I haven’t yet confirmed the final improvement in loading speed.
For anyone using the same plugin, LiteSpeed provides an official image optimization guide explaining the settings and process.
One important point: don’t run multiple image optimization plugins against the same files without checking for conflicts.
Will WordPress Image Optimization Improve My Google Rankings?
That’s certainly something I’m interested in.
However, I don’t want to exaggerate what improving website speed can accomplish.
Google considers Core Web Vitals as part of its broader approach to search quality and page experience.
But improving loading speed doesn’t guarantee higher rankings.
A fast website with unhelpful content isn’t necessarily going to outperform a slightly slower website that answers a searcher’s question exceptionally well.
My goal is to improve both.
I want to publish helpful, original articles that address real questions people have.
And I want those articles to load quickly when someone discovers them.
I’ve already written about several ways to get traffic to your blog, and this experience has reminded me that attracting visitors is only one part of the process.
You also need to give visitors a good reason to stay.
Once the image optimization has finished, I’ll run another PageSpeed test.
If further adjustments are needed, such as improving how scripts load or reducing unnecessary page elements, I’ll examine those next.
For now, I’m tackling one problem at a time.
Building an Online Business Means Learning New Skills
One thing I’ve found interesting about affiliate marketing is how much there is to learn beyond simply promoting products.
Content writing, SEO, website performance, analytics, email marketing and product creation all play a role.
I certainly didn’t start this journey as an expert in all these areas.
And I’m still learning.
But that’s also one reason I’ve invested in education and mentorship.
Alongside ClickBank Profit Club, I’ve been involved with the Coaching Profit System as part of my longer-term plans to create and market digital products.
I’m increasingly realizing that building an online business involves much more than choosing a product and sharing an affiliate link.
It’s about putting together an entire system that works.
A Quiet and Beautiful All Saints’ Day in Sweden
Outside of all the website work, yesterday was also All Saints’ Day here in Sweden.
It’s a special time when many people visit cemeteries to remember relatives and loved ones who have passed away.
We visited several family graves.
Everything was beautifully illuminated with candles and lights, creating a peaceful and rather moving atmosphere.
I think it’s a lovely tradition.
Sometimes it’s good to spend time away from screens, statistics and business plans.
There are things in life that matter considerably more than website traffic or affiliate commissions.
I’ve also spent some time working at my regular job this weekend.
So it hasn’t been completely free from responsibilities, but overall it’s been a relatively quiet few days.
Still Recovering From a Stubborn Cold
Unfortunately, my cold is still hanging around.
And it’s a fairly nasty one.
I’m hoping it will finally start easing soon because I don’t particularly enjoy being kept away from my normal exercise routine.
But I’m not going to force myself through demanding training while I’m still feeling unwell.
There are obviously much bigger problems in the world than having a cold, so I’m not complaining too much.
Still, it does make you feel a little behind with things.
When you’re used to exercising regularly, working, creating content and keeping a fairly structured routine, even a few quieter days can feel strange.
For now, recovering is the priority.
And thankfully, working on website improvements doesn’t require the same physical effort as an interval session on the exercise bike!
My Priorities for the Coming Week
Looking ahead, I want to concentrate on a few things.
First, I want to confirm that the automatic image optimization is actually working and that the smaller files are being delivered correctly.
Then I’ll repeat the PageSpeed test and compare the results with the original measurements.
If the website still needs further optimization, I’ll work through the remaining issues.
I also want to continue publishing useful articles, growing my email list and improving the traffic coming from Google and social platforms.
The next stage of my business isn’t just about creating more content.
It’s about making everything I’ve already built work better.
That includes the website itself.
Final Thoughts: Another Small Step Forward
This weekend has been relatively quiet, but there has still been some progress.
My cumulative ClickBank Profit Club commissions have reached approximately $1,760.
I’ve gained another email subscriber.
And I’ve discovered and started fixing a genuine technical problem with my website.
There’s still work to do, and I don’t know yet how much the site’s performance will improve once the image optimization is complete.
But at least I now understand the problem much better.
Combined with a meaningful All Saints’ Day, some regular work and a few days of recovering from a cold, it’s been a fairly typical mixture of business and everyday life.
That’s what this journey is really about for me.
Not spectacular success every day.
Just continuing to learn, improve and move forward.
Interested in Building Your Own Affiliate Business?
If you’re getting started with affiliate marketing, you can explore ClickBank Profit Club, which offers a free basic membership with optional paid upgrades.
And if you’re interested in developing and marketing your own digital products, you can also learn more about the Coaching Profit System.
Both have been part of my own business journey, but neither guarantees income or business success.
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Any earnings mentioned are my own cumulative gross commissions, not net profit, and are not typical or guaranteed results.
