Speed wins: how Dealer Inspire

optimizes performance &

Core Web Vitals

When was the last time you checked the health of your dealership’s website?

Slow load times, third-party scripts, and excessive widgets can silently drag down performance — frustrating your visitors before they even start shopping.

That’s why Dealer Inspire created the Website Health Report — a powerful tool that gives you a detailed breakdown of your website’s speed and what’s slowing it down. It analyzes your Core Web Vitals scores, identifies third-party widgets and plug-ins, and lists installed scripts and tags so you can take action.


Available in the Marketing Analysis & Performance section of the Cars Commerce Hub beginning March 17, 2025 — this report delivers clear, actionable insights to help you eliminate bottlenecks, optimize performance, and keep your site running at top speed.

The bigger picture: Why site speed & user experience matter

While Google’s Core Web Vitals (CWV) have been widely discussed in SEO and automotive circles, their actual role in search rankings has evolved. Today, CWV scores primarily serve as a tie-breaker when competing sites perform equally well, rather than a direct path to the top of the SERP.

Think of it like this: Speed matters, but user experience is the true heavyweight in driving results. If your site loads fast but sacrifices usability or visual appeal, you risk losing customers despite your technical efficiency. 

It’s not about choosing between performance and functionality — it’s about balancing the two. A fast, visually stable site with intuitive navigation and relevant content keeps visitors exploring inventory, engaging deeply with your site’s shopping tools, and ultimately converting into buyers.

Let’s break down the specifics of how your site is scored, common misconceptions, and practical ways to optimize speed without sacrificing customer experience.

What are Core Web Vitals?

There are three key elements that make up your site’s Core Web Vitals: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

Other important metrics

Supplemental to Core Web Vitals are First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Time to First Byte (TTFB). These are terms you’ll likely run into while monitoring your site performance, so it’s good to understand what they mean.

• FCP: Measures when the first piece of content appears (1.8 seconds or less is ideal).
• TTFB: Measures how quickly the server responds (800ms or less is good).

Why is context key with CWV?

Google’s standards are strict — so strict that most dealer websites fall short on Core Web Vitals. While these scores measure important aspects of site performance, they are not a primary factor in determining search rankings. Instead of chasing perfect scores, you should focus on practical improvements that enhance usability and keep shoppers engaged.

A fast website that doesn’t guide customers to inventory, drive conversions, or deliver a seamless experience won’t help you sell more cars. Instead, the focus should be platform enhancements that create a simplified shopping journey.

What is Dealer Inspire doing to improve your speed and experience?

We continuously optimize “under the hood” aspects of our platform for faster load times and peak efficiency, including:

Infrastructure updates

Recent platform upgrades have significantly improved site efficiency:

• Time to First Byte (TTFB) reduced by 60% on homepages, making initial loads much faster.
• First Contentful Paint (FCP) improved by 40%, ensuring users see visual content sooner.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) improved by 25%, reducing unexpected page jumps.

Image optimization for instant rendering

By optimizing image delivery through a consolidated Content Delivery Network (CDN) and implementing on-the-fly optimization, we’ve significantly improved load speeds and efficiency. Using next-gen formats like .webp and .avif — preferred by Google — we ensure faster performance and a smoother user experience.

Maximizing site speed with an integrated toolset

When your digital platform is pieced together from multiple vendors, it naturally slows down performance and complicates the user experience. That’s why our  platform is built to work seamlessly, enhancing site speed while integrating all the key shopping tools customers need — no widgets needed.

Lightning-fast search results

With 10 millisecond inventory load times, shoppers get instant results as they search for a vehicle. This speed creates a frictionless shopping experience, allowing your customer to stay focused and moving toward purchase.

With these optimizations, Dealer Inspire continues to deliver a seamless, high-performance digital experience — helping your dealership keep shoppers engaged and drive more sales.

What can you do to improve your site’s speed?

Dealer Inspire provides a robust platform built for speed and efficiency, but there are additional steps you can take to maximize performance.

Streamline third-party plug-ins & clean up old code

Regularly audit and remove unnecessary or duplicate plug-ins, as they can slow down page load times and affect visual stability. If you’ve ended a vendor contract, reach out to Dealer Inspire Support to delete outdated scripts and prevent lingering performance issues.

Optimize images & videos

Use image compression tools to reduce file sizes without losing quality. Regularly audit media files to ensure only essential, optimized assets are used.

Check your website health report

Regularly check your Website Health Report to monitor your Core Web Vitals, while also keeping an eye on the impact third-party widgets and marketing tags are having on your website. 

The bottom line: why site speed really matters

Your website’s speed isn’t just a technical metric — it’s a business driver. While it’s not the sole factor in search rankings, it directly impacts customer satisfaction, engagement, and conversions.

A smooth, friction-free online journey is essential to keeping shoppers engaged. A fast, user-friendly site ensures they stay longer, explore further, and are more likely to convert into repeat buyers. 

But remember — speed alone isn’t enough. The real key is finding the right balance between performance, functionality, and content quality to stand out in a competitive market.