When it Comes to Your Website's speed, not all Platforms are Created Equal

Andy Carter • December 20, 2017

As the web has become more ubiquitous and vital in our lives, so has the desire for a better user-experience. These days, it's often jarring to still occasionally come across a website that isn't mobile-friendly and requires you to pinch-to-zoom to read its microscopic text on your phone. And your site also needs to be fast: no one has time to sit and wait for a loading spinner. Even if they do, they're likely not going to have enough patience to remain on your website for very long.


For website owners, there exists a variety of best-practices and user-friendly tools. Google Pagespeed Insights has long been a popular tool for evaluating common problems such as the need for image compression or code minification. But this is a very "one-size-fits-all" approach. What Pagespeed Insights does is scan the source code of the page for things that may be indicative of a problem, but these are just best guesses based on common issues. This often means that essential, non-problematic files end up getting flagged as problems. 

If it sees a JavaScript file in your website's header (which, in 2017, you're going to have at least one of), it flags it as a potential problem, even if it's an optimized file that's necessary for the website to render. It's the same story with images: large banner images are simply always going to be larger than thumbnails, no matter how much you compress them, but Google will mark anything higher than a few kilobytes as potential for improvement. These suggestions can be helpful, but they're sort of an analogue to the cliche of asking "Have you tried restarting your computer?" each time you're experiencing a technical problem.


But try as you might to shave a few extra bytes off every photo, unless you're hand-coding every aspect of your website from back-end to front-end, you're very likely not going to have control over every stop in the loading pipeline. What if the platform itself is contributing to the problem?

I decided to do a bit of small-scale testing with some of our clients' websites, using 6 different sites: half of them on HubSpot, half on Squarespace. While this wasn't entirely scientific, I was still rather surprised at what I found.

Average time to load, when resource-caching is disabled:


Squarespace websites:
Site 1: 6.2 seconds

Site 2: 5.56 seconds

Site 3: 2.7 seconds


HubSpot websites:

Site 4: 1.74 seconds

Site 5: 1.25 seconds

Site 6: 2.07 seconds


If you're interested in seeing the loading pipeline of your own website, Chrome actually has a built-in developer tool, located within the network tab, that displays every single file and resource on a web page as it loads. For Squarespace, I found that the vast majority of these files are things that are a part of the Squarespace platform and not user-configurable content or customization. I've also come across a lot of user complaints on Squarespace help forums about website speed. 


This test is, of course, not conclusive enough to make any sort of broad, sweeping statements about either CMS. I'm not claiming that everyone's Squarespace experience is a slow mess. Nor am I claiming that every HubSpot site will automatically be optimized for a quick experience. Quite the opposite: most modern CMSes give you enough tools to drastically slow down your website if you don't know what you're doing. However, what I do think is important is to do your research on a given CMS's other websites, users, and reviews before settling on one. 


The fragmentation of search. Why Being Found Is No Longer Just About Google

The Fragmentation of Search: Why Being Found Is No Longer Just About Google

By Rikki Broussard • July 23, 2026
Your customers are still searching. They are just no longer searching in one place. They may start with Google, ask ChatGPT to compare their options, watch a YouTube video, look for examples on Instagram, read reviews, or open a map to find a nearby business. This does not mean your company needs to chase every new platform. It also does not mean SEO is dead. The best response to fragmented search is to strengthen the foundation you already have. Build a clear, credible website, answer the questions your customers ask, share real expertise, and ensure your business appears consistently on the platforms that matter to your audience. AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, is part of that approach. It helps search engines and AI tools find and understand your answers, but it works best when it is built on strong SEO . Why Are Customers Searching in So Many Different Places? Customers are searching in more places because they now have more ways to find the type of information they want. Every Monday during our BlinkJar staff meeting, each person brings an industry update to discuss. One recent conversation about artificial intelligence and its impact on search reminded me of what happened to television. Jared, my husband and BlinkJar’s founder , spent years working in television. At one time, a few broadcast networks held most of the audience. Then cable created more choices. Streaming services, YouTube, social video, and on-demand programming divided attention even further. Television did not disappear. People gained more ways to watch. Search is moving in the same direction. A prospective customer may search Google for a service, ask an AI assistant to explain the differences between providers, watch a video to see how something works, and read reviews before visiting a company’s website. The challenge is not that Google has stopped working. It is that businesses can no longer assume every customer will begin there. Does My Business Still Need SEO? Yes, your business absolutely needs SEO as it remains the foundation of being discovered online. Google continues to drive valuable, high-intent traffic for businesses. A strong website also gives AI tools, maps, social platforms, and prospective customers a reliable place to learn who you are and what you offer. Your website needs clear service pages, useful location information, simple navigation, relevant internal links, and a sound technical structure. Search engines must be able to crawl, index, and understand your pages. Traditional SEO is not being replaced. It is supporting a larger discovery ecosystem. Think of your website as your company’s home base. Social media, maps, reviews, search engines, and AI tools may help customers find you, but your website is where you control the complete story. 
Kingsley Working

What I Learned as a Marketing Intern at BlinkJar Media

By Kingsley Lavender • July 20, 2026
Kingsley Lavender shares what he learned as a marketing intern at BlinkJar Media, including SEO, website updates, content marketing, and real-world agency experience.

Why Personal Connections Matter More Than Ever in an AI-Driven Marketing World?

By Caroline Thaxton • July 10, 2026
Artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses approach content marketing , social media marketing , and digital communications. AI can generate ideas, streamline workflows, and help marketers create content faster than ever before. At Blinkjar, we embrace AI as a powerful tool, but we also know the most impactful marketing still begins with something technology can't replicate: a genuine human connection. As a Creative Content Specialist at Blinkjar , some of my most valuable work happens away from my desk. Meeting with clients, visiting their businesses, and building real relationships gives me a deeper understanding of who they are and what makes their brands unique. Those face-to-face interactions help me create authentic content that reflects each client's personality , values, and story. Can AI Really Tell Your Brand's Story? Every business has a story worth telling . While AI can help organize information, brainstorm ideas, and improve efficiency, it can't experience a company's culture, observe customer interactions, or hear the passion behind why a business was started. That’s why every interaction matters. Whether we’re on a call, exchanging emails, meeting in person, capturing photos and videos, or simply talking through new ideas, each touchpoint helps us better understand the businesses we support. These conversations allow us to see how a brand operates, hear the stories behind the work, and uncover the details that make it unique. Those real insights often become the foundation for stronger content because they reveal perspectives that AI simply can’t generate. How Do Client Conversations Lead to Better Content Marketing? The more time I spend with the businesses we support, the better I can represent their brand. Photoshoots are one way those connections happen, but many of my strongest content ideas come from everyday conversations, planning calls, emails, meetings, and moments when a client shares something we would not have known otherwise. Those small details often become the difference between content that feels generic and content that feels true to the brand. Whether we're discussing a new project, talking through their day-to-day operations, or simply catching up, those conversations give me the context I need to write content that's accurate, authentic, and true to their voice. Instead of relying on assumptions, I can pull directly from their experiences, expertise, and personality . That's what transforms content from informative to meaningful.