WordPress Optimization & Homepage Revamp

I have a self-hosted WordPress site that needs a tidy, measurable boost. At present I’m handling everything by hand—no Yoast SEO, WP Super Cache or Jetpack running—so you’ll be starting on a mostly blank plugin slate. The first priority is the homepage: it should load noticeably faster, follow solid on-page SEO structure and be locked down against the usual security nuisances, all while preserving its current look and feel.

Here’s what counts as done for me:
• Homepage rebuilt or refined so it consistently hits sub-two-second loads on both desktop and mobile tests (Lighthouse or GTmetrix).
• Clean, lightweight optimisation stack put in place and documented—whether that’s selective caching, image compression, code minification or a smarter theme tweak is up to you.
• Basic hardening measures applied (.htaccess rules, login protection, updated salts, etc.) with a short write-up so I can maintain them.
• One-page summary showing before/after metrics and the exact steps taken.

No theme swaps, no bulk plugin bloat—just targeted improvements that keep the existing design intact.
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