When I review website performance, I try to begin with the areas that create the biggest impact without adding unnecessary complexity. Very often the first gains come from images, CSS delivery, fonts or scripts that should not block so early.
I also look at how visible content is prioritized. If the hero, headings or main blocks take too long to stabilize, the perceived quality drops quickly even when the site is not especially heavy.
For me, optimization is not only about improving metrics. It is about delivering a faster, more stable experience while keeping a technical base that still makes sense for the future of the project.