It is the rare exception when the visitor will wait for a site to load. Consider the size of every piece of the site and determine if it can be made smaller or eliminated. A website redesign should involve an evaluation and possible redevelopment of graphics and photos. The present graphics may be unnecessary or may be unclear or too large. In any case each one should be reconsidered.
New software makes it possible to make better graphics that are smaller and load faster.
When redesigning a website it would be helpful to know as much as possible about how your customer is responding to your site. From the looks of the websites of many of the companies offering their design and development services it appears that many are one person operations. Either they are tech-gurus and lack the aesthetic abilities or they are artistic types that lack the technical know how to build a complex site. Building or redesign a website is best done with a team. A team can synergize their abilities and create a much better site.