why are they missing so much? Also are you saying that the players turns take a long time or that the combat takes many rounds of combat?
In general, I find my game so far is enjoyable with my players until combat begins. While my players appear to be enjoying themselves, some fights drag on into "swing and miss" for 30 minutes territory and I'm not sure if there's a good or proven way to inject speed and excitement into the combat... It's a bit... dreary.
Insist that players have their actions ready to go before their turn comes up. A round is six seconds long - you shouldn't get more than that to decide what your character does.
Insist that players have rules at-hand for every action they're taking. The SRD here on this site is a good one to use. Other sites and apps for Android and iOS do a great job, too. Very searchable.
Multiple dice rolled together. Attack and damage together, roll multiple attacks at the same time if you know they're going at the same target.
As a GM, have a plan laid out for your NPCs. You should know exactly what they're going to do if certain things happen. Nothing over the top but a quick little plan. Have your modifiers already written out.
Have players track their various bonuses on a sheet of paper. If your spellcasters are buffing (which they should if they know what they're doing), you can quickly get overwhelmed with the various bonuses if they don't have them in one spot.
Have players have the stats at-hand for their usual attacks. If you have a Paladin who wields a long sword, have it set so his two-handed, power attack while smiting evil is already calculated, as well as his two-handed power attack without smite, as well as his one-handed smite, and his one handed normal.
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Lots of things!
From a mechanics stand point (aka the most boring): lower the AC and saving throws of your bad guys.
From a game stand point (the better way): do things other than "I attack." One of the most boring ways to play a fight scene is to just roll an attack and hope it hits. Integrate tactics into the game. Mechanically, this is done by using aid another actions, or gaining flanking positions, or using Combat maneuvers to trip or grapple or bull rush or disarm or something else. Have your casters buff your warriors to make them hit better or debuff the bad guys.
But wait, there's more! This is a game of imagination! It's time to use it!
As humans, one of the things we're gifted at is the use of our imagination. It is what sets us apart from the other animals. We can envision things and then turn those visions into reality by using our hands and a bit of critical thinking. Pathfinder is a game designed around the use of our imagination, so it's time to get creative! Have your characters do things that are outside of the normal "swing and a miss" routine. Have them do things like funnel an opponent to a cliff, or wrap ropes around them (I once had a halfling that ran between a giant's legs round after round with rope until he was all tied up!). Don't let the rules hinder what you can do; be creative and be permissive as a GM. Use your terrain to your advantage! Throw sand in their face, get them in terrain that's difficult to move in and pelt them with ranged weapons, have the wizard (who may be out of spells) pull out a mirror and reflect the sun into the bad guy's eyes, surround your opponent and ask them to surrender, call a draw and part ways (or offer to buy your opponent a beer and talk about how to resolve your differences peacefully), distract them with free gold and attack them while they're down (throw it on the floor and pretend it's an offer of surrender), if it is a stupid bad guy then roll a vial of poison towards them and exclaim "oh no! I dropped by potion of fire breathing!" And watch as they gulp the poison down.
If you feel you're in a rut, just use your imagination to get more creative. :)
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Stop waiting for them.
That's the only trick you need. Have a quick discussion next session that you're picking up the pace, and get them to commit to it for a night, the whole night.
Then, MOVE. If a player doesn't know what he/she is doing, put them on delay. If they don't have the spell at hand, put them on delay.
(Don't make that first fight CR + 4)
But enforce the idea that you need to be ready, and they'll step up. Let them take their time, and they will.
Also if all the players are enjoying themselves then maybe it's not really an issue and you should figure something to entertain yourself while you wait.
Have arcane spell casters (and spontaneous divine casters) have all of their spells printed out before hand.
Have everyone have all of their feats and special abilities printed out in full.
For example:
If you are playing an Oracle copy the entire Oracle entry into a txt file and edit out the parts you aren't using. (revelations etc) and print out everything they Are using.
A wizard's spellbook, a sorc or whoever's spells known and all class information so it can be readily accessed by that character.
(herolab is great for this actually but it can be rather easily done by hand from the PRD as well.
For melee types, do all of that plus have several different melee options set up.
For my paladin I have:
Melee
Melee + Power attack
Melee + Smite
Melee + PA + Smite
so I have all the numbers laid out for anything I may do, with additional places below it for spells I frequently cast or have cast on me. (such as bonuses from haste, prot from evil, divine power, bardic abilities used on me and whatnot).
Have the melee use different colored die sets for their attacks.
All reds for attack 1, all blues for attack 2, all greens for attack 3, and so on. This allows 'em to roll all at once without worry for mixing them up or getting them out of order.
Ask spellcasters to be paying attention so they know what spell to cast when it is their turn. Be cognizant that sometimes things change and require a spell change but usually they can figure out what to do before their turn comes up. (and let 'em delay, if not.)
-S
Minute timer- We found that using a minute timer helped. If someone resolved their turn before the timer ran out they got a +1 to what they were doing.
Have one of the players have a stack of index cards with the characters and monsters name on it. At the start of combat put them in init order. That player can keep help remind people who are on deck.
A few others are already mentioned rolling dice together or ahead of time.
Spellbook aps for smartphones.
Condition cards
Because of construction for awhile we had 2 tables. One for sitting, rping and snacking. The other had the battle map, we would stand around the table in init order. That week combat flew by.
Knowing rules helps. Sometimes there are grey areas or just plain things you don't know. Try not to get bogged down in discussion hear out the issues quickly and make a call. If you are wrong make the correction later. At the next session say he last time we did this i have studied up and from now on its like this.
Think through a few options what will the enemies do if the wizard summons something, what if they all bunch up, when will the enemies flee (many things flee cause they like living), I find players will deal with enemies in interesting ways think through how they handled similar enemies and develop a few contingent plans.
Promote a table culture that enjoys failure almost as much as success. Laugh at your NPCs botched moves, have mistakes be as memorable as successes. No one is going to like losing, but a well timed mistake can turn become a comeback story. This fits into the imagination advice from above. Help them feel the excitement and they will start to create it.
As DM is common for several people to want your attention at the same time. Closely manage your attention, tactics like; "Hold that thought," asking another player to help someone with a question before you get to them, "let me wrap up the BBEG's round," and so on.
Have players run friendly NPCs if there is a helpful personality let a skilled player run the NPC. Alternatively push friendly NPCs off camera or into the background. If friendly NPC is fighting enemy NPC toe to toe. No reason to worry about the outcome till a pC is involved. If the PCs are mopping up go with the momentum and narrate it out. if the PCs are struggling go with the momentum. Just about every combat in Skull and Shackles AP works this way after all the party is 4-7 people but the ships are crewed by 30-40 people. So no reason to prolong things just roll with it.
Have players pre-roll their attacks and damage. (Or at very least, roll your damage dice at the same time you roll your attack.)
Also, if someone is taking too long to decide what they're doing, just put them on delay and go on to the next person.
And make sure to tell the players who is next in initiative, so they can have their turn planned out.