Get the most out of WordPress

Don’t miss out on our latest WordPress tricks! Follow us on Facebook for daily tips and inspiration.

Q: Why did the WordPress developer go broke?

A: Because he used all his cache!

10 WordPress Tricks to Speed Up Your Website

Published on

by

Listed under

As a business owner, you know that speed is essential to keeping your visitors engaged and satisfied. Studies have shown that visitors will abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Additionally, Google has stated that site speed is a ranking factor in its search algorithm. Therefore, it’s crucial to optimize your website’s speed to improve user experience and rank higher in search engines. In this article, we will cover ten WordPress tricks to speed up your website.


Choose a Fast and Reliable Web Hosting Service

The foundation of a fast website is reliable web hosting. When choosing a web hosting service, consider the server’s location, uptime, and page loading speed. A fast server will help your site load quickly, especially during peak traffic periods. Some popular web hosting services with fast servers include Bluehost, SiteGround, and WP Engine.

  • Bluehost – a popular web hosting service that offers reliable servers with 99.9% uptime, free domain registration, and a variety of hosting plans to choose from.
  • SiteGround – a web hosting service that offers fast servers with 99.9% uptime, free site migration, and excellent customer support.
  • WP Engine – a web hosting service that specializes in WordPress hosting and offers lightning-fast servers, automatic WordPress updates, and excellent security features.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a group of servers that deliver cached static content from your project to users based on their geographic location. A CDN can significantly reduce the loading time by caching and delivering your project’s assets from the closest server to the user. Some popular CDN services include Cloudflare, MaxCDN, and Amazon CloudFront.

  • Cloudflare – a popular CDN service that offers a free plan with basic CDN features like caching and DDoS protection, as well as advanced security features for paid plans.
  • MaxCDN – a CDN service that offers fast and reliable delivery of website assets, with advanced features like real-time analytics and reporting.
  • Amazon CloudFront – a CDN service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that offers fast and reliable delivery of website assets, with pay-as-you-go pricing and advanced security features.

Optimize Images

Images are essential for engaging website visitors, but they can also slow down your website. To optimize images, compress them to reduce file size without sacrificing image quality. You can use plugins like Smush or ShortPixel to optimize images automatically.

  • Smush – a popular image optimization plugin that automatically compresses images without sacrificing quality, reducing the file size of images and improving loading time.
  • ShortPixel – an image optimization plugin that offers a variety of optimization options, including lossy and lossless compression, image resizing, and WebP image conversion.

Use a Caching Plugin

A caching plugin creates a static version of your pages, reducing the number of requests made to the server and improving loading time. Some popular caching plugins include W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, and WP Rocket.

  • W3 Total Cache – a popular caching plugin that creates static versions of web pages, reduces the number of requests made to the server, and improves website speed.
  • WP Super Cache – a caching plugin that creates static versions of pages and delivers them to users, reducing server load and improving site speed.
  • WP Rocket – a premium caching plugin that offers a variety of caching options, including page caching, browser caching, and database optimization, to improve speed.

Minimize HTTP Requests

HTTP requests occur when a user’s browser requests files from your server. The more HTTP requests your site makes, the slower it will load. To minimize HTTP requests, remove unnecessary files and scripts from your website, and combine multiple CSS and JavaScript files into one.


Use Lazy Loading

Lazy loading is a technique that loads images and other content as users scroll down a page. This technique can significantly reduce the initial load time of your website. You can use plugins like Lazy Load or WP YouTube Lyte to implement lazy loading on your website.

  • Lazy Load – a lazy loading plugin that loads images and other content as users scroll down a page, reducing initial page load time and improving website speed.
  • WP YouTube Lyte – a lazy loading plugin that replaces YouTube video embeds with clickable preview images, reducing page load time and improving website speed.

Use Gzip Compression

Gzip compression compresses your website’s files before sending them to the user’s browser, reducing the file size and improving website speed. Most modern web servers and browsers support Gzip compression, and you can enable it in WordPress using plugins like GZip Ninja Speed Compression.

  • GZip Ninja Speed Compression – a compression plugin that enables Gzip compression on your website, reducing file size and improving website speed.

Use a Lightweight Theme

The theme you choose for your website can significantly speed up your website. Choose a lightweight theme that has minimal code and is optimized for speed. Some popular lightweight themes include Astra, GeneratePress, and Schema.

  • Astra – a lightweight and customizable WordPress theme that offers pre-built templates and drag-and-drop customization options.
  • GeneratePress – a lightweight and fast WordPress theme that offers a variety of customization options, including pre-built templates and customizable layouts.
  • Schema – an SEO-friendly and fast WordPress theme that offers customizable layouts, pre-built templates, and a variety of customization options.

Disable Unused Plugins and Themes

Unused plugins and themes can slow down your website by adding extra code and increasing the number of HTTP requests. Disable and delete any plugins and themes you’re not using to improve website speed.


Regularly Update WordPress and Plugins

WordPress and its plugins receive regular updates that can improve website speed and security. Ensure that you’re regularly updating WordPress and its plugins to take advantage of these updates.

In conclusion, website speed is essential for keeping your visitors engaged and satisfied. By following these ten WordPress tricks, you can significantly improve your website’s speed, user experience, and search engine rankings. Remember, a fast website is a successful website.


Speed Up Your Website FAQ

How can I speed up my WordPress website?

There are several ways to speed up a WordPress website, including optimizing images, using caching plugins, implementing lazy loading, compressing files, and choosing a fast and reliable web hosting service.

What are the best WordPress caching plugins?

Some popular caching plugins for WordPress include W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, and WP Rocket.

How can I optimize images on my WordPress website?

You can optimize images on your WordPress website by using image optimization plugins like Smush or ShortPixel, resizing images to the appropriate dimensions, and choosing the right file format (such as JPEG or WebP).

How do I choose a fast and reliable web hosting service?

When choosing a web hosting service, look for providers that offer fast and reliable servers with high uptime guarantees. Some popular options include Bluehost, SiteGround, and WP Engine.

Do I need to be a developer to implement these WordPress tricks?

No, many of these WordPress tricks can be implemented using plugins and simple configuration changes in your WordPress dashboard. However, it’s always a good idea to consult with a professional developer if you have any concerns or questions.