Best Ways to Make Your WordPress Site Actually Fast

Nobody likes slow-loading webpages. Probably all of us hit the back button and never came back to sites that took forever to load. The same goes for your clients. They would hate it if they couldn’t instantly open your WordPress site.

The performance of your webpage impacts the UX and defines how people perceive your online business. This, in order, acts as ranking factor in Google. Remember that it prioritizes sites that deliver the best user experience. Actually, Google considers 2 seconds or less to be an acceptable loading time.

So, how do you speed up your WordPress site? We have some tips for you! Follow them and make your clients happy.

Pick a Reliable Hosting Provider

Your first step is the selection of a hosting provider. You’ll store all your files and data on their servers, so it will directly impact the performance of your pages. Look for providers that offer features like

• SSD storage;
• Dedicated WordPress support;
• Built-in caching, etc.
  
  

Selecting a hosting provider is a critical decision, but compliance with regional regulations is equally important. Partnering with a law firm in Armenia can ensure you meet legal requirements and handle jurisdiction-specific challenges for hosting your WordPress site.

Additionally, make sure they have data centers close to your target audience for faster load times. Also, evaluate how they can handle traffic spikes. Collaborating with a reliable courier service can also enhance delivery of essential physical assets, like backup drives or hardware, ensuring seamless hosting operations.

Some popular options that have proven to be reliable are Bluehost, Pressable, and Hostinger.

Optimize Images

Images are often the largest files on a website, which can slow them down. So, optimization is a necessary step.

Start by resizing pictures to the correct dimensions for your exact layout. Uploading oversized images wastes bandwidth and slows down loading. 

Next, we recommend you use image compression to reduce file sizes without noticeable quality loss. There are many free tools you can try for that.

Additionally, consider implementing WebP. It’s a modern format that provides superior compression for photos on the web. You can use plugins like Imagify or ShortPixel to convert them to WebP while maintaining compatibility. 

Use Caching

Another important aspect of improving your site performance is caching. This simple activity can boost your site speed. It can reduce the time it takes to load pages a lot.

Through caching, you store a static version of your web pages on the server. It will show this version to users instead of dynamically loading the page each time. This is mostly useful for repeat visitors, as they don’t need to load the entire site again.

You can use diverse plugins to make this process simpler. They will reduce server workload by automatically creating static versions. Here are some popular alternatives:

• WP Super Cache;
• W3 Total Cache;
• WP Rocket.

Try not to install multiple plugins at the same time, as they might interrupt each other’s work.

Reduce CSS and Javascript Files

Large or unnecessary CSS and JavaScript files increase page size. This usually leads to lower loading speed. So, you must minimize them to avoid it. There are several techniques you can use.

First, you can use minification. It removes unnecessary characters, like spaces and line breaks from your code. This decreases its size without impacting its functionality.

Also, you can try merging certain files into one. It will reduce the number of requests.

You can try deferring unused JavaScript as well. It will only load after the main content has appeared. That allows your users to interact with the page sooner. This is especially useful for non-essential scripts that don’t need to load immediately.

Use a Content Delivery Network

A CDN is another great tool for making your WordPress site faster. It spreads your content to different global networks.

A CDN stores static files, like images and HTML, on multiple servers. So, it won’t load these files directly from your original server when a user visits your site. It will deliver content from the one geographically closest to them.

Some popular providers you can try are Cloudflare and StackPath. They can make a noticeable difference in site speed, particularly for visitors in different regions.

Choose a Lightweight Theme

The next element that impacts your WordPress site’s speed is the theme you pick. So, choosing a lightweight option is the easiest way to improve its performance.

You might get tempted by the variety of images and scripts. However, simplicity is your best ally here.

Define which features are necessary for you. Also, check the ratings and feedback from the community before you make the decision.

Here are some reliable lightweight themes:

• Astra;
• GeneratePress;
• Customify;
• Schema;
• SocialNow, and more.

Limit Plugins

Plugins add important functionality to WordPress sites. Yet, each plugin you install also adds extra code. It can increase server requests and slow down your site.

To keep your site running properly, reevaluate all your current plugins. Try to deactivate or delete any that are redundant and outdated. Also, consider using multi-functional options that can handle several tasks in one. For instance, there’s Jetpack which combines features like social sharing, image optimization, and security.

Don’t forget to update these plugins regularly. Outdated ones will not only slow down your site but can also create security vulnerabilities.

Lazy Loading for Visuals

The next technique we want to recommend is lazy loading. It defers the loading of visuals before they need to come up on a user’s screen.

This approach reduces the amount of data loaded at once, which lowers server requests and speeds up performance. It is especially useful for pages with a large number of images or media elements.

You can use plugins like Lazy Load by WP Rocket or a3 Lazy Load. It lets you apply lazy loading to images, videos, or even background visuals. This way, you can avoid unnecessary load on your server and the visitor’s device. It can be really helpful if they use a mobile or slow network.

GZIP Compression

This type of compression is another way to improve the speed of your WordPress sites. It reduces the size of files and makes the transfer over the internet faster.

How does it work?

A user requests a webpage and the server checks if the browser supports GZIP. It compresses the files before sending them. The browser then decompresses them so they can be displayed as usual.

Follow these steps to enable GZIP compression in WordPress:

• Install and activate a caching plugin;
• Add a few lines of code to your site’s .htaccess file;
• Use server settings to allow GZIP.

Optimize Your Database

Whether you’re managing a WordPress site, leveraging a lead generation platform, or working with Magento development agency, keeping your database efficient is crucial for optimal performance. You can use a plugin like WP-Optimize or Advanced Database Cleaner for that purpose. These plugins allow you to remove unnecessary data without requiring any coding knowledge.

You can use a plugin like WP-Optimize or Advanced Database Cleaner for that purpose. These plugins allow you to remove unnecessary data without the need for coding knowledge.

Another method you can use is the defragmenting of tables. It rearranges data within the database to make it more efficient.

Conclusion

Fast loading time is essential for your WordPress sites. It ensures a positive experience for your visitors as nobody likes slow pages. Moreover, it has an impact on your rankings. Speed is one of the most important aspects for Google.

There are many methods to make your web pages faster. Try to pick reliable servers and use simple themes. Optimize all the visuals and reduce the sizes of large or unnecessary files. Also, make sure to get rid of unnecessary plugins and optimize your dataset.

Hope that our guide was helpful for you! Try out the tips we suggested and enjoy the speed of your WordPress sites.