Improve WordPress Page Speed
Improve WordPress Page Speed
Improve WordPress Page Speed
WordPress is normally quite fast when it comes out of the box. The problem we have is additional load via plugins and themes that have additional Javascript and CSS that can slow down the paint time.
To improve WordPress page speed you have to configure a few plugins and use an effective CDN.
So first of all let’s start with the plugins.
- Wp Rocket – Cache and Minify Plugin
- HTML Minify
- Imagify
Yes, that’s it. We don’t want to overload our WordPress CMS with unnecessary plugins. Now to improve WordPress Page Speed you need to configure WP Rocket:
1, Goto Database – clear all transient data. This will remove all revisions and clean up your MySQL.
2, Cache – enable caching for mobile devices – the rest is optional.
3, File Optimisation – This is referenced to Javascript and CSS. Personally, I have everything selected for JS, but now CSS. The reason for this is after doing a few tests my CSS had issues which are normal. So I referred back to that page and turned the CSS minification back off, and I had no issues again.
As you can see via the GTMetrix score it has really little effect on speed. You may have a better theme or design that works seamlessly with the CSS option. Try it – if it doesn’t work, turn it off again.
4, Media – Use Lazyload, great for images.
5, Addons – I use the Google Analytics option. It certainly works.
The rest of the options are self-explanatory and very easy to configure. To improve WordPress page speed you have to understand that it’s tinkering about with the options until you get it right.
If you require a backup of our WP Rocket options – please leave a comment and your email below.
Using a CDN
There are many CDN providers that we can use, however, I use Cloudflare. It is very easy to set up and it can be all set up within 30 minutes.
I use the free package and I pretty much have all options enabled, except for CSS. Again it’s testing the options to see what doesn’t break your website but will improve WordPress page speed.
Imagify – Compress Images
Imagify is a great plugin and it can remove all the EXIF data that is stripped from images without losing image quality. You will have to register for an API key which takes a few minutes to use.
I use the aggressive option for my images as I want to keep the high-quality images that I have. It is a very simple plugin to use and results are very quick. I also use WebP version images that will be compatible with other browsers and devices.
Hosting
I have a VPS Server. I can update my own PHP and change settings to what I need. If you use a shared service i.e like Hostgator you will be limited on options.
It’s about server latency. The lower the latency the better. It also helps if you have the latest PHP versions installed and Gzip compression enabled on the server. Options like this can greatly increase the speed on your website.
Technical SEO
In my opinion apart from the normal Onsite SEO, to improve WordPress page speed is a major factor in Technical SEO. Google is all about user experience. Normally you would need a developer to put the Technical SEO code on your website, but if you have a little technical experience it’s quite easy to do.
With the information provided its testing with your website on different browsers several times until you are happy with the load speed.
Simon Birch CEO and Search and Marketing expert has managed many Fintech organisation from Director level.