Contents
Ten essential things to do step by step.
1. Choose a good hosting provider
2. Select the right WordPress theme
3. Install a caching plugin
4. Optimize your images
5. Use a content delivery network (CDN)
6. Minimize HTTP requests
7. Reduce the size of your CSS and JavaScript files
8. Move scripts to the footer
9. Load resources asynchronously 10. Use a WordPress performance plugin
1. Choose a good hosting provider:
If you want your WordPress site to be fast, you need to start with a good foundation – that is, a good web host. Some hosts are better than others at optimizing their servers for WordPress, so do your research before you commit to one provider in particular. In general, you’ll want to look for a host that offers PHP 7+, a HTTP/2-enabled server, and support for the latest versions of WordPress.
2. Select the right WordPress theme
Not all WordPress themes are created equal – some are faster than others. When you’re choosing a theme for your site, be sure to check its performance ratings (you can usually find these on the theme’s description page) to see how it stacks up. Also, keep in mind that simpler themes are often faster than complex ones.
3. Install a caching plugin
Caching is one of the most effective ways to speed up a WordPress site. Essentially, what caching does is create static versions of your pages and posts so that they can be served to visitors more quickly. When a page is cached, the server doesn’t have to run all of the PHP code necessary to generate the page each time it’s accessed – it can just serve up the static HTML version instead. There are many different caching plugins available for WordPress, so take some time to experiment with a few and see which one works best for your site.
4. Optimize your images
Images are often the biggest culprits when it comes to slow loading pages. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can optimize your images to speed up your site. First, make sure you’re using the right file format – JPEG for photos and PNG for graphics. Second, compress your images before you upload them to your site. You can do this manually in Photoshop or with a plugin like WP Smush.
5. Use a content delivery network (CDN)
A content delivery network is a system of distributed servers that deliver pages and other content to visitors based on their geographic location. Using a CDN can help speed up your site by reducing the distance between your server and your visitors. There are many different CDN providers to choose from, so take some time to research your options and find the one that’s right for you.
6. Minimize HTTP requests
Every time a visitor tries to access a page on your site, their browser has to send an HTTP request to your server. The more requests your server has to handle, the longer it will take for the page to load. So, one of the best ways to speed up your site is to reduce the number of HTTP requests it has to deal with. There are a few different ways you can do this, including using a caching plugin, minifying your CSS and JavaScript files, and loading resources asynchronously.
7. Reduce the size of your CSS and JavaScript files
Another way to reduce HTTP requests is to minimize the size of your CSS and JavaScript files. This means removing any unnecessary code, such as comments and whitespace. You can do this manually or with a plugin like Autoptimize.
If you have any JavaScript code that isn’t essential to the initial loading of your page, move it to the footer so it doesn’t delay the loading of the rest of the page.
9. Load resources asynchronously
Some resources, such as CSS and JavaScript files, can be loaded asynchronously, which means they won’t block the loading of other elements on your page. You can do this with a plugin like Async JavaScript.
10. Use a WordPress performance plugin
There are a number of plugins that are designed specifically to help speed up WordPress sites. These plugins will often include features like caching and minification, so they’re definitely worth considering if you want to optimize your site for speed. Some of the most popular performance plugins include W3 Total Cache and WP Rocket.
These are just a few of the many different ways you can optimize a WordPress site for speed. By taking some time to implement these tips, you can ensure that your site is running as efficiently as possible and providing a positive experience for your visitors.
Extra ideas how to optimize WP
Optimize WP Cron
Optimize WP Cron, set automatic cron job instead of running it on every visit. Run cron every 5 minutes.
*/5 * * * * curl --request GET 'https://YOURDOMAIN.COM/wp-cron.php'
More things to check for fully optimized WP
- Ensure ImageMagic or GD are installed on server
- Optimize WP database, run WP optimize
- Add cache Wp Cloudflare Super Page Cache
Optimize for migration
Run Media cleaner and remove unused media files etc.