How to Speed Up A WordPress website? Step By Step Guide

Website Speed: What causes a website to slow down

No matter how beautiful your website might be, if it doesn’t load fast, your customer will not buy from you. This is true and I am sure you remember your reaction the last time you visited a slow website, don’t you 😊

Advanced website developers make sure that the best practises are followed when a new website is designed. When you hire a professional web designer with experience, slow website speed issues are less likely to occur on your website. However, if you had a small budget and got your website built by your friend’s son, I got you covered.

You might need to take help from a developer if you are not tech-savvy. But before you go about hiring someone, it is better to understand what factors cause a website to slow down.

Large, unoptimized images and videos
Unminified CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
Too many HTTP requests
Poorly coded or poorly designed website
Inadequate hosting
Lack of browser caching
Third-party scripts and widgets
Using too many plugins
Not using a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Not using lazy load for images
Not using server-side caching
Not using browser caching
Not using a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Not using Gzip compression
Not optimizing the database
Not using a proper caching plugin
Not keeping the website and plugins up to date
Not monitoring website performance regularly

These are some of the main factors that can cause a slow website speed. Now that you know the factors causing slow website speed, let’s continue to read more about each of them and learn how we can solve them.

You will be surprised that you can solve many of these issues yourself. And for the rest, I am here to help. Send me an email at hello@dreamworxmarketing.com

7 steps to speed up your WordPress website

Website speed is an important factor in user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO). A slow website can lead to a higher bounce rate and lower dwell time, both of these factors can negatively impact your current SEO rankings.

In this post, we will discuss some technical ways to improve website speed.

Optimize images: Large images can slow down a website, so it is important to optimize images by reducing their file size without sacrificing quality. Tools such as TinyPNG and Kraken.io can be used to optimize images.
Minimize HTTP requests: Each time a web page loads, it makes multiple HTTP requests for different resources such as images, scripts, and stylesheets. Minimizing the number of HTTP requests can significantly improve website speed.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN can improve website speed by caching and delivering content from a server that is geographically closer to the user. This can reduce the time it takes for content to load.
Minify and combine code: Minifying and combining code can reduce the size of the code, which can improve website speed. Minifying code involves removing unnecessary characters such as whitespaces, line breaks, and comments. Combining code involves merging multiple files into one.
Enable browser caching: Browser caching allows a web page to store certain resources on the user’s device, so they do not have to be downloaded again on subsequent page loads. This can significantly improve website speed.
Use a caching plugin: Use caching plugins like W3 total cache, WP Super Cache, or WP Fastest Cache to optimize the performance of your site.
Use a Content Management System (CMS) that is optimized for speed: Some Content Management Systems like WordPress are more optimized for speed than others. Choosing a CMS that is optimized for speed can make it easier to improve website speed.

Learn: How can Chat GPT be used for lead generation for small businesses?

Need someone to troubleshoot issues with your WordPress website? I would love to help. Book a 30-minute FREE consultation with me. Please click on this link – Select a Date & Time – Speak with Swarn from Dreamworx Marketing

Use a performance testing tool:

Use performance testing tools like

GTmetrix
Google PageSpeed Insights, or Webpage Test

to identify specific areas of your website that need improvement and measure the effect of your optimizations.

By implementing these technical optimizations, you can improve website speed and provide a better user experience for your visitors.

Keep in mind that website speed is an ongoing process, so it is important to regularly monitor and make improvements as needed.

Tools for minifying and combining code on WordPress websites

WP Minify: This is a WordPress plugin that can minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code. It also has a feature to combine multiple CSS and JavaScript files into one.
Autoptimize: This is another WordPress plugin that can minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code. It also has a feature to combine multiple CSS and JavaScript files into one. It also offers other optimization options like lazy load, defer JS execution and more.
W3 Total Cache: This is a popular WordPress caching plugin that also has a feature to minify and combine CSS and JavaScript files.
WP Fastest Cache: This is a caching plugin that also has a feature to minify and combine CSS and JavaScript files.
WP Super Minify: This is a lightweight plugin that minifies CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code on the fly. It also has a feature to combine multiple CSS and JavaScript files into one.
Minqueue: This is a plugin that allows you to minify and combine CSS and JavaScript files without modifying your code.

You can read more about each of these WordPress plugins here.

These are a few examples of the tools available for minifying and combining code on WordPress websites, and each one has its own set of features and capabilities. It’s important to choose the one that best fits your project needs and skillset. Also, keep in mind that it’s important to test your website after implementing the plugin to ensure that it does not break the website or affect the functionality.

Steps to minimise http requests

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) requests are made whenever a web page loads, and they can add significant time to the page load time. Here are a few ways to minimize the number of HTTP requests on a website:

Minimize the number of elements on a page: The fewer elements on a page, the fewer HTTP requests that need to be made. This can be achieved by simplifying the design, reducing the number of images and videos, and removing unnecessary widgets.
Use CSS sprites: CSS sprites are used to combine multiple images into a single image, which reduces the number of HTTP requests. This technique is particularly useful for reducing the number of requests for small images such as icons and buttons.
Combine CSS and JavaScript files: By combining multiple CSS and JavaScript files into one, the number of HTTP requests can be reduced. This can be done manually or with the help of tools such as Grunt, Gulp, or Autoptimize.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN can improve website speed by caching and delivering content from a server that is geographically closer to the user. This can reduce the time it takes for content to load and the number of HTTP requests.
Use lazy loading: Lazy loading defers the loading of certain elements on a page until they are needed. This can help to reduce the number of HTTP requests made on page load.
Use inline small images: By using inline images, you can avoid making a request for them. This is useful for small images like icons, logos, etc.
Use preloading: Preloading allows you to inform the browser about resources that are likely to be needed soon, so it can request them in advance. This can help to reduce the number of HTTP requests made on page load.

By implementing these methods, you can minimize the number of HTTP requests on your website and improve the page load time. Keep in mind that website performance is an ongoing process, so it is important to regularly monitor and make improvements as needed.

Steps to use the Cloudflare CDN

Cloudflare – (The Web Performance & Security Company) is a Content Delivery Network (CDN) that can be used to improve website speed and security. Here are the steps to use Cloudflare CDN on your website:

Sign up for a Cloudflare account: Go to Cloudflare.com and sign up for a free account.
Add your website: Once you have created your account, add your website by entering your domain name and clicking “Add site”.
Verify your domain: Cloudflare will then verify that you own the domain by providing you with DNS records that you need to add to your domain registrar.
Select a plan: Cloudflare offers a free plan and several paid plans. Select the one that best fits your needs.
Configure Cloudflare settings: Once your domain is verified, you will be taken to the Cloudflare dashboard where you can configure various settings such as security, performance, and caching options.
Update your nameservers: After configuring your settings, Cloudflare will provide you with new nameservers that you need to update on your domain registrar. This will ensure that all traffic to your website passes through Cloudflare.
Monitor your website’s performance: Cloudflare provides detailed analytics that will help you monitor your website’s performance and troubleshoot any issues.
Optimize your Cloudflare settings: You can continue to optimize your Cloudflare settings by using features such as automatic minification, browser caching, and image optimization.

By using Cloudflare CDN, you can improve your website’s speed and security. Cloudflare also provides additional features like DDoS protection, SSL certificate, and Firewall to enhance your website’s security. Keep in mind that it may take some time for the changes to propagate and fully take effect.

Steps to use GT Metrix to measure website performance.

GTmetrix | Website Performance Testing and Monitoring is a website performance testing tool that can help you analyze and optimize your website’s speed. Here are the steps to use GTmetrix:

Go to GTmetrix.com: In your browser, go to GTmetrix.com and sign up for a free account.
Enter your website URL: Once you’ve logged in, enter the URL of the website you want to test in the “Analyze a Page” field, and click “Analyze”.
Analyze the results: GTmetrix will then analyze your website and provide you with a detailed report on the website’s performance. The report will include information on page load time, page size, number of requests, and more.
Analyze the Waterfall tab: The waterfall tab will show you the loading time of every single resource of your webpage and the order they were loaded.
Analyze the History tab: The history tab will allow you to compare the performance of your website over time.
Analyze the Performance tab: The performance tab will show you the speed, fully loaded time, and total page size of your website.
Analyze the Structure tab: The structure tab will show you the breakdown of the resources, requests and size of your webpage.
Optimize your website: Based on the report, you can take steps to optimize your website, such as reducing the size of images, minifying CSS and JavaScript, and enabling browser caching.
Test again: After you have made changes to your website, you can test it again using GTmetrix to see the improvements in performance.

GTmetrix is a powerful tool that can help you identify areas of your website that need improvement and measure the effect of your optimizations. Keep in mind that website performance is an ongoing process, so it’s a good idea to test your website regularly and make improvements as needed.

For all queries, feel free to send us an email at hello@dreamworxmarketing.com

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