How to speed up the WordPress website is one of the common questions these days. People are looking forward to different methods through which they can easily do it. If you are also facing the same trouble, then you are on the right page. We are presenting numerous techniques to complete the task efficiently. After adopting these techniques, the WordPress site will run a lot faster comparatively.
Techniques to Consider:
1. Use a Lightweight WordPress Theme and Plugins
WordPress theme also brings out the best for all the users out there. It has a lot of elements that can contribute to the slow speed of the website. Therefore, if you do not want yourself in the same hassle, always choose a lightweight WordPress theme. Using the default WordPress theme is a one-stop solution for the theme problem which may arise.
Certain WordPress plugins are available, which are evenly coated. These plugins may also contribute to the speed of a site. Therefore, if you want your site to work faster, always choose the lightweight/faster plugins available. Check onto the plugin in detail and then integrate it with the WordPress site.
2. Optimize JS, CSS, And HTML
There will be CSS and HTML files for any WordPress website. Always Minify CSS and HTML in order to keep your website loading time fast. There are a lot of plugins for this method. Use lightweight plugins like Autoptimize and Cache Enabler. They will Aggregates JS-files, Optimize CSS Code, Inlining all CSS to stop the CSS from being render-blocking, Optimize HTML Code, and remove HTML comments.
3. Optimize the Images
For bringing out life to the content, you might have added a lot of images. It is a suggestion to optimize them. If you are posting the images with their actual size, then and it will be more hurtful, and WordPress will not act effectively. To get rid of the problem before uploading the images, optimize them. Try to reduce the size of the image up to five times to not arise at all. There are a lot of plugins like Optimize, Smush which helps in optimizing the image with lossless compression. After optimizing the images, the WordPress site will get speed up.
4. Clean up the WordPress Database
There will be a database available from WordPress to delete all the unwanted data. Keep the size to a minimum and reduce the size of backup as well. Along with it, do not forget to delete the spam comments, old drafts, and fake users. Use Wp-Sweep Plugin to clean all the unwanted revisions, comments. In case any of them is available, the site may lag at certain points. Moreover, remove unwanted plugins as well. After removing all of them, there will be a reduction in the database and web file size, and WordPress will speed up.
5. Uninstall or Deactivate Unwanted Plugins
There might be a chance. So many plugins are available on the WordPress site, creating a tremendous amount of junk on it. Therefore, if you want to speed up the WordPress website, deactivate or uninstall all the unwanted plugins. If there are many plugins available and you use only two or three of them, the rest can be uninstalled. If you are keeping them, they create unwanted load over the site which results in decreasing the speed of the site.
6. Keep Site Updated – Check WordPress Updates Regularly
Do not forget to keep a check on WordPress updates as well. Whenever there is a WordPress site update, sometimes the WordPress site behaves slowly. Visit the update section and check out whether there is any update available or not. Moreover, whenever there is an upgrade, it will appear at the top of the screen, and from there, you can easily update it. The themes and plugins available in WordPress also have regular upgrades. Therefore, you need to keep a check on them.
7. Use a CDN
People from different parts of the world are engaged on your website, and the loading speed depends on the location. There are multiple content delivery networks or CDNs are available that will keep the site loading speed minimum for all the visitors. Moreover, the CDN will also keep certain copies of the website in different data centers available at different places. The major function and primary one is to serve the web page to a visitor with a nearby location.
8. Limit the Post Revisions
Post revisions also take a lot of space in the database of WordPress. Limit the post provisions for each article so that WordPress will be able to function smoothly. For the same all you need to do is, go with
define( ‘WP_POST_REVISIONS’, 3 );
9. Avoid Uploading Audio and Video Files Directly
If you are uploading audio and video files directly to WordPress, then also it will create some trouble with its speed. Therefore, it is a suggestion to use the audio and video hosting service available these days. There are multiple platforms available that will allow you to deal with it easily. Then, an inbuilt video feature is available to easily copy and paste the video URL and get embedded automatically in it.
10. Minimum External Script
When a user uses the external script on the web pages, make sure you keep them to a minimum. The external script brings out a lot of junk to the site which may Slow Down The speed. Therefore, try to use a low number of scripts and all the tracking tools.
11. Split the Long Post
There might be a chance that you are posting content, which is quite long. It is a suggestion if the content is long, then split it into pages. This will also contribute to enhancing the speed of the website. Inbuilt functionality is available in WordPress through which a person can easily split the post into pages.
12. Optimize Background Processes
There will be certain scheduled tasks available on the website which contribute to background processes. All you need to do is optimized them. There is a plugin or method available for every scheduled task through which one can resolve it easily.
One can take the example of the WordPress backup plugin task. For the same, all you need to do is that the WordPress backup plugin Runs during low traffic time on the website only. Adjust the frequency of the backup and data so that the site will function smoothly.
In addition to these, Use Lazy loading of Images, Reduce Database Calls, Create Child themes, Use Excerpts in the Category and Archive page.
These are the basics that one can adopt when they wish to speed up the WordPress website. Do not end up on something which is not working in your favor. Always choose the method which brings out the best in return.