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By: Christy Cañete
Published: August 19, 2024

How to Speed up a WordPress Website [11 Tips That Work]

Ever wondered why your WordPress site is loading slowly? In this article, we’ll share some proven strategies to turn your slow website into a high-speed performer. 
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In today's fast-paced digital world, speed is everything. 

Did you know that 47% of users expect a website to load in less than 2 seconds? Even more striking, 40% of people will abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. These numbers are even more crucial for mobile users. 

If your WordPress site is dragging its feet, you might be losing valuable traffic and potential customers.

For that reason, we’ve compiled 11 tips that are guaranteed to speed up your site. Read on!

Core Web Vitals - Why You Should Care

Before we discuss the tips on how to speed up your WordPress website, let’s talk about Core Web Vitals.

Core Web Vitals are like a health check-up for your WordPress site. Google came up with these metrics to help us understand how users experience our websites. Think of them as three key ingredients for a great user experience:

  • LCP (Largest Content Paint): This measures how quickly the main content on your page becomes visible. It should be under 2.5 seconds for a great user experience.
  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): This is all about your page's stability as it loads. It measures how much elements jump around, which could potentially frustrate users  A good CLS should be less than 0.1
  • INP (Interaction to Next Paint): This reflects your site's responsiveness when someone clicks or taps on a page. The recommended INP is 200 milliseconds or less to keep visitors happy.

Now, why should you, as a WordPress site owner or developer, care about these? 

Well, for starters, Google uses them as part of their ranking criteria. These metrics also translate to real-world benefits for your visitors.

Imagine a site that loads quickly, responds instantly to clicks, and doesn't have elements jumping around as the page loads. Sounds nice, right? These metrics help you check if your website meets these standards. And achieving them means you're creating a site that people will actually enjoy using.

Conducting A Speed Test

To test your WordPress site's speed and performance, first up, you'll need to choose a testing tool. There are plenty of great options out there like PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Pingdom. Each has its own strengths, so pick the one that feels right for you.

Once you've got your tool, it's time to get testing:

1) Enter your website's URL into the tool. We recommend choosing a testing location close to where most of your visitors are from to get the most accurate results.

GTmetrix homepage

2) Hit that 'run test' button and the tool will analyze various metrics such as First Contentful Paint (FCP), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Total Blocking Time (TBT), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

3) When the results come in, take a good look at the report. Pay attention to areas flagged for optimization, such as image compression, caching, and minimizing JavaScript.

4) For the best insights, run the test a few times and maybe try a couple of different tools. This gives you a well-rounded view of your site's performance. 

5) Based on the insights gained, take proactive steps to enhance your site's speed and performance. In the next section, we'll cover the most common solutions to help you achieve this.

PageSpeed Insights homepage

11 Ways to Speed up Your WordPress Website

Without further ado, here are some effective ways to speed up your WordPress website:

1) Switch to a Lightweight Theme

Choosing the right theme can make or break your WordPress site's speed. If you're dealing with a sluggish website, your theme might be the culprit. Many themes in the WordPress repository come packed with features you'll never use, poor code, and bloated file sizes - all of which can slow your site to a crawl.

So, what should you look for? Keep an eye out for themes that advertise themselves as lightweight and fast. Here are a few key factors to consider:

  • Choose a theme with lots of customization options. You want your site to stand out, not blend in.
  • The theme must be compatible with screen readers and other assistive devices to improve user experience and boost your SEO.
  • Make sure the theme plays nicely with major plugins like WooCommerce or your favorite contact form solution.
  • Your chosen theme must be frequently updated to keep your site secure and bug-free.
  • Don't forget to check reviews and ratings. They can give you valuable insights into a theme's performance and reliability.

Some popular lightweight themes worth considering include Hello Elementor, Blocksy, Astra, Neve, and Kadence. If you're running an online store, take a look at our review of the fastest free WooCommerce themes for some speed-optimized options.

Remember, a lightweight theme sets the foundation for a fast WordPress site. Choose wisely, and you'll be taking a big step toward improving your site's performance.

2) Get Rid of Slow or Outdated Plugins

Slow and outdated plugins can be a major headache for your WordPress site. These plugins often contain inefficient code that eats up server resources. This can frustrate visitors, increase bounce rates, and potentially harm your search engine rankings. 

If you're wondering which plugins might be slowing you down, Tom Dupuis has compiled a useful list of known offenders. It's worth checking to see if any of your current plugins are on it.

On the other hand, outdated plugins pose a different, but equally serious, problem. They can contain security vulnerabilities that hackers love to exploit. They may not be compatible with the latest WordPress version or other plugins, causing functionality issues or even site crashes.

Here are a few tips to keep your site running smoothly and securely:

  • Identify slow or outdated plugins
  • Look for more efficient alternatives to slow plugins
  • Regularly audit your plugin list and remove unnecessary ones

Each plugin you add is another piece to manage and maintain. So, choose wisely, keep them updated, and don't hesitate to remove those that aren't pulling their weight. Your site's speed and security will benefit from a lean, well-maintained plugin setup.

3) Minimize the Use of Plugins

Here's the deal. Every plugin you add increases your site's complexity. This can lead to slower loading times, potential conflicts between plugins, increased security vulnerabilities, and many others.

So, what's the solution? Be selective with your plugins. Prioritize only those that are essential, well-coded, and regularly updated. Before you add a new plugin, ask yourself:

  • Is this functionality truly necessary for my site?
  • Is this plugin from a reputable source and well-maintained?
  • Could this be achieved with custom code or built-in WordPress features?

A lean, well-maintained WordPress site with carefully chosen plugins will typically outperform one bloated with unnecessary add-ons. If you're comfortable with coding, consider implementing simple functionalities yourself. It's often more efficient and secure than relying on a plugin.

4) Optimize Images

Images are essential for making your WordPress site visually appealing. However, they can also be your site's worst enemy when it comes to speed. Large, uncompressed images can drag down your page load times and potentially hurt your SEO rankings.

So, why is image optimization so important?

  • It significantly reduces page load times
  • It improves user experience and engagement
  • It helps lower bounce rates
  • It reduces server resource consumption and bandwidth usage

To optimize your images, start by resizing images to fit your site's design. Try reducing high-res photos by 50% or more. You'll be surprised how much quality you can retain while slashing file sizes.

Next, use the right file format. JPEGs are great for photographs, while PNGs work well for graphics with transparent backgrounds. Then, check your Media Library. Use the Edit Image panel to adjust sizes as needed. 

If manual optimization sounds like a chore, you can try WordPress plugins like ShortPixel, Smush, and Imagify to automate this process. These tools are great for compressing images without noticeably affecting quality.

5) Avoid Direct Video Uploads

Videos are great for engagement. However, they can take up a lot of space. Hosting videos directly on your WordPress site can lead to exceeded bandwidth, slow loading times, and even potential site shutdowns.

So, the solution is embed, don’t upload.

Platforms like YouTube and Vimeo are designed to handle video content efficiently. By using these services, you're tapping into their optimized video quality for different devices, content delivery networks for faster streaming, and analytics to track your video's performance. Plus, you get the added benefit of their built-in audience and SEO advantages.

6) Keep Your WordPress up to Date

When you see an update notification in your dashboard, consider it a top priority. Keeping your WordPress site updated is an easy yet powerful way to ensure it stays secure, fast, and fully functional. 

Outdated versions can have security gaps that hackers love to exploit. In fact, this 2022 report by Sucuri mentioned that a significant 50.58% of hacked CMS applications were found to be outdated. 

Regular updates come with patches that close these security gaps and keep your site safe from potential breaches. They also bring performance improvements such as bug fixes, code optimizations, and database enhancements. This means a faster, smoother experience for your visitors and can contribute positively to your site's search engine rankings.

Staying updated also means your site will work seamlessly with the latest themes and plugins. As WordPress evolves, so does its functionality, and updating ensures everything on your site continues to run without a hitch.

7) Keep Your Database Clutter-Free

When your database gets overloaded with old post revisions, unused media files, and spam comments, it can seriously slow down your site's performance. This not only frustrates visitors but also hurts your SEO rankings.

To keep things running smoothly, take these proactive steps:

  • Remove unnecessary themes and plugins
  • Limit post revisions
  • Fix broken links
  • Clear out spam comments
  • Conduct regular content audits

Don't want to handle this manually? Consider using plugins like WP-Optimize, Advanced Database Cleaner, or WP-Sweep. These tools can automate your cleanup tasks, keeping your database optimized without constant attention from you.

Don’t forget to back up your WordPress database before starting any cleanup. This prevents accidental data loss and gives you peace of mind.

8) Optimize CSS, JavaScript, and HTML Files

Another way to improve your site's speed and performance is by optimizing CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files through minification.

Minification is a technique that removes unnecessary characters to reduce file sizes. For example, minified JavaScript reduces file payload, which speeds up script parsing and page loading times.

Minification also helps reduce LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) times and CDN bandwidth usage. This means not only faster loading times for your scripts but also potential savings on CDN costs associated with bandwidth usage. 

You can manually minify files using tools like Clean CSS, or automate the process with WordPress plugins such as Fast Velocity Minify, Autoptimize, or WP Super Minify

9) Compress Files With Gzip

Gzip compression is a powerful tool that accelerates WordPress websites. It reduces file sizes before transmission over the internet, which leads to faster loading times and better site performance.

Gzip works by compressing various file types such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML. The user's browser then decompresses these files upon receipt. The result is a faster, more responsive website without any loss of functionality.

Gzip offers an additional benefit - it conserves server bandwidth. For high-traffic websites, this can translate into substantial cost savings over time, making it an economical solution for performance optimization.

To learn how to set up Gzip compression, check out WPEngine's easy-to-follow guide!

10) Paginate Posts and Comments

Pagination is a neat trick that can speed up your WordPress site by breaking up content into bite-sized chunks.

Here's how it works. Instead of loading all your comments or a lengthy post at once, pagination splits them across multiple pages. This is especially helpful for bigger sites with lots of comments or posts packed with images and videos. Your pages load faster (search engines love speedy sites), and your visitors don't have to wait around twiddling their thumbs.

Setting up pagination in WordPress is straightforward. Just head over to your Discussion settings, and you can choose how many comments to show per page and whether to start with the newest or oldest.

paginate posts on WordPress

If you want to use pagination to limit the number of posts displayed per page, you may check this tutorial.

11) Disable Trackbacks and Pingbacks

Trackbacks and pingbacks were originally designed to help blogs communicate by notifying each other when they were linked. Unfortunately, they have become a target for spammers. It causes unnecessary server load and SEO issues which can hurt your site’s performance.

By disabling trackbacks and pingbacks, you can cut down on the number of requests and database entries when someone links to your site. This also makes comment moderation easier by getting rid of spammy notifications from your queue.

You can easily apply this change to all your existing WordPress posts using the bulk editing features in the WordPress dashboard. This way, all past posts will be updated with the new settings and prevent spam-related issues from older content.

Additional Tips

We’ve just covered the basics. Here are some advanced techniques you can implement to further enhance the speed and performance of your WordPress website:

Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network)

CDNs store copies of your site on servers all around the world. So, when someone visits your site, they're getting content from a nearby server. This means faster load times, no matter where your visitors are. Popular options like Cloudflare or Amazon CloudFront can make a real difference in your site's speed.

Choose Premium DNS

Premium DNS services such as Cloudflare DNS, Google Cloud DNS, and Amazon Route 53 use global networks and optimized infrastructure to minimize DNS lookup times. This means you’ll get fast and reliable access to your site from anywhere.

Use a Caching Plugin

Caching plugins create static versions of your pages so your server doesn't have to work as hard every time someone visits. Popular options we recommend are WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache. These tools offer features such as browser caching, database optimization, and CDN integration to give your site a significant speed boost.

Use Third-Party Email Marketing Software

When it comes to email marketing, we always recommend using specialized tools like Mailchimp or Sendinblue. Not only are they great for creating and managing email campaigns, but they also take a load off your WordPress server. This means your website can focus on what it does best - delivering great content to your visitors quickly and smoothly.

In Summary

Speeding up your WordPress site isn't just about impressing search engines. It's about providing the best experience for your visitors. By implementing the tips we've discussed, you're setting your site up for success. 

Remember, every second counts. And a faster website translates to happier users, better engagement, and potentially higher conversions. 

So, don't be discouraged if you can't tackle everything at once. Start with the quick wins and gradually work your way through the more complex optimizations. Your efforts will definitely pay off!

By: Christy Cañete
Technical Writer

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