It is considered as the most powerful Content Management System [CMS] that arguably powers up 30% of the internet, as of the time of writing this article. Top 5 WordPress Site Optimization Plugin in Recent Times?
Despite the platform’s skyrocketed acceptance and popularity, the old bugaboo of slower load time has kept bugging WordPress developers from the very beginning. However, the issue of speed incites further development of techniques and methods that could be applied to improving the performance of WordPress. The platform has evolved drastically over the years and become a tested CMS for people with no prior programming knowledge.
In this article, I’m going to disclose a few practical tips and techniques you can apply to optimize your WordPress theme and speed up your website.
1. Choose the Best Web Hosting Based on Your Needs
Choosing the right host provider can be tricky, and you should not take it lightly. There are many articles and videos on the internet that recommend the best hosting provider, and we do not disregard any of those guidelines. However, we recommend you to consider four essential issues before you make the final call.
- The first one is Speed. No matter what plan of which hosting provider you opt for, you must go for one that enables your website to load fast.
- The next one is Support. While you are researching on plans and features of different host providers, look out for available support channels – such as live chat, email, or phone – each of these companies offers. Also, take a look at their support hours. Some companies offer 24/7 customer support, while many are available on business hours only.
- Then comes the Security. The SSL certificate pops up first when we talk about security, and nowadays, it is a must. Some hosting providers don’t offer free SSL yet, but a lot of them have been getting on the bandwagon. But security goes a lot further than this. Are they taking proactive measures to prevent and block brute-force attacks on your website scanning for vulnerabilities? You must need to take this into account before you choose a plan. Also, if your site gets hacked and full of junks, is your website host ready to clear that out for you? Sadly, most web hosts actually don’t, but there are certain ones that are more than happy to clean your website out for you for a little extra money.
- The last but not the least is Specialty. Does your web host provide any unique feature for WordPress users? Consider a plan that comes with a staging environment to allow you to test your website before going live for everyone. You’ll find options with different sets of features and specialties. You may try and check various host providers to find your favorite one, but you should think before you pick one.
2. Install WordPress Cache Plugins
You can’t go wrong when opting for a WordPress Caching Plugin to speed up your website. If you don’t know what a cache plugin does, don’t be intimidated. Consider these plugins as tools to create a short-term memory of your site. When your website is visited for the first time, a copy of all requested files will be saved in a cache folder and displayed to the subsequent visitors whenever the website is reaccessed. It means that the files on your site don’t need to be requested and loaded from the server every time somebody visits it. Thus, integrating a WordPress caching plugin can significantly boost the speed of your WordPress theme. To help save you wasting time, we’ve compiled a list of 10 Best WordPress Cache Plugins, sorted in alphabetical order –
- Next3 AWS
- Breeze – Free WordPress Cache Plugin
- Cache Enabler – WordPress Cache
- Comet Cache
- Hummingbird
- Hyper Cache
- W3 Total Cache
- WP Fastest Cache
- WP Rocket
- WP Speed of Light
- WP Super Cache
However, there is a catch when it comes to implementing caching on your website. Since caching allows you to display a saved version of your site to visitors while reducing load time, it may work adversely in the case of dynamic content such as social media feeds or shopping carts. But caching plugins are a gem for websites with mostly static content. However, you can use a separate cache plugin for different pages to maximize the efficiency and speed of your site.
3. Pick a Well-Optimized Theme and High-Quality Plugins
It is essential to pick a well-coded theme and high-quality plugins to enhance the overall performance of your website. Some themes come with unneeded functionality, and some plugins drain more resources to function. You need to put a bit of effort into research before choosing the right themes and plugins for your WordPress website. Don’t forget to check out user reviews and ratings, look at the update history, and make sure that the theme and plugins are compatible with your version of WordPress. This can save you from installing anything that might slow down your website. On that note, we strongly recommend you to check out NextLand – one of the best multipurpose WordPress themes in the market – created with features that enable you to build a responsive and blazing-fast website with a modern outlook.
4. Don’t Forget to Update Your WordPress Software, Themes, and Plugins
WordPress is an ever-evolving CMS, with the WordPress team often releasing updates packed with new features, bug fixes, security fixes, and more. However, many webmasters remain apathetic about these updates, which is not recommended.
When it comes to WordPress, you must always keep your site updated with the latest themes, plugins, and WordPress versions. The updates keep your site protected from the latest security threats and ensure that it remains as fast as possible.
Each core update enables your site to deliver content and handle codes better. Updating WordPress Plugins and your active theme is equally important. It allows you to have access to all their functionality while minimizing the number of bugs and potential security holes present in the software.
5. Compress and Optimize Images on Your Website
Yes, the images are great. Images make your site look amazing and come in handy when it comes to supplementing your text content. But images are also responsible for draining most of your site’s resources. Apart from server space, images kill the download speed of visitors to your website. This is particularly true in the case of high-quality images.
So, to avoid losing your traffic, you need to make sure that the images on your website are correctly compressed. You can make good use of different WordPress Image Optimizer plugins to reduce the size of the pictures on your website. Also, you can compress the images manually with the help of many free tools available online.
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