A faster website improves user experience and search engine rankings.
Quick Wins
1. Enable Caching
- WordPress: Install WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache
- cPanel: Enable LiteSpeed Cache if available
- Add browser caching via .htaccess
2. Optimize Images
- Compress images before uploading (TinyPNG, ShortPixel)
- Use modern formats (WebP)
- Set explicit width/height to prevent layout shift
3. Minimize CSS/JS
- Remove unused CSS and JavaScript
- Combine files where possible
- Use async or defer for non-critical scripts
4. Use a CDN
- Cloudflare (free tier available)
- Caches static content at edge servers worldwide
5. Enable GZIP Compression
Add GZIP compression via .htaccess or server config.
Measure Your Speed
- Google PageSpeed Insights: pagespeed.web.dev
- GTmetrix: gtmetrix.com
- WebPageTest: webpagetest.org
Server-Side
- Upgrade to a higher hosting plan if hitting resource limits
- Use PHP 8.x (significantly faster than PHP 7.x)
- Enable OPcache in PHP settings