15 easy ways to speed up WordPress

WordPress can be a little slow, especially when you’re first starting out. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! Here are 15 easy ways to speed up WordPress and make your website run like a well-oiled machine.

1. Choose a good hosting provider

One of the biggest factors that can affect your WordPress site’s speed is your hosting provider. If you’re on a shared host or a budget host, chances are your site is not going to be as fast as it could be. Investing in a good quality WordPress host can make a huge difference in your site’s speed.

2. Use a caching plugin

Caching plugins is one of the best ways to speed up WordPress. Caching essentially means storing static copies of your pages and posts so that they can be served up faster to visitors. There are many different caching plugins available for WordPress, but we recommend using W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache.

3. Optimise your images

Images can often be the biggest culprit when it comes to slow-loading pages. Optimizing your images can speed up your site significantly. There are many plugins available that can help you optimize your images, but we recommend using WP Smush.it or EWWW Image Optimizer.

4. Use a content delivery network (CDN)

A CDN is a network of servers that deliver content to visitors based on their location. Using a CDN can help speed up your site because it ensures that visitors are always getting the fastest possible connection to your site. We recommend using Bunny.net

5. Minimize HTTP requests

HTTP requests are what happens when a browser requests a file from a server. The more files your pages have to load, the more HTTP requests there are, and the longer it takes for your page to load. You can minimize HTTP requests by concatenating (or combining) files, using CSS sprites, and using data URIs.

6. Use a responsive theme

A responsive theme is a theme that adjusts itself to look good on any device, whether it’s a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone. Using a responsive theme can speed up your site because you won’t need to create separate versions of your site for different devices. You can find some great themes at Theme Forest.

7. Reduce the number of plugins you use

Too many plugins can slow down your WordPress site. If you’re not using a plugin, deactivate it and delete it from your site. And if you are using a plugin, make sure it’s well-coded and up-to-date.

8. Minimise redirects

Redirects are when a visitor is taken to a different page than the one they originally requested. Redirects can slow down your site because the browser has to request the new page, which takes time. You can minimize redirects by using plugins like Redirection or Rank Math.

9. Don’t use too many fonts

Using too many fonts can slow down your WordPress site. Stick to 1 or 2 fonts for your entire site to keep things speedy.

10. Avoid using social media widgets

Social media widgets are handy for letting visitors know about your social media accounts, but they can also slow down your site. That’s because they often make external requests to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, which can take time. If you must use social media widgets, cache them so they don’t slow down your site.

11. Keep your WordPress installation up-to-date

One of the best ways to speed up WordPress is to keep your WordPress installation up-to-date. Newer versions of WordPress are often faster and more efficient than older versions. So make sure you’re always running the latest version of WordPress.

12. Don’t use too many plugins

As we mentioned before, too many plugins can slow down your WordPress site. So make sure you only install the plugins you absolutely need. And if you’re not using a plugin, deactivate it and delete it from your site.

13. Use a good quality WordPress theme

Not all WordPress themes are created equal. Some themes are well-coded and efficient, while others are poorly coded and can slow down your site. So make sure you’re using a good quality WordPress theme that is well-coded and up-to-date.

14. Optimize your database

Your WordPress database can become bloated over time, which can slow down your site. You can optimize your database by installing a plugin like WP-DB Manager or WP Optimize.

15. Avoid using too many images

Images are great for making your content more visually appealing, but too many images can slow down your WordPress site. So make sure you only use the images you absolutely need. And when you do use images, make sure to optimize them for the web.

There are many things you can do to speed up your WordPress site. These are just a few of the most important ones. So if you’re looking for ways to make your WordPress site run faster, start by implementing these tips. And if you need help, contact us, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

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