Website speed affects visitor satisfaction as well as your position in search results. Before you change anything, find out where the problem is.
1. Measure
Use tools such as PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. You will find out what is slowing the website down (large images, many scripts, slow server response). Measure several times and write the values down, so you can see what each change brought.
2. A current PHP version
Newer PHP versions are significantly faster than older ones. Switch the website to a current version that your theme and plugins support. See Choosing a PHP version.
3. Cache
WordPress pages are assembled from the database on every visit. A cache plugin stores the finished page and then just serves it quickly. Use only one cache plugin, otherwise they may interfere with each other. Setting up browser file caching is described in the article Speeding up page loading. The term is also explained in the glossary.
4. Images
- Reduce the dimensions and file size of images before uploading, with dimensions matching how they are actually displayed.
- Use modern formats (WebP).
- Turn on lazy loading so that images load only when you scroll to them.
5. Plugins and theme
- Remove all plugins you do not need. Each one loads something.
- Avoid heavy themes and visual editors if you do not need them.
- If the website slowed down after you installed a plugin, it is probably the cause.
6. Database
From time to time, clean out post revisions, drafts and leftovers from uninstalled plugins. Do not forget to back up first.
7. CDN
If you have visitors from different countries, a CDN can help, that is, a network of servers that deliver static files from the nearest location.
When the problem is on the server side
If the website is slow even after these changes, or slows down at a particular time, send us the time and the page address: contact support.