Improving WordPress website speed is crucial for better user experience, SEO rankings, and overall website performance. While basic tips like using caching plugins and optimizing images are well-known, there are advanced strategies to improve WordPress website speed that beginners don’t know. This guide highlights lesser-known yet powerful techniques to supercharge your website.
1. Update to the Latest PHP Version
Your website’s backend relies on PHP, and using the latest version ensures faster execution of scripts. Newer PHP versions also enhance security and compatibility with modern themes and plugins. To update, check with your hosting provider and ensure all plugins and themes are compatible before upgrading.
How to Implement: Log in to your hosting control panel, locate the PHP settings, and switch to the latest supported version. Test compatibility with your themes and plugins.
2. Enable Object Caching with Redis or Memcached
Object caching stores database query results, allowing your server to fetch data faster on subsequent requests. Tools like Redis or Memcached are excellent for implementing this technique. These tools significantly reduce the time required to load dynamic content, making your website much faster.
How to Implement: Install and activate caching plugins like Redis Object Cache or consult your hosting provider to enable server-side caching.
3. Implement Critical CSS
Critical CSS involves loading only the styles required for above-the-fold content while deferring the rest. This approach improves page load speed by ensuring that visible content loads first. Plugins like WP Rocket or tools like CriticalCSS.com can help you implement this technique.
How to Implement: Use plugins like WP Rocket to generate Critical CSS automatically or online tools to extract and manually add it to your theme.
4. Use a Headless WordPress Setup
A headless WordPress setup separates the backend (content management) from the frontend (user interface). By using modern JavaScript frameworks like React or Vue for the frontend, you can deliver faster and more dynamic content to your users.
How to Implement: Install a JavaScript framework like React or Vue for the frontend, and configure it to fetch content from the WordPress REST API.
5. Enable HTTP/3 and TLS 1.3
HTTP/3 is the latest web protocol that reduces latency and speeds up data transfer, while TLS 1.3 offers improved security and faster connections. Many hosting providers, such as Cloudflare and Kinsta, support these technologies. Enabling them ensures that your website benefits from the latest advancements in internet technology.
How to Implement: Check with your hosting provider if they support these protocols, and enable them in the server or CDN settings.
6. Set Up Server Push for Key Resources
HTTP/2 Server Push preloads critical resources like CSS and JavaScript before the browser requests them. This reduces load times significantly. Server Push is available on advanced hosting platforms and can be configured for your WordPress site.
How to Implement: Add HTTP/2 Server Push headers in your server configuration to preload critical CSS, JavaScript, and fonts.
7. Deploy Brotli Compression
Brotli is a modern compression algorithm that outperforms Gzip in reducing file sizes. Smaller files mean faster load times. Ensure your hosting provider supports Brotli compression and enable it through the server settings or your CDN.
How to Implement: Activate Brotli compression via your CDN settings (e.g., Cloudflare) or ask your hosting provider to enable it on the server.
8. Use Persistent Connections
Persistent connections allow multiple HTTP requests to reuse the same TCP connection, reducing the overhead of establishing new connections. This is especially useful for websites with multiple assets like images, scripts, and stylesheets.
How to Implement: Verify that your server configuration (Apache or NGINX) has Keep-Alive enabled to support persistent connections.
9. Prefetch DNS and Preload Important Assets
DNS prefetching reduces latency by resolving domain names before the user clicks a link. Preloading assets, such as fonts or critical scripts, ensures they are loaded as soon as possible. Add appropriate tags to your site’s header for maximum impact.
How to Implement: Add <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//domain.com"> for DNS prefetching and <link rel="preload" as="style" href="style.css"> for preloading in your theme header.
10. Switch to an NGINX Web Server
NGINX is a high-performance web server that handles concurrent connections more efficiently than Apache. It’s a great choice for WordPress sites with high traffic or complex requirements.
How to Implement: Work with your hosting provider to migrate from Apache to NGINX, ensuring proper configuration for WordPress.
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11. Debug Slow Queries with Query Monitor
Slow database queries can bottleneck your website speed. Query Monitor is a WordPress plugin that helps identify and debug these queries, ensuring your database operates at peak efficiency.
How to Implement: Install the Query Monitor plugin, review slow queries, and optimize them by updating or removing poorly coded plugins or themes.
12. Use a Dedicated MySQL or MariaDB Server
Offloading your database to a dedicated server improves speed and stability, especially for resource-intensive websites. This setup works best for high-traffic sites that rely heavily on database-driven content.
How to Implement: Set up a separate database server and connect your WordPress site to it by updating the wp-config.php file.
13. Adjust WordPress Heartbeat API Settings
The WordPress Heartbeat API handles background tasks like autosaving and real-time notifications. Adjusting its frequency or disabling it for non-essential areas reduces unnecessary server load. Plugins like Heartbeat Control make this process easy.
How to Implement: Install a plugin like Heartbeat Control, and configure it to limit the frequency of Heartbeat API requests.
14. Implement Async or Deferred Loading for JavaScript
By loading JavaScript files asynchronously or deferring them until after the main content loads, you prevent render-blocking scripts from slowing down your site. Use plugins like Async JavaScript for hassle-free implementation.
How to Implement: Use a plugin like Async JavaScript or manually add the async or defer attributes to script tags in your theme files.
15. Use a Reverse Proxy (e.g., Varnish)
A reverse proxy like Varnish caches your website’s content and serves it directly to users, bypassing backend processing. This is particularly effective for content-heavy or high-traffic WordPress sites.
How to Implement: Install and configure Varnish Cache on your server, or use hosting services that include reverse proxy functionality.
How Regular Maintenance Can Improve WordPress Website Speed
Routine maintenance is a key strategy to improve WordPress website speed and ensure consistent performance. Regularly update plugins, themes, and WordPress core to keep your site secure and optimized for the latest technologies. Additionally, monitor unused plugins and remove those that add unnecessary load to your site. Scheduling periodic database optimizations can also help eliminate junk data, reducing server response time and boosting overall speed. These small but effective steps contribute significantly to maintaining a fast-loading WordPress website.
Conclusion
These advanced tips to improve WordPress website speed that beginners don’t know can take your site performance to the next level. From updating to the latest PHP version to enabling cutting-edge features like Brotli compression and HTTP/3, these strategies ensure your WordPress website is fast, secure, and user-friendly. By implementing these techniques, you’ll not only enhance user experience but also improve SEO rankings and overall site reliability.