The performance of your website is very important if you want to improve your search engine rankings. For example, Google prefers fast websites and gives those higher rankings in search results.
Also, stats show that 53% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
Here is a guide about how to speed up your website and improve your rankings.
- Web Hosting
Web hosting is one of the most important tips to speed up your website. There are many web hosts but you need the best for your website. Each web host will have different features. Read reviews and then decide which web host is the best for your website.
- Minification – Minify Your Files
It is very common these days for websites today to have many Javascript and CSS files. This generates a ton of HTTP requests during a visit which slowing down your website. This is the reason why you need minification.
Minifying your Javascript and CSS files is done by combining all your scripts into one single file (of each type). This isn’t an easy task, but there are WordPress plugins that can help you.
- Design, Visuals, and Plugins
Keep your design and visual simple. A website with many images and videos can not load fast.
WordPress Plugins – Attention!
WordPress is very popular and pretty simple to use. But don’t overload your website with plugins. Some plugins may slow down your site, so make sure you do a speed test each time you install a new plugin!
- Content Delivery Networks (CDN)
Using a CDN will help you serve your web pages much faster and improve loading speeds. Also, a CDN offers extra protection against malicious attacks.
If you have a small website, Cloudflare has a free option you can use that works just fine.
- Caching
Caching is storing static files. So when your visitors come along, your site can share from previously built up pages, and the processing time is cut down.
Also, there are many WordPress plugins to help you caching your website.
- Image Optimization
Visuals are very important to make a site look pretty. Make sure that the images you use are as streamlined as possible.
There are two ways you can do this. The first is via a plugin like WP Smush. The alternative, or for those who aren’t using WordPress, is a third-party image optimization tool such as Image Compressor or JPEG Optimizer.
- Faster Websites Attract More Visitors
Broadband speeds today, even on mobile, have increased and will be increasing even more. So there is no excuse to have a slow loading website.
If you have an online business you need a fast-load website, easy navigation, mobile-friendly, and high-quality content. So Simple!
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