Measure your website's speed
But how do I know if my website is fast enough or not? You need to answer that question first before you jump right in—or have someone else start working on—the code and images for your site. With online tools such as GTMetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights You’ll immediately see what score your site receives and what improvements you can still make. Here are five tips from us to get you started.
Tip 1: Fast hosting
First, check whether the server hosting your site is fast enough and whether your hosting plan is adequate. Don’t automatically choose the cheapest hosting option, as this can affect your site’s loading speed. Sometimes it’s better to opt for premium hosting or even switch to a server with more storage, processors, and RAM. Good hosting is the first step toward a super-fast website.Tip 2: Optimize images
Most people are aware that large images slow down a website. This is because the data for those large images has to be loaded in its entirety. To display an image on a site, a separate HTTP request is required for each image. You can reduce the number of HTTP requests by using so-called “sprites,” which combine multiple small images into a single large image. Fewer images = fewer HTTP requests = a faster website.Another solution is to compress images. You might be thinking: but won’t that make the quality really bad? Certain tools such as Kraken.io reduce file sizes while maintaining good quality. Also, make sure to save your files in the correct format, such as .jpg.Tip 3: Minify your code
When building a website, you’re constantly dealing with code, such as HTML and CSS files. These are necessary for your site, but you can optimize them. With HTML code, for example, you can remove unnecessary spaces and comments.Using too many plugins can also slow down your WordPress website. Determine which plugins you really need and which you don’t, because unnecessary code gets loaded as a result. This is a waste of your site’s speed.Tip 4: Use plugins for speed optimization
As we explained above, you shouldn’t go overboard with plugins, but some can actually improve your website’s speed. We’ve listed a few for you:
Shortpixel (a plugin for compressing images)
WP Rocket (this paid plugin is included as standard in all the projects we deliver) or WP Super Cache (this plugin is free to use)
Asset Cleanup Manager (an advanced plugin designed to reduce the number of requests)
