Purpose
Website speed is crucial as it directly impacts user experience, with fast loading times leading to higher engagement. Faster website speeds can positively impact SEO, as Google considers website speed a ranking factor.
Application
Employees should use best practices for boosting page speed when building or launching a website. It may also be used when looking to improve clients' SEO.
1. Activate WP Rocket
Login to WP Rocket and download the most recent version of the plugin.
Upload the plugin to the WordPress website.
Once the plugin is installed, click Activate Plugin.
Next, find WP Rocket under Settings.
Click File Optimization and check off the settings seen below.
Minify CCS Files and Minify Javascript Files are the base two settings that should be checked off. Optimize CSS delivery can be checked off on some websites but may break others. Check the front end of the website after checking off any of these to ensure nothing is broken. If you notice broken elements, start by unchecking Optimize CSS delivery and uncheck them one by one until the issue is resolved.
Do not check off Load Javascript or Delay Javascript execution, as these will cause loading issues with the revolution slider and images.
2. Optimize Images
Before uploading an image to a website, you need to optimize the image.
Most images should be uploaded in the JPEG format unless they have a transparent background, in which case they would be saved as a PNG.
Images should be no bigger than 1920px wide max. Header images or any images that span the screen's width will be at that max. All other images should be resized and cropped to fit the dimensions needed for the particular case.
Once you have resized and cropped the image in Photoshop, Export>Save for Web and select High for the image quality.
3. Install Imagify
Imagify is an image optimization tool that will further optimize the images you upload.
Login to Imagify and download the most recent version of the plugin.
Upload the plugin to the WordPress website. Once the plugin is installed, click Activate Plugin.
Copy the Access Token from Imagify. This is on the same page as the plugin download. Click the I Have My API Key and paste that code.
4. Host Videos on Third-party Platforms
Avoid uploading videos directly to a website. Instead, use a third-party platform such as Vimeo or YouTube to host the videos.
5. Delete Anything Not Being Used
When it comes to speeding up a website, every little thing counts. Remove any themes, plugins, images, and sections not being used.
6. Keep Things Up to Date
Keeping PHP, WordPress, Betheme, and plugins up to date when possible is essential to preventing potential vulnerabilities that could slow down a website. Each version of PHP is faster than the previous and reduces load times. Before making any major updates, take a backup of the website in ManageWP. After a major update, checking the website's front end is important to ensure nothing is broken.