WordPress is the most popular content management system, and as such, it must stand up to its users’ ever-growing expectations.
What does the average user want?
They want everything to work and fast. A WordPress website runs via themes and plug-ins, and some guarantee short response times. Read on to find out more about them.
Top 6 WP Plug-ins to Speed up Your Website
Dozens of WordPress plug-ins can optimize a website’s response times, but we’ve selected the top 6 that really make a difference.
1. W3 – Total Cache Reduces Page Load Time
A popular WordPress website receives thousands of database queries every day. A database query occurs whenever a visitor opens one of the site’s pages.
W3 Total Cache stores the most popular database queries so that the server does not have to repeat them every time. As a result, your website’s sections will open instantly.
W3 Total Cache Modes
The plug-in offers three caching modes:
Object Cache
The plug-in tests the object caching methods to reduce the number of database queries and page loading times.
Active object cashing speeds up your website only if your server supports Redis or Memcached,
Browser Cache
W3 Total Cache has the browser cache function active by default. The plug-in determines the optimal time limit for caching website resources. A long caching period may slow down your WP website.
Lazy Load
This mode reduces the loading times of image-rich pages. It loads only the one that the user can see.
WordPress automatically runs Lazy Load in Chrome and Mozilla, but not yet in Safari. So, W3 Total Cache will help Safari users whizz through dozens of picture-rich pages without any slowdown.
2. WP Super Minify File Compressor
Super Minify inevitably appears in most tutorials on how to install WordPress plug-ins. Its superpower is to combine, compress, and cache inline CSS and JavaScript files.
Once installed, the plug-in automatically assesses these file types and removes extra spaces, lines, and characters from the files.
3. The Smush Image Optimizer
Even the most SEO-optimized content is worth nothing without jaw-dropping images. Today’s mobile phones’ powerful cameras take high-resolution photos that catch even the smallest detail.
The problem is that these images take ages to load because of their bulky sizes. Smush answers the question of how an HD image can be compressed without sacrificing its quality.
Smush can process up to 50 images in one run, erasing unnecessary metadata and idle colors. It supports all known picture file formats.
4. The Multi-purpose Content Optimizer
WP-Optimize is every blogger’s must-have plug-in. To appear high on the page in Google searches, a blog must be up-to-date.
The problem is that the platform automatically generates a revision copy whenever you edit a blog post.
Four updates will generate four revision copies, and this revision “junk” will eventually slow down your website. WP-optimize erases all revision copies to resolve this issue but keeps the last one.
Deletes Spam Comments
Another way in which WP-optimize speeds up your website is by analyzing the comment database and removing spam and unapproved comments.
5. WP Rocket
You can have the superpowers of all plug-ins discussed above in just one plug-in: WP rocket. It’s a multipurpose plug-in that compresses content, minifies java scripts, and prevents lazy loading of images.
WP Rocket’s Special Features
Besides the functions discussed above, this plug-in has some unique features like Direct Cloudflare and Google Analytics integration.
Cloudflare guarantees fast loading times from multiple locations. Google Analytics can speed up your WordPress website by moving analytics code to the bottom and localizing the JavaScript file.
6. Perfmatters – The Performance-focused Plug-in
Once you run it, Perfmatters scans your WordPress website for unnecessary default options that may affect its performance.
It also eliminates any unnecessary HTTP requests to the server by disabling particular scripts on the page.
What is WordPress Heartbeat?
You may not know it, but your WP website has a heartbeat! Yes, just like the human heart, this API service regularly sends requests to the server to perform specific tasks.
Perfmatters controls this function’s CPU usage and the number of calls it sends out. As a result, your website never stalls.
