Speed Up Your Website
Published on April 28, 2016
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Having a slow website will keep visitors from coming back or even landing for the first time at all. Below are a list of plugins that I am using to help speed up my site. I will also include what plugins I've found to increase the load time for a website.
Increase Your Site Speed Speed:
WP Smush or EWWW Image Optimizer
These both will help reduce the load time of your images. I am currently using WP Smush to test it out in comparison to EWWW. One thing I like about EWWW over Smush is that EWWW allows for bulk optimization without having to stay on the tab. You can switch off and it will still run.
Autoptimize
This plugin optimizes you website by concentrating your CSS and JavaScript and then compresses the code. Less code over less space means a faster load.
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Remove query strings from static resources
Yes, that's a plugin name. It removes query strings from static sources as the name suggest. These are things like images or buttons that rarely change.
Plugins That Slow You Down:
These are two plugins I have found to have an impact on site load time.
JetPack
I have heard that it has gotten better but I'm still not going to risk the slowness. Run a speed test then disable the plugin and run again. if you see a big enough difference then get rid of the plugin.
SumoMe
I think this plugin is great but with every new app you add the total site load time goes up. I am currently only using it for the social buttons on my site. I saw a big load time decrease when I took off all the others. I am experimenting with other email opt-in plugins one seems to be working with much better load times.
I use GTmetrix to measure site load time. They have many tests including Google's "Page Speed" and give you a very detailed list of what needs improved.
Update (Roopesh's Question)
Do I use all three?
I use all three listed above, but be sure to check various pages after you implement one to make sure nothing breaks.
What is a good load time?
The the best sites load in under a second, good sites between 1 and 2 seconds, decent between 2 and 3 and anything else is going to make your reader impatient.
What plugins have you found to slow down your site load time?
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