Basically, the amount of data stored on your website affects how long it takes to load. This data can be in the form of images, PDFs, plugins, etc. The systems used to load that information are also important. Aka hosting. Let’s talk about the actual content first.
1) Minimize plugins
WordPress plugins are great for setting up websites with cool and valuable features like social sharing and building email lists.
The only problem? There’s a ton of data moving around to keep those plugins running. So while helpful, plugin data and the strain it puts on your server while the plugins are “running” can quickly get out of hand.
You can probably immediately improve your website speed by removing a few plugins.
2) Optimize images
Large files are the biggest drain on your hosting and are the quickest way to not improve WordPress website speed. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to fix. The first step for images is to make sure their dimensions aren’t too large .
In most cases, you’ll never need an image larger than 850 pixels wide.
Many people upload images without even realizing that their dimensions are 3000, 5000+ pixels which can triple the file size or more. So take care of that first.
3) Reduce image files
Instead of “save for web” in Photoshop, I recommend using “lossless/lossy compression” software, which basically means it removes unnecessary data from the content without reducing quality.
Try the following places:
Tiny JPG/PNG also has a plugin that you can download directly to your WordPress site to automatically optimize images when they are uploaded.
4) Analyze your website
Tools like GTMetrix will analyze your website and give you real-time advice for areas of improvement. Sometimes you can implement these changes yourself (even beginners).
Aside from the easy fixes, you may need to hire an expert to come and fix your code. In any case, this is a great avenue to see where you can immediately improve the speed of your WordPress website.
5) Choose a good hosting provider
Even the most optimized website will run slowly if the servers that keep it running are slow.
You’d be surprised. The difference between good hosting providers and bad ones can mean a 50% +/- difference in speed. So be sure to ask about this when choosing a company.
In conclusion
As you can see, optimizing your website boils down to five main areas. As long as you focus on what we covered in the article, you should have no problem speeding up your website or creating a fast one from scratch.