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Speed Optimization Guide

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A complete and Comprehensive Guide On Making WordPress websites faster.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the table below; most optimizations can be easily achieved with an optimization plugin. I personally use the free Speed Optimization plugin that comes bundled with SiteGround’s Hosting plan. However, there are several other options, including W3 Total Cache (W3TC), WP Rocket, and FlyingPress.

Steps to optimizing your WordPress website :

1. Visit GTmetrix: Enter your website’s URL to begin the test. GTmetrix offers this tool for free and allows multiple tests to be performed every hour, at no charge.

2. Review the Report: GTmetrix will quickly generate a performance report, pinpointing each area that requires improvement.

3. Consult our table below to address the specific areas highlighted by GTmetrix. While GTmetrix often uses complex terminology, overcomplicates its instructions, and provides guidance for a broad spectrum of websites, we’ve streamlined and tailored their recommendations specifically for WordPress sites. With our clear and straightforward guidelines, you’ll find it much easier to understand and implement the necessary changes.

4. Re-test After Implementing Changes: After making a change, clear your website’s cache if it’s enabled. Re-test on GTmetrix to assess the impact of your adjustments. Using the new results, move on to the next suggested improvement and continue the process.

wdt_ID	Topic	Difficulty Level	Topic2	Difficulty Level2
1	Avoid an excessive DOM size	Plugin	Minify CSS	Plugin
2	Avoid chaining critical requests	Plugin	Minify JavaScript	Plugin
3	Avoid CSS @import	Plugin	Minimize main-thread work	Plugin
4	Avoid document.write()	Plugin	Preconnect to required origins	Medium
5	Avoid enormous network payloads	Plugin	Preload key requests	Plugin
6	Avoid large layout shifts	Difficult	Preload Largest Contentful Paint image	Medium
7	Avoid long main-thread tasks	Plugin	Properly size images	Easy
8	Avoid multiple page redirects	Easy	Reduce JavaScript execution time	Plugin
9	Avoid Non-Composited Animations	Difficult	Reduce the impact of third-party code	Plugin
10	Deferring Offscreen Images	Plugin	Reduce unused CSS	Plugin
11	Don't lazy load Largest Contentful Paint image	Plugin	Serve images in next-gen formats	Plugin
12	Eliminate render-blocking resources	Plugin	Serve static assets with an efficient cache policy	Plugin
13	Enable text compression	Plugin	Use a tag with width or initial-scale	Medium
14	Ensure text remains visible during webfont load	Plugin	Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)	Easy
15	Lazy load third-party resources with facades	Plugin	Use video formats for animated content	Medium
16	Use explicit width and height on image elements	Easy

Implementing this feature can be achieved by using an Optimization Plugin:

Minify JavaScript

Minifying JavaScript files is a performance optimization tactic to cut down JavaScript load times and reduce main thread blockage. By removing comments, unnecessary white spaces, redundant code, and sometimes using shorter variable or function names, minification shrinks JavaScript file sizes. Consequently, browsers can download, interpret, and run these files faster.

How does minifying JavaScript affect page performance?

Whenever a webpage loads, the browser must download, parse, and execute JavaScript files, typically on the main thread. An extended JavaScript payload results in prolonged main thread activity, slowing down page loading. Through minification, the removal of superfluous elements leads to smaller file sizes, minimized bandwidth usage, and enhanced page load times. This reduction directly decreases script parsing time, promoting quicker page loads and a refined user experience.

Although minifying JavaScript offers optimization benefits, if not done right, it may disrupt site functionality. Furthermore, while it contributes to performance enhancement, its impact isn’t as profound as other methods like code-splitting, purging unused code, or caching JavaScript. Thus, consider minification a complementary optimization step, refining the page experience, rather than a primary performance boost strategy.

How to Minify JavaScript?

Online Tools for JavaScript Minification: Utilize tools like GTmetrix to pinpoint unminified JavaScript files. Extract the script from these files, plug it into a minification tool like minifycode.com, and then substitute the original with the minified version. If there’s a plethora of scripts to minify, explore more robust tools.
Using a CDN for Minification: Deploying a Content Delivery Network (CDN) can simplify serving minified JavaScript files. Although the original server may retain the unminified versions, the CDN generates and delivers the optimized ones to users. A notable advantage of this approach is the consistency it maintains between original and minified JavaScript files, ensuring changes in the original reflect in the minified counterparts.
For CMS Users (e.g., WordPress): Those using content management systems can benefit from plugins tailored to handle JavaScript minification, such as Siteground’s Optimizer Plugin.