WordPress sites can suffer from painfully slow loading times due to a number of common reasons. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore eight key reasons behind a slow WordPress site and provide actionable fixes for each issue.
By tackling bad hosting, outdated components, unoptimized images, excessive external scripts, poorly coded plugins and themes, insufficient caching, numerous HTTP requests, and lack of a CDN, you’ll be well on your way to significantly improving your site’s performance and overall user experience.
The article is packed with actionable advice to help you speed up your WordPress site!
Contents
1. You Have Bad Hosting
Your web host plays a critical role in your site’s performance. If your hosting provider doesn’t offer the resources and infrastructure needed for your site, it can result in extremely slow loading times (or worse, downtime and timeouts).
Fixes for Bad Hosting
- Upgrade your hosting plan: If you’re on a shared hosting plan, consider upgrading to a managed WordPress hosting plan.
- Change hosting providers: Research and compare hosting providers to find one with better performance and features suited to your needs.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN can help distribute your site’s content across multiple servers, reducing server load and improving load times.
I highly recommend Rocket.net as they provide impressive managed WordPress hosting with built-in Cloudflare Enterprise, easy migration assistance, comprehensive security, and really fast website loading times. I moved a bunch of sites from Kinsta to Rocket.net as it worked out a lot cheaper for me and they handled all the migrations very quickly.
Cloudways is another good option for more flexibility and customization options, though I’d only recommend it for more technically inclined people as it’s more tricky to operate.
Comparing Hosting Options
When choosing a web host, consider these factors:
- Shared hosting vs. managed WordPress hosting: Shared hosting is cheaper but can be slow and less secure. Managed WordPress hosting is optimized for WordPress and offers better performance and security features.
- Server location: Choose a server that’s geographically close to your target audience for faster loading times.
- Scalability: Ensure your hosting plan can accommodate your site’s growth.
2. Outdated WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins
Keeping your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date is essential for performance and security.
Comparing Core, Themes, and Plugins
- WordPress core: The central software of WordPress needs regular updates for optimal performance and security.
- Themes: Your site’s theme can impact speed, especially if it’s not optimized for performance.
- Plugins: Plugins add functionality, but too many or outdated plugins can slow down your site.
Fixes for Outdated Components
- Update regularly: Ensure you keep your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date.
- Opt for lightweight themes: Choose a theme optimized for performance.
- Limit plugin use: Only use essential plugins and remove any unnecessary ones.
3. Unoptimized Images
Large, unoptimized images can significantly slow down your site’s loading times.
Comparing Image Formats and Optimization Techniques
- Formats: JPEG, PNG, and GIF are common image formats, but newer formats like WebP offer better compression and quality.
- Optimization techniques: Image compression, resizing, and lazy loading are methods to improve image performance on your site.
Fixes for Unoptimized Images
- Use proper image formats: Save images in an appropriate format, considering file size and quality.
- Optimize images: Compress and resize images before uploading them to your site.
- Implement lazy loading: Lazy loading delays image loading until they’re visible on the screen, reducing initial load times.
4. Excessive External Scripts
External scripts, such as ads and tracking codes, can negatively impact your site’s performance.
Comparing External Scripts
- Ads: Ad networks may load multiple scripts, slowing down your site. If you’re part of an ad network, see if there’s an option to defer loading of ads until after the rest of the page has been loaded.
- Analytics and tracking: Scripts for tracking user behavior can also impact performance.
Fixes for Excessive External Scripts
- Limit external scripts: Use only necessary scripts to minimize the impact on your site’s speed.
- Asynchronously load scripts: Loading scripts asynchronously can prevent them from blocking your site’s content from loading.
5. Poorly Coded Plugins and Themes
Poorly coded plugins and themes can introduce performance issues and conflicts.
Comparing Plugins and Themes
- Plugins: Some plugins may have inefficient code that can slow down your site or conflict with other plugins.
- Themes: A poorly coded theme can lead to slow performance and compatibility issues with certain plugins.
Fixes for Poorly Coded Plugins and Themes
- Choose reputable plugins and themes: Opt for well-reviewed and frequently updated plugins and themes.
- Test compatibility: Test new plugins and themes for conflicts before implementing them on your live site.
- Seek professional help: If you’re unsure about a plugin or theme’s code quality, consult a WordPress developer for advice.
6. Not Using Browser Caching
Browser caching allows your site’s static resources to be stored on the visitor’s device, speeding up subsequent page loads.
Comparing Caching Types
- Browser caching: Stores static files on the user’s device, reducing server requests.
- Server-side caching: Stores static content on the server to reduce processing time for recurring requests.
Fixes for Not Using Browser Caching
- Enable browser caching: Use a plugin or modify your site’s .htaccess file to enable browser caching.
- Implement server-side caching: Choose a hosting provider with server-side caching or use a caching plugin to improve your site’s performance.
7. Too Many HTTP Requests
Each file and resource on your site requires an HTTP request, which can slow down your site if there are too many.
Comparing HTTP Requests
- CSS and JavaScript files: Multiple CSS and JavaScript files increase the number of HTTP requests.
- Images and media: A large number of images and media files can contribute to slow loading times.
Fixes for Too Many HTTP Requests
- Minify and combine CSS and JavaScript files: Use a plugin to minify and combine these files to reduce the number of HTTP requests.
- Use CSS sprites: Combine multiple images into a single image to reduce requests.
8. Not Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN helps distribute your site’s content across multiple servers, reducing the load on your main server and improving loading times.
Comparing CDNs and Traditional Hosting
- CDNs: Distribute content across multiple servers to reduce latency and server load.
- Traditional hosting: Serves content from a single server, which can lead to slow loading times, especially for users far from the server location.
Fixes for Not Using a CDN
- Implement a CDN: Choose a reputable CDN provider to improve your site’s performance and user experience.
- Optimize your site for local traffic: If you don’t want to use a CDN, ensure your site is optimized for your target audience’s location by choosing a hosting provider with servers close to them.
In conclusion, a slow WordPress site can be caused by multiple factors, including bad hosting, outdated components, unoptimized images, and more. By addressing these issues and implementing the suggested fixes, you can significantly improve your site’s performance and user experience.