Why Speed Matters
Page speed directly affects SEO rankings and conversion rates. Google uses Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, FID) as ranking signals. A 1-second delay can reduce conversions by 7%.
Step 1 – Use a Caching Plugin
Caching serves pre-built HTML files instead of running PHP on every request.
- WP Rocket (premium, easiest) — recommended
- W3 Total Cache (free)
- LiteSpeed Cache (if on LiteSpeed server)
Step 2 – Optimise Images
Images are usually the biggest page weight.
- Use Smush or ShortPixel to compress images on upload
- Serve images in WebP format (WP Rocket or ShortPixel handles this)
- Enable lazy loading (built into WordPress 5.5+)
Step 3 – Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN serves your static files (images, CSS, JS) from servers close to your visitor.
- Cloudflare (free tier is excellent)
- Bunny CDN (affordable and fast)
Step 4 – Minify CSS and JavaScript
Caching plugins handle this. In WP Rocket: Enable → File Optimization → Minify CSS and JS.
Step 5 – Optimise Your Database
- Install WP-Optimize plugin
- Delete post revisions, spam comments, and transients
- Run database optimise weekly
Step 6 – Use a Fast Hosting Plan
Shared hosting is fine for small sites. If your site is slow even after optimisation, consider upgrading to webzworld Cloud Hosting or a Managed VPS.
Step 7 – Test Your Results
Use these tools to measure speed:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- WebPageTest
Aim for a PageSpeed score above 85 and an LCP under 2.5 seconds.