WordPress Speed Optimization 2023 - The Ultimate Guide

Everyone knows that a slow website can be frustrating and can make the user go back to Google to find another place to shop or find the information they want. It can therefore have a crucial impact on user experience and SEO rankings. In this article, we will take a look at the importance of speed optimization in WordPress and some of the best ways to optimize your website's speed and performance.

Ian Rosenfeldt

Founder & COO

Why does Google reward fast websites?

Google prioritises fast websites to improve the user experience and increase preference and usage of Google in order to make more money. By having a fast loading time, websites will get a favourable ranking in search results as a reward.

What is a good result?

There are several ways to measure whether a website is fast or not, and which metrics to go for depends on the website's purpose and target audience.

One way to measure speed is through the "Page Speed" or "First Contentful Paint (FCP)" score. These measurements take into account the time from when the user opens the website until the content starts to appear on the screen. The lower the score, the faster the website.

Another way to measure speed is through "Time to Interactive" (TTI), which measures how long it takes from the user opening the website until it is ready to interact with the user (e.g. clicking buttons and entering text in fields).

In addition, you can also measure speed by looking at the "bounce rate", which is the percentage of visitors who leave the website without interacting with it. If the bounce rate is high, it can be a sign that the website is too slow and does not engage the user.

In general, you should aim for the lowest scores and the lowest bounce rate possible to ensure that the website is fast and engaging for the user.

When is my site fast enough for Google?

Google does not have specific requirements for when a website is "fast enough". Instead, Google takes the speed of a website into account when assessing how high it should rank in search results.

Important parameters

Google recommends that web pages load in less than 2 seconds and interact with the user in less than 100 milliseconds.
A fast website has a fast load time, good response, a simple and clear structure, and uses optimal resources.
Speed can be measured through Page Speed or First Contentful Paint score, Time to Interactive, and bounce rate.
To ensure that the website is fast enough, you should strive to meet or even exceed Google's recommendations for load time and interaction speed.

How to test your wordpress speed

There are several solutions to measure the speed of your website. We recommend using a solution that shows how users perceive speed, not how Google perceives it. There can be a big difference. Google's Page Speed score is not always the best to optimize your site against as it is very difficult to achieve a good Pagespeed score without compromising the functionality or user experience of the site. Therefore we recommend to start with GTMetrix.

Recommended platforms for speed testing:

GTMetrix

is the ultimate tool for optimizing speed and related user experience... Don't aim for a perfect score! It is very difficult (but not impossible) to achieve a Performance Score of 100% without compromising the interaction design and functionality of the site. But it is recommended to work with what is possible and go for a score of (Grade) on my B and 80%. We also recommend that you upgrade as it allows you to test nearby areas such as Sweden.

What is a good result on GTMetrix:

It is recommended to work with what is possible and go for a score of (Grade) at least B and 80%.

Pingdom page speed

is another free tool, the advantage of this is that you can measure the speed of an area that is relatively close (Sweden) without additional payment. A good result is Grade is B (as there is always room for improvement) but the load time is under 1.2 sec.

What is a good result on Pingdom Pagespeed

Here's an example of a really nice score. Note that the Performance Grade is B (as there is always room for improvement) but the load time is just under 400 ms, which is very good.

Google's Page Speed Insights

is a tool that can be used to measure the speed of a website. It gives a score on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 is the best possible result. The higher the score, the faster the website speed. Google recommends that web pages load in less than 2 seconds and interact with the user in less than 100 milliseconds. A score of 100 is a sign that the website meets or exceeds these recommendations and that it has a high speed. We recommend a score of min. 75/100 on mobile and min 85/100 on desktop.

What is a good result on Google Pagespeed insights?

We recommend a score of min. 75/100 on mobile and min 85/100 on desktop.

Speed optimization of your WordPress site - how to

Use Caching

You can easily improve WordPress speed with a caching plugin

One of the most effective ways to increase the speed of a WordPress site is to install a caching plugin, such as W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache. These plugins store static versions of your website so it can load faster for your visitors.

Here's a list of some popular paid caching plugins for WordPress, along with their approximate price and a brief description of each:

Our favourite: WP Rocket (200-300 Kr. ): This plugin offers a simple and user-friendly way to implement caching on your WordPress website.
The complex: W3 Total Cache (100-200 Kr. ): This plugin offers a wide range of caching options, including browser-caching, page-caching and object-caching.
WP Super Cache (free): this plugin offers a wide range of caching options, including page caching, content preloading and mobile device support.
Cache Enabler (free): this plugin offers a simple and user-friendly way to implement caching on your WordPress website.
Comet Cache (100-200 Kr. ): This plugin offers a wide range of caching options, including page-caching, browser-caching and support for mobile devices.

Optimize your photos

How to reduce the file size of your photos without sacrificing quality

Another important factor for the speed of a WordPress site is the size of your images. If your images are too large, it can slow down the loading time of your website. Therefore, it is a good idea to compress your images and reduce their size before uploading them to your website.

Recommended plugin for image optimization:

ShortPixel Image Optimizer ShortPixel Image Optimizer is a popular plugin for WordPress that allows users to optimize images on their websites. There are several reasons why many people find that ShortPixel Image Optimizer is a good plugin to use:

Easy installation and use
Reduces image size by up to 90% without compromising quality
Supports JPG, PNG, GIF and PDF
Optimizes up to 100 images at once
Free version and subscriptions available

Other options:

Smush Image Compression and Optimization is a plugin for WordPress that helps users compress and optimize their images, reducing file size and improving performance on the website.
EWWW Image Optimizer is another WordPress plugin that helps users optimize and compress their images. It allows for lost and lost optimization, allowing users to choose the optimization level that best suits their needs.
Compress JPEG & PNG images is a plugin for WordPress that allows users to compress their JPEG and PNG images, reducing file size and improving website performance. The plugin provides a user-friendly interface and advanced settings for more advanced users.

Reduce the number of plugins

Each plugin can extend the loading time of your website. Therefore, remove the plugins you no longer need and update the remaining ones to their latest version.

There are several WordPress plugins that can help you measure the speed of your website and see how it is affected by different plugins. Some of the most popular plugins for this purpose are:

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

How to achieve faster website loading with a CDN solution

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) can also be a useful method to increase the speed of your WordPress site. A CDN hosts static files, such as images, JavaScript and CSS, on servers located close to your visitors. This way, the files can be loaded faster from a server close to the visitor instead of from your own server.

Recommended CDN solution:

Cloudflare (free / +1400,- per md) Cloudflare is a popular CDN service offering content optimisation tools, load time acceleration technologies and security features. This can help improve the speed of your WordPress website. It is free to use and easy to get started with, in addition it has a number of powerful paid features such as including:

Railgun: A technology that optimizes the loading of dynamic content, such as databases and API calls. This can help reduce load time for pages containing highly dynamic content.
Page Rules: a feature that allows you to configure individual rules for how your content is handled by Cloudflare. This can help improve the speed and security of specific pages on your website.
Custom SSL: A feature that allows you to use your own SSL/TLS certificate to secure your website with HTTPS. This can give users a sense of security and trust in your website.
Argo Smart Routing: A technology that optimizes the routes between Cloudflare servers and your users to improve the speed of your website. This can help reduce the load time of your content.

Other options:

Use a WordPress-compatible hosting provider

A hosting provider that is compatible with WordPress can provide faster server speeds and better support. This can help improve the load time of your website.When choosing a hosting provider for your WordPress website, it's important to take price into consideration. Prices are indicative and may be subject to adjustment.

Recommended WordPress hosting solutions:

WP Engine - (from DKK 600 to DKK 6000 per month) WP Engine is a platform for hosting WordPress websites that offers a number of benefits to users. WP Engine offers a reliable and professional solution for hosting WordPress websites, delivering fast loading times, security and comprehensive support, as well as scalability and performance optimisation.

Faster load times: the WP Engine delivers fast load times for your websites, which can boost user experience and your SEO ranking.
Security: WP Engine offers comprehensive security measures, including daily backups and firewalls, to ensure your websites remain safe and protected from threats.
Professional support: WP Engine offers 24/7 support from WordPress experts, so you can get help when you need it.
Scalability: WP Engine allows you to grow your website when you need to, with the ability to upgrade your hosting plan to accommodate increased traffic and complexity.
Performance optimization features: the WP Engine offers a number of tools and features for optimizing website performance, including caching plugins and image optimization tools.

Kinsta - (from DKK 250) Kinsta specialises in providing high-performance hosting for WordPress websites. It does this by using technologies like Google Cloud Platform and LXD containers to deliver fast and stable hosting. Kinsta also offers advanced features like automated backup, security scanning and website monitoring.

Alternative Danish hosting providers for WordPress:

One.dk: Prices from DKK 29.00 per month to DKK 199.00 per month. One.com offers fast server speeds, good support and simple integration with WordPress. They also offer a number of tools for optimizing WordPress, such as caching and optimizing images.
Simply.dk: Prices from DKK 19.00 per month to DKK 269.00 per month. Simply offers fast server speeds, a range of WordPress optimization tools such as caching and image optimization, and a dedicated support team with WordPress experience.

Alternative foreign hosting providers for WordPress:

Bluehost: Prices from DKK 22.65 per month to DKK 104.65 per month. Bluehost offers fast server speeds, good support and simple integration with WordPress. They also offer a number of tools for optimizing WordPress, such as caching and optimizing images.
SiteGround: Prices from DKK 29.65 per month to DKK 89.65 per month. SiteGround offers fast server speeds, a range of WordPress optimization tools such as caching and image optimization, and a dedicated support team with WordPress experience

Using speed optimized theme and page builders

Pagebuilders generally have a negative impact on speed, but can be a necessity to build and maintain an attractive website.

Recommended WordPress pagebuilder in terms of speed:

Elementor is a popular pagebuilder platform that allows users to build and customise their websites without the need for technical knowledge. It does this by providing users with a drag-and-drop interface, allowing them to add and edit content on their websites, as well as choose from a range of pre-built templates and design elements. Elementor also supports various e-commerce solutions, making it easy to build a webshop with the platform.

Other options:

Siteorigin Builder is a page builder platform that is not as intuitive and easy to work with as Elementor, but is the preferred builder for developers who want to achieve a fast site.

Avoid these:

WP Bakery & Beaver Builder

Best WordPress themes in terms of speed:

We recommend that you find a lightweight theme that has the functionality you need. Or a theme that is built for your chosen pagebuilder. Start with an empty shell for example. Elementor Hello Theme or visit a site with good themes eg. Themeforest