Here’s the guide on how to analyze your site’s speed under few seconds. There are some tips about website speed and performance optimization in this page. So keep on reading. I want to make the story short. Few months ago, after I migrated InvestmentTotal.com from blogger to wordpress, I noticed some big changes. One of the changes I have noticed is that my blog is getting so slow. Unlike when it was in blogger, it performs well.
But, I am not a fan of FREE platform. That’s why I want to get some hosting and create a blog from WordPress. Good thing I have learned how to install wordpress by myself. Thank you to all bloggers who teached us how to start blogging and make money with it. Now, I am so happy because my blog is getting better and better everyday.
From search engine optimization, I would like to thank Yoast, because using Yoast SEO plugin can give me an idea what to change or what to add to all my pages to make them search engine friendly.
Before You Analyze Your Site’s Speed
And of course, for website speed. I am using W3 Total cache plugin. In just one click, you can make your blog boost its speed especially when you are not updating for a very long time. Just go to “performance” located at the very top of your wordpress toolbar and press “Empty All Caches”.
After you installed W3 Total cache plugin, find the best settings for it to get the optimal or maximum results. You can use the w3 total cache settings of Tom Dupuis of Online Media Master, it’s effective. Honestly I am a fan of Tom. Thanks Tom for the blogging advice you wrote.
Tip: Before you analyze your site’s speed and performance, you better install the w3 total cache or any cache plugin you prefer.
How to Analyze Your Site’s Speed?
- Visit GTMetrix and enter the URL of your blog or site. Just copy your URL in your browser and paste it in GTMetrix.
- Analyze the number. You will see the score in page speed score, YSlow score, your page details such as page load time and total page size. In my case, InvestmentTotal.com got 94 page speed score. That’s good for me. Last month, I check my blog speed and I got only 87.
- You have to do something. A simple changes. You will need to read the “recommendation” of GTMetrix. In InvestmentTotal.com, the recommendation is to optimize images (oh I forgot to use Smush.it). Some of my images are not compressed. I don’t know how to remove query strings from static resources. Maybe sooner I will write about it. GTMetrix also recommends my site to defer parsing of Javascript, inlining the response HTML and specify a vary (accept encoding header).
Things to Do After You Analyze Your Site Speed
If you want to make your blog or site to load faster, you have to do specific changes. You don’t have to guess. You should analyze everything in your site. What’s wrong with your encoding, your plugins or what’s wrong with your web host.
The reasons why you need to do what GTMetrix recommendation is for you to serve your visitors very well. Me, you and other people don’t want to visit a page that can take 20 seconds. My blog load as fast as 1.8 seconds.
From 87 to 94 Page Speed Score
Here are some of the tweaks or changes why I get the score of 94 from 87. You can do this if you want. But, of course, it depends on your site or “taste”.
- Remove unnecessary plugins (I am removing some plugins whenever I found new tricks on how to install something without a plugin). Say for example, instead of using “social share plugins”, I will create a sharing button manually. Be careful in installing plugins. There are some malfunction plugins. Those will just slow down your site speed.
- Keep your blog simple. As I have said, it depends on your taste. What have you noticed to InvestmentTotal.com? A simple blog with a simple design. Anyway, my readers are here for information, not because of a “beautiful design”. If you want to know how to invest money, would you look for beautiful design first or a straight forward articles and guides?
- Update your http access file and control.
- You have to create a series of topics instead of creating a verrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy long post.
- Show only 6 of your post in your home page.
- Minimize the use of images in sidebar. If you use images, make sure you identified their length and width. Example: <img src=”https://investmenttotal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/return-on-investment-logo.png” title=”Return On Investment” alt=”Return On Investment” style=”vertical-align:bottom” width=”37″ height=”30″> I can’t insist to install jQuery lazy load plugin, it helps my site load faster.
The best thing to do is to choose a good and reliable web host. Search some review about different web hosting companies when you want to start a blog or website from scratch.
That’s it. Those are some of the basic tips on how to make your site load faster. If you know important things, share it in the comment box. Thank you!