How to Speed Up my sites

Young Samurai · 08-12-2011, 02:05 PM

Just read a few articles on how Google favors faster loading sites.

According to the "Page Speed" add-on for Firebug my WP sites have an average performance of around 65%

Is this as good a way of measuring uploading time as any other?

Can shared hosting provide faster speeds?

And, how can I improve my sites speed?

Do I require a cache plugin?

Any help appreciated.

yukon · 08-12-2011, 02:08 PM

Go to Google Webmaster Tools & do the speed test, this way you know exactly how fast G thinks your page/url is loading.

It doesn't matter how fast any other tools besides G says your page is loading, G owns Google SERPs, go to the source...

yukon · 08-12-2011, 02:16 PM

What I was talking about above is the Fetch as Googlebot tool inside GWT, for some reason when I click the Fetch button all it does is refresh my browser window, not sure why?

Anyways, I'm pretty sure that tool included the amount of time it takes to fetch the page, If you can get it to work.

Young Samurai · 08-12-2011, 02:28 PM

Ran 5 home pages through the Fetch as Googlebot in WMT and noted the times

they range from 0.23 to 0.53 seconds.

Is this acceptable?

OR is it a matter of checking out the competiton in respective niches and simply matching them?

In either case, how do I improve speed?

yukon · 08-12-2011, 02:49 PM

This plugin will speed up your WP (Wordpress) site.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-minify/

What it does is, removes all the white space (blank lines etc...) in your sites source code (html + CSS + Javascript), this makes for a lot less work when trying to load the web page in a browser.

I just now tested one of my own sites with this plugin.

The plugin condensed the html from 1174 lines of html to 133 lines of html code.

You can notice the load time for the web page, it is faster.

Rough Outline · 08-12-2011, 02:51 PM

If you're using a wordpress site then WP Super Cache is great for increasing load speed as well.

Josh MacDonald · 08-12-2011, 03:23 PM

My host is HostWinds, and I just email them if I want my site to load faster.

stephencammeron · 08-12-2011, 03:37 PM

Images with big files and plugins are commonly the cause of slow down of a site. Removing images with big files, or replacing them with a smaller one is a good way to speed up a site.

Young Samurai · 08-12-2011, 04:39 PM

yukon,

Definitely going to give this a go.

BTW I just downloaded the pdf in your sig strip on internal linking - very interesting.

Thanks for all the help in this thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yukon

This plugin will speed up your WP (Wordpress) site.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-minify/

What it does is, removes all the white space (blank lines etc...) in your sites source code (html + CSS + Javascript), this makes for a lot less work when trying to load the web page in a browser.

I just now tested one of my own sites with this plugin.

The plugin condensed the html from 1174 lines of html to 133 lines of html code.

You can notice the load time for the web page, it is faster.

Rough Outline,

Checking out caching plugins now.

Think I'll try WP Super Cache on one site and W3 Total Cache on another.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rough Outline

If you're using a wordpress site then WP Super Cache is great for increasing load speed as well.

Josh,

Certainly worth a try Josh - an obvious thing to try I suppose but I wouldn't have thought to do so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh MacDonald

My host is HostWinds, and I just email them if I want my site to load faster.

stephen,

Going to take one of the home pages and condense all the images and see how that affects timing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephencammeron

Images with big files and plugins are commonly the cause of slow down of a site. Removing images with big files, or replacing them with a smaller one is a good way to speed up a site.

Thanks to all you guys.

Does anyone know what sort of loading time we should be aiming for?

How long is the average surfer willing to wait and is it true that loading time is directly related to bounce rate, click throughs, conversions, etc?

36burrows · 08-12-2011, 04:51 PM

I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about this, as long as your site is within reason, you'll be fine.

Just get a nice theme, don't use too many plugins and widgets, get a reliable hosting provider and you'll be fine.

ichl13 · 08-12-2011, 05:41 PM

I read somewhere that excess plugins that you don't really need could slow website down

jokarl · 08-12-2011, 05:53 PM

I have had really good experience with the plugin Hyper Cache. No matter what you run on, cache will most likely speed up your page and lessen the burden on the webserver.

BenJackson · 08-12-2011, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Young Samurai

Just read a few articles on how Google favors faster loading sites.

According to the "Page Speed" add-on for Firebug my WP sites have an average performance of around 65%

Is this as good a way of measuring uploading time as any other?

Can shared hosting provide faster speeds?

And, how can I improve my sites speed?

Do I require a cache plugin?

Any help appreciated.

I got a little obsessed with trying to improve the speed of my WP site for a while. I know next to nothing about code or the specifics on how these plugins work, but here are some of the plugins I used to speed up my site:

- Script Compressor (for CSS and Javascript)
- W3 Total Cache
- WP Smush.it (really helped my site)

Besides this, I switched over to pro hosting for Bluehost (needed to anyway) and I think it helped a bit.

Also, keep an eye on the plugins you keep active, sometimes a plugin can really slow you down. My copy of SEOPressor actually messed up my load times a lot so I deactivated it because it's a useless plugin anyway

36burrows · 08-12-2011, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Grant

Not correct.

Wow, what a great argument!

No, it is correct. Don't obsess over site speed and focus your efforts on more important matters.

imdomination · 08-12-2011, 07:38 PM

I use WP Cache and run everything on a VPS to try and get a faster load time.

And I also try to avoid anything to do with Javascript.

XIIIzen · 08-12-2011, 07:46 PM

For my heaviest sites I use Hyper Cache and DB Cache Reloaded Fix, both plugins really made a difference on the speed of my site.

The drawback is that since both are caching different things you need to manually erase the cache if you make changes, because one won't let the other see the changes. A minnor annoyance but it is well worth it.

daweelmac · 08-12-2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yukon

This plugin will speed up your WP (Wordpress) site.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-minify/

What it does is, removes all the white space (blank lines etc...) in your sites source code (html + CSS + Javascript), this makes for a lot less work when trying to load the web page in a browser.

I just now tested one of my own sites with this plugin.

The plugin condensed the html from 1174 lines of html to 133 lines of html code.

You can notice the load time for the web page, it is faster.

Thanks. I think this is worth a try.

simonbuzz · 08-12-2011, 11:06 PM

You should install this plugin WordPress › W3 Total Cache « WordPress Plugins with the help of this plugin your site will load much faster...and remember If you are not hosting in Hostgator and bluehost then first contact your hosting provider and ask them if they support this kind of plugin...

Mike Grant · 08-12-2011, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 36burrows

Wow, what a great argument!

No, it is correct. Don't obsess over site speed and focus your efforts on more important matters.

If you don't believe page speed to be a major ranking factor, you shouldn't be handing out any advice in regards to SEO.

Mr Lim · 08-12-2011, 11:09 PM

Defrag all files on your website. It will helps alot.

Young Samurai · 08-13-2011, 05:27 AM

Ok, This is fantastic, all the helpful suggestions.

I've performed a quick test on two sites. Both the same size, age , theme, structure and running on the same hosting account.

One with WP Super Cache & Wp Minify and the other with W3 Total Cache (which has a minify option included.)

Both sites saw nearly a 20% jump in performance according to the Page Speed Firebug add-on.

I'm very happy.

I guess W3 T Cache is the superior option if you know what you're doing.

WP Super is very easy to configure and suited me just fine.

08-12-2011, 02:05 PM	#1
Young Samurai In search of knowledge Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: N. Ireland, the Golfing capital of the world Posts: 467 Thanks: 63 Thanked 51 Times in 46 Posts	How to Speed Up my sites Just read a few articles on how Google favors faster loading sites. According to the "Page Speed" add-on for Firebug my WP sites have an average performance of around 65% Is this as good a way of measuring uploading time as any other? Can shared hosting provide faster speeds? And, how can I improve my sites speed? Do I require a cache plugin? Any help appreciated.
	Kyle Mobile Optimized Websites made to order - Special WF Introductory Prices

08-12-2011, 02:08 PM	#2
yukon SEO Strategist War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6,532 Thanks: 355 Thanked 1,992 Times in 1,273 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites Go to Google Webmaster Tools & do the speed test, this way you know exactly how fast G thinks your page/url is loading. It doesn't matter how fast any other tools besides G says your page is loading, G owns Google SERPs, go to the source...
	- SEO Strategist -

08-12-2011, 02:16 PM	#3
yukon SEO Strategist War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6,532 Thanks: 355 Thanked 1,992 Times in 1,273 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites What I was talking about above is the Fetch as Googlebot tool inside GWT, for some reason when I click the Fetch button all it does is refresh my browser window, not sure why? Anyways, I'm pretty sure that tool included the amount of time it takes to fetch the page, If you can get it to work.
	- SEO Strategist -

08-12-2011, 02:28 PM	#4
Young Samurai In search of knowledge Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: N. Ireland, the Golfing capital of the world Posts: 467 Thanks: 63 Thanked 51 Times in 46 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites Ran 5 home pages through the Fetch as Googlebot in WMT and noted the times they range from 0.23 to 0.53 seconds. Is this acceptable? OR is it a matter of checking out the competiton in respective niches and simply matching them? In either case, how do I improve speed?
	Kyle Mobile Optimized Websites made to order - Special WF Introductory Prices

08-12-2011, 02:49 PM	#5
yukon SEO Strategist War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6,532 Thanks: 355 Thanked 1,992 Times in 1,273 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites This plugin will speed up your WP (Wordpress) site. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-minify/ What it does is, removes all the white space (blank lines etc...) in your sites source code (html + CSS + Javascript), this makes for a lot less work when trying to load the web page in a browser. I just now tested one of my own sites with this plugin. The plugin condensed the html from 1174 lines of html to 133 lines of html code. You can notice the load time for the web page, it is faster.
	- SEO Strategist -

08-12-2011, 02:51 PM	#6
Rough Outline Keyword Extraordinaire War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: England, UK Posts: 836 Thanks: 90 Thanked 90 Times in 76 Posts Contact Info	Re: How to Speed Up my sites If you're using a wordpress site then WP Super Cache is great for increasing load speed as well.
	Selling Exact Match Domain Websites With PR and Traffic - PM Me For List Explode Your Sales w/ Video Sales Letters *$27 Each* - 100% Positive Reviews [WSO] Keyword Research Like A Boss! - Review Copies Available

08-12-2011, 03:23 PM	#7
Josh MacDonald Keyword Baron War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 624 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 12 Thanked 45 Times in 34 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to Speed Up my sites My host is HostWinds, and I just email them if I want my site to load faster.
	KEYWORD SCOUT: You'll be absolutely amazed at what it can do. You must see the reviews!

08-12-2011, 03:37 PM	#8
stephencammeron Myth Fighter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Philippines Posts: 105 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites Images with big files and plugins are commonly the cause of slow down of a site. Removing images with big files, or replacing them with a smaller one is a good way to speed up a site.

08-12-2011, 04:51 PM	#10
36burrows HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 457 Thanks: 131 Thanked 70 Times in 55 Posts Contact Info	Re: How to Speed Up my sites I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about this, as long as your site is within reason, you'll be fine. Just get a nice theme, don't use too many plugins and widgets, get a reliable hosting provider and you'll be fine.
	Micro Niche Adsense Course For Beginners

08-12-2011, 05:41 PM	#11
ichl13 HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 422 Thanks: 2 Thanked 26 Times in 23 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites I read somewhere that excess plugins that you don't really need could slow website down
	I will build you a 100% UNIQUE WEBSITE FOR FREE (TODAY ONLY) 30 MANUAL ACTUAL PR 4-7 BACKLINKS FOR 30 DAYS DIRT CHEAP

08-12-2011, 05:53 PM	#12
jokarl Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Sweden Posts: 76 Thanks: 2 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites I have had really good experience with the plugin Hyper Cache. No matter what you run on, cache will most likely speed up your page and lessen the burden on the webserver.
	Play casino online with a casino bonus and get free money with casinos like Mr Green and Expekt.

08-12-2011, 07:38 PM	#15
imdomination Super Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: AU Posts: 383 Thanks: 20 Thanked 50 Times in 37 Posts Social Networking	Re: How to Speed Up my sites I use WP Cache and run everything on a VPS to try and get a faster load time. And I also try to avoid anything to do with Javascript.
	Learn How YOU Can Make $10,000/Month Flipping Websites Now!

08-12-2011, 07:46 PM	#16
XIIIzen Active Warrior Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 50 Thanks: 2 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites For my heaviest sites I use Hyper Cache and DB Cache Reloaded Fix, both plugins really made a difference on the speed of my site. The drawback is that since both are caching different things you need to manually erase the cache if you make changes, because one won't let the other see the changes. A minnor annoyance but it is well worth it.
	Vestidos de 15 años \| delineado permanente \| luna de miel \| fajas Last edited by XIIIzen; 08-12-2011 at 07:49 PM. Reason: Typo on a plugin name...

08-12-2011, 11:06 PM	#18
simonbuzz Banned Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,400 Thanks: 17 Thanked 95 Times in 93 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to Speed Up my sites You should install this plugin WordPress › W3 Total Cache « WordPress Plugins with the help of this plugin your site will load much faster...and remember If you are not hosting in Hostgator and bluehost then first contact your hosting provider and ask them if they support this kind of plugin...

08-12-2011, 11:09 PM	#20
Mr Lim Some Random Noob War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 734 Thanks: 172 Thanked 37 Times in 35 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites Defrag all files on your website. It will helps alot.
	My CPA Journal CPA Daily Earning: $2.25 (ytd: $0.9) (increase) Cost: still remain zero Work Time: 2 to 6 hours a day. CPA Network: Peerfly Method: Social Media >> Blogspot >> Land Page

08-13-2011, 05:27 AM	#21
Young Samurai In search of knowledge Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: N. Ireland, the Golfing capital of the world Posts: 467 Thanks: 63 Thanked 51 Times in 46 Posts	Re: How to Speed Up my sites Ok, This is fantastic, all the helpful suggestions. I've performed a quick test on two sites. Both the same size, age , theme, structure and running on the same hosting account. One with WP Super Cache & Wp Minify and the other with W3 Total Cache (which has a minify option included.) Both sites saw nearly a 20% jump in performance according to the Page Speed Firebug add-on. I'm very happy. I guess W3 T Cache is the superior option if you know what you're doing. WP Super is very easy to configure and suited me just fine.
	Kyle Mobile Optimized Websites made to order - Special WF Introductory Prices