How to speed up WordPress

A faster WordPress site keeps visitors around, ranks better and converts more. The good news is that most WordPress speed problems come down to a handful of fixable causes. Here are the changes that make the biggest difference, roughly in order of impact.

1. Start with fast hosting and caching

Speed begins with the server. NVMe storage and a modern PHP version give WordPress a quick foundation, and server-side caching is the single biggest win: it serves a ready-made copy of a page instead of building it from scratch every time. Our WordPress hosting runs LiteSpeed with LSCache, which is purpose-built for WordPress.

2. Optimise your images

Images are usually the heaviest part of a page. Resize them to the size they actually display at, compress them, and serve modern formats like WebP. A single oversized hero image can slow a whole page down.

3. Use fewer, better plugins

Every plugin adds code. Remove ones you do not use, and prefer well-maintained plugins over several overlapping ones. A lean site is a fast site, and an easier one to keep secure.

4. Keep WordPress lean and current

• Update WordPress, your theme and plugins regularly.
• Choose a lightweight theme rather than a heavy multipurpose one you barely use.
• Clean up drafts, spam comments and leftover data now and then.

5. Add a CDN for distant visitors

A content delivery network serves your static files from locations closer to your visitors, which helps when your audience is spread across regions. Combined with caching, it keeps pages quick for everyone.

Running a store? Speed matters even more at checkout - see how to host a WooCommerce store in India.