How to optimize your website loading speed

Why We Need to Optimize Loading Speed?

Imagine you’re building a house. You wouldn’t use subpar materials or ignore structural integrity, right? The same principle applies to website development. A slow website is like building a house on shaky foundations. It might look okay on the surface, but it’s bound to crumble under pressure.

Here’s why website speed matters:

• User Frustration: A slow website is like making someone wait in a long line. It’s frustrating, and people will quickly abandon your site for a faster alternative.
• Search Engine Penalties: Search engines like Google prioritize fast websites. A slow site can hurt your search rankings, making it harder for people to find you.
• Lost Revenue: A slow e-commerce site can lead to lost sales. Impatient shoppers will abandon their carts if they can’t quickly complete their purchases.
• Damaged Reputation: A slow website can tarnish your brand’s reputation. It can make you seem unprofessional and out of touch with modern technology.

As a developer, you have the power to create a seamless and efficient online experience. By prioritizing website speed, you’re not just building a website; you’re building a foundation for success.

How to score your website loading speed ?

Each instrument plays a role in creating a beautiful symphony. Similarly, every element of your website contributes to its overall performance. Here’s how to conduct a performance review of your website’s speed:

1. Start with the Score: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and WebPageTest to get an overall score and identify areas for improvement. These tools are like your sheet music, providing a framework for understanding your website’s performance.
2. Listen to the Individual Instruments: Pay attention to the individual metrics that contribute to the overall score. Is your Time to First Byte (TTFB) slow? Are your images optimized? Is your JavaScript hindering performance? Each metric is like an instrument in the orchestra, and you need to make sure they’re all in tune.
3. Feel the Rhythm: Website speed is not just about numbers; it’s about how the website feels to the user. Does the page load smoothly and progressively? Are animations and transitions fluid? A website with a perfect score can still feel sluggish if the rhythm is off.
4. Conduct User Experience Tests: Gather feedback from real users. Ask them to perform tasks on your website and observe their behavior. Are they frustrated by slow loading times? Do they struggle to find what they need? User feedback is like getting a review from the audience – it tells you how your website is truly performing.
5. Optimize for Different Audiences: Not all users are created equal. Some may have fast internet connections and powerful devices, while others may be browsing on older phones with limited data plans. Optimize your website for different audiences to ensure everyone has a positive experience.
6. Continuously Fine-Tune Your Performance: Website speed optimization is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor your website’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments as needed. Like a conductor refining their orchestra’s performance, you need to continuously fine-tune your website to achieve peak performance.

By taking a holistic approach to website speed scoring, you can create a digital experience that is both technically sound and user-friendly. Remember, a well-optimized website is like a beautiful symphony – it’s a joy to experience.

What I need to do for optimize website

Optimize Images

As developers, we know that every byte counts when it comes to website performance. And images, while visually appealing, can often be the biggest culprits behind slow loading times. Think of them as the heavy furniture in your website’s moving truck – you need to pack them strategically to ensure a smooth and efficient move.

Here’s how to optimize images like a pro:

1. Compress Like a Pro:

Don’t just rely on basic image editors. For really efficient compression without losing noticeable quality, I use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim. If I need more fine-grained control, I’ll turn to command-line tools like pngquant or mozjpeg. These give you more options to tweak the compression settings and find the perfect balance between file size and image quality.

2. Embrace the Power of WebP:

WebP is the future of web images. It offers superior compression compared to JPEG and PNG, so you get smaller file sizes and faster loading times. To make the switch, I often use a plugin or script to automatically convert my images to WebP. Many content management systems (CMS) and image optimization plugins have this built-in, which makes it super easy to implement.

3. Cache Those Images:

Browser caching is like giving your users a VIP pass to your website’s image gallery. Once they’ve downloaded an image, it’s stored locally on their computer, so they don’t have to download it again on subsequent visits. To make sure this happens, I configure my server to set appropriate cache headers for images. This tells the browser how long to store the images, which really cuts down on the number of requests to my server.

4. Unleash the Power of CDNs:

CDNs are like having a global network of delivery trucks, ensuring your images reach users quickly, no matter where they are in the world. I personally use AWS S3 to store my images and then connect it to CloudFront, their CDN service. This combo is fantastic because it means my images are served from a server closer to the user, reducing latency and improving loading times. Of course, there are other great CDN providers out there like Cloudflare and Google Cloud CDN, so you have plenty of options.

By implementing these image optimization techniques, you’re not just making your website faster; you’re creating a better user experience. And as developers, we know that a happy user is a loyal user. So, let’s optimize those images and deliver a website that’s as fast as it is visually appealing.

Config cache and CDN

As developers, we’re always looking for ways to make our websites faster and more efficient. And when it comes to speed, caching and CDNs are like having a nitro boost and a supercharger for your website. They work together to deliver content quickly and smoothly, no matter where your users are in the world.

Here’s how they work:

1. Browser Caching: Your Website’s Memory

Remember how we talked about browser caching for images? Well, it’s not just for images! Browser caching can store all sorts of website assets, like scripts and stylesheets, right on the user’s computer. It’s like your website has a memory, so it doesn’t have to re-download everything every time someone visits. This means faster loading times and a smoother experience for your users.

2. Server-Side Caching: Prepping the Ingredients

Imagine you’re cooking a big meal. Wouldn’t it be easier if you had some of the ingredients prepped in advance? That’s what server-side caching does for your website. It stores frequently accessed data or pages, so your server doesn’t have to work as hard every time someone visits. This frees up your server to focus on other tasks, making your website faster and more responsive.

For server-side caching, I often use tools like Varnish Cache and Redis. They’re incredibly helpful for managing your cache and ensuring your website runs smoothly. Many web servers also have built-in caching mechanisms that you can configure, so it’s worth exploring those options as well.

3. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): A Global Network of Servers

Imagine if you could have copies of your website stored all over the world, so no matter where someone is, they can access it quickly. That’s what a CDN does! It’s like having a network of servers strategically placed around the globe, ready to deliver your website’s content to users in their region. This reduces latency and ensures that everyone gets a fast and smooth experience.

When choosing a CDN, I’ve found Cloudflare to be a reliable and feature-rich option. It’s easy to set up and offers a wide range of performance optimization tools. Of course, there are other great CDN providers out there, like AWS CloudFront and Google Cloud CDN, so it’s worth exploring the options to find the best fit for your needs.

4. Edge Caching: Serving Content at the Edge

Edge caching takes CDNs to the next level. It stores your website’s content at the “edge” of the network, closer to your users. This means even faster loading times, especially for users who are far away from your main server. It’s like having a delivery service that can bring your website’s content right to your users’ doorstep. Many CDNs offer edge caching as a feature, allowing you to fine-tune your caching strategy for optimal performance.

5. Cache Invalidation: Keeping Things Fresh

When you update your website, you need to make sure the cached versions of your content are updated as well. This is called cache invalidation. It’s like making sure your restaurant menu is up-to-date so your customers don’t order something that’s no longer available. Most caching systems have built-in tools for cache invalidation, allowing you to update your cached content manually or automatically. You can even set your cache to expire after a certain amount of time, ensuring that your users always have the freshest version of your website.

By implementing a smart caching strategy and using a CDN, you can significantly improve your website’s speed and deliver a better user experience. It’s like giving your website a performance upgrade, making it faster, more efficient, and more enjoyable for everyone.

Strict Rules for Clean and Efficient Code

As developers, we know that writing clean, efficient code is crucial for creating high-performing websites. But with so many different ways to approach front-end development, it’s important to have a clear set of guidelines to ensure consistency and maintainability. Here are some of the strict rules I follow to keep my code lean, mean, and lightning-fast:

1. Keep CSS Selectors Lean

Think of CSS selectors as the address to your HTML elements. The longer and more complex the address, the harder it is to find. That’s why I limit my CSS selectors to no more than three levels deep. This keeps my code organized and easy to read, and it prevents performance issues that can arise from overly complex selectors.

2. Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY)

Duplicate CSS is like having multiple copies of the same key. It’s redundant and can lead to confusion and errors. I strive to write reusable CSS and create a modular system of styles that can be applied across my projects. This not only reduces code bloat but also makes it easier to maintain and update my stylesheets.

3. Minimize DOM Detections

Accessing the Document Object Model (DOM) in JavaScript can be expensive in terms of performance. Each time you query the DOM, the browser has to search through the entire document, which can slow things down. I minimize DOM detections by caching frequently accessed elements and using event delegation to handle events more efficiently.

4. Be Mindful of Memory Usage

JavaScript can be a memory hog if you’re not careful. I pay close attention to memory usage by avoiding unnecessary object creation, using efficient data structures, and cleaning up event listeners when they’re no longer needed. This helps prevent memory leaks and ensures that my JavaScript code runs smoothly.

5. Prioritize the User Experience

At the end of the day, the user experience is what matters most. I keep the user in mind throughout the development process, ensuring that my code contributes to a fast, responsive, and enjoyable experience. This means optimizing for performance, accessibility, and usability.

6. Establish a Global Style Guide and Component Library

Consistency is key in front-end development. I create a global style guide and a component library based on atomic design principles. This helps me maintain a consistent look and feel across my projects, and it makes it easier to reuse components and build new features.

By following these strict rules, I can write clean, efficient, and maintainable code that contributes to high-performing websites. It’s all about creating a solid foundation for your front-end development, ensuring that your websites are not only visually appealing but also fast, responsive, and user-friendly.

Building a Solid Foundation: Good codebase – code structure (boilerplate)

When I start a new web project, I always begin with a solid codebase. This not only helps me get up and running quickly but also ensures that my code is organized, maintainable, and scalable. Here’s a look at my preferred tools and techniques for building a robust foundation:

1. Choosing the Right Framework

For WordPress projects, I often turn to Roots/Sage or Timber. These frameworks provide a modern development workflow and a solid foundation for building custom WordPress themes. They encourage clean code, separation of concerns, and best practices in WordPress development.

Why I like them:

• Roots/Sage: This framework leverages modern front-end tools like Bud use Webpack, Babel, and Browsersync to streamline development and optimize performance. It also promotes a templating approach that separates PHP from HTML, making the code cleaner and easier to maintain.
• Timber: Timber bridges the gap between WordPress and Twig, a powerful templating engine. This allows for cleaner, more readable templates and a more developer-friendly experience.

2. Styling with Tailwind CSS (and Sticking to its Spirit)

Tailwind CSS is my go-to utility-first CSS framework. It provides a vast library of pre-defined CSS classes that you can use to style your website quickly and efficiently. This approach eliminates the need to write custom CSS for every element, resulting in cleaner, more maintainable code.

To really harness the power of Tailwind, I make sure to embrace its utility-first approach. This means using the pre-defined classes as much as possible and avoiding the temptation to write custom CSS with @apply. If I need to create more complex or reusable styles, I’ll write a Tailwind plugin to extend the framework rather than falling back on traditional CSS. This keeps my codebase consistent and maintainable, and it allows me to take full advantage of Tailwind’s design system.

Why I prefer it:

• Rapid Development: Tailwind CSS allows me to style elements quickly without writing custom CSS, which speeds up development time significantly.
• Consistency: The pre-defined classes ensure consistency across my projects, making it easier to maintain a unified design language.
• Customization: While Tailwind CSS provides a comprehensive set of utility classes, it also allows for customization and extension through plugins to meet specific project needs.

3. Scripting with TypeScript

TypeScript is my preferred language for writing JavaScript. It adds static typing to JavaScript, which helps catch errors early in the development process and improves code maintainability.

Why I use it:

• Improved Code Quality: Static typing helps prevent common JavaScript errors, leading to more robust and reliable code.
• Enhanced Maintainability: TypeScript’s type annotations make it easier to understand and maintain code, especially in larger projects.
• Increased Productivity: TypeScript’s tooling and IDE support can boost developer productivity by providing code completion, refactoring tools, and real-time error checking.

4. Ditching jQuery

In the past, jQuery was a go-to library for simplifying DOM manipulation and AJAX calls. However, with modern browsers and the advancements in JavaScript, jQuery has become largely redundant. I avoid using jQuery in my projects because it often adds unnecessary bloat and can negatively impact performance.

Why I avoid it:

• Modern JavaScript is Powerful: Vanilla JavaScript (plain JavaScript without libraries) now offers many of the features that jQuery used to provide, often with better performance.
• Performance Concerns: jQuery can add significant overhead to your website, especially on mobile devices.
• Bloated Code: Including the entire jQuery library just to use a few of its features is inefficient and can increase your website’s loading time.

By combining these tools and techniques – and steering clear of outdated libraries like jQuery – I can create a solid foundation for my web projects. This approach ensures that my code is well-organized, maintainable, and scalable, allowing me to focus on building high-quality websites that deliver exceptional user experiences.

Good render strategy

Rendering is the process of taking your website’s code (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) and turning it into a visual display in the user’s browser. A good rendering strategy can significantly impact your website’s speed and performance. Here’s how I approach rendering to create lightning-fast websites:

1. Ditching AJAX with PHP and Embracing the REST API

In the past, many WordPress developers relied on AJAX with PHP to fetch data and update parts of a webpage. However, this approach can be inefficient and lead to messy code. I prefer to use the WordPress REST API, which provides a modern and standardized way to interact with WordPress data. I use tools like the fetch API or Axios to make API calls and handle responses, resulting in cleaner and more maintainable code.

2. Building an API Gateway with TypeScript

To further streamline my API interactions, I create an API gateway using TypeScript. This acts as a central point for all my API calls, providing a consistent interface and handling any necessary data transformations. If the WordPress REST API doesn’t provide the functionality I need, I write custom endpoints to extend its capabilities.

3. Breaking Down JavaScript and Implementing Lazy Loading

Instead of writing all my JavaScript in one giant file, I split it into smaller, more manageable modules. This improves code organization and allows me to implement lazy loading, which means that JavaScript files are only loaded when they’re needed. This significantly reduces the initial page load time and improves performance.

4. Creating a Reusable Script Execution Class

To optimize script execution, I’ve developed a JavaScript class that intelligently manages the loading and execution of scripts based on the elements present on the page. Here’s how it works:

• Data Attributes for Script Control: I use data attributes like data-fn or data-call on HTML elements to specify which class functions should be called when the element is rendered. This allows me to declaratively control the behavior of my scripts directly within the HTML.
• Automatic Detection and Execution: The JavaScript class automatically detects these data attributes and executes the corresponding class functions. This ensures that scripts are only loaded and executed when they’re actually needed, preventing unnecessary overhead.
• Reusable Components: This approach allows me to create reusable scripts for common components like accordions, tabs, modals, and sliders. I can simply add the appropriate data attributes to the relevant elements, and the class will handle the rest.

This technique allows me to fine-tune the execution of my JavaScript code, ensuring that it runs only when necessary and improving the overall performance of my websites. I’ll be diving deeper into the specifics of this class and its implementation in a future blog post, so stay tuned for more details!

5. Leveraging Bundler Tools and Optimization Techniques

To further enhance performance, I use bundler tools like Vite, Webpack, or Parcel. These tools help me bundle my JavaScript and CSS files, optimize them for production, and implement advanced techniques like tree-shaking (removing unused code) and code splitting (splitting code into smaller chunks). I also configure my bundler to use tools like PurgeCSS to remove unused CSS, set up critical CSS for faster initial rendering, and implement lazy loading for both JavaScript and CSS.

By implementing these rendering strategies, I can create websites that load quickly and efficiently, providing a smooth and enjoyable user experience. It’s all about optimizing the way your website’s code is delivered and executed, ensuring that users get the information they need as quickly as possible.

Building a Robust Website Architecture

A solid website architecture is like a well-built house – it needs a strong foundation to stand the test of time. Here’s my approach:

1. Operating System: Ubuntu

I prefer Ubuntu for its stability, security, and ease of use. It’s like the reliable bedrock upon which I build my websites.

2. Database Optimization

For high-traffic sites, I offload the database to a separate server. This is like giving your house a dedicated power source, preventing overloads and keeping things running smoothly. You can either set up your own database server or use a cloud service like Amazon RDS, which takes care of the infrastructure and maintenance for you.

3. Other Key Considerations

• Web Server: Choose a robust web server like Apache or Nginx to handle incoming requests efficiently.
• Caching: Implement caching at various levels (browser, server, CDN) to speed up loading times.
• Security: Protect your website with firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security updates.
• Load Balancing: For high-traffic sites, distribute traffic across multiple servers to maintain responsiveness.

By carefully considering these architectural aspects, you can build a website that’s not only visually appealing but also performs well under pressure. It’s all about creating a solid foundation for a great user experience.

Optimize SQL Query

In WordPress development, efficient SQL queries are crucial for a fast and responsive website. Here’s how I keep my database running smoothly:

1. Understand Your Queries

Before optimizing, analyze your queries to identify potential bottlenecks. Use EXPLAIN to see how MySQL (the database WordPress uses) executes your query.

2. Use Indexes Wisely

Indexes help the database find data quickly. Make sure you have indexes on columns frequently used in WHERE clauses and JOIN conditions. But avoid over-indexing, as it can slow down write operations.

3. Be Selective

Only retrieve the data you need. Avoid SELECT * and specify the columns you want in your SELECT statement.

4. Optimize JOINs and WHERE Clauses

Use the right JOIN type and ensure your JOIN conditions and WHERE clauses are optimized with indexes.

5. Limit the Data

Use the LIMIT clause to restrict the number of rows returned, especially for large tables or queries that involve sorting.

6. Avoid Subqueries

If possible, rewrite queries to avoid subqueries or use JOINs instead.

7. Use Stored Procedures

Stored procedures are pre-compiled SQL statements that can be reused for better performance.

8. Monitor Query Performance

Regularly monitor your queries using database monitoring tools or slow query logs to identify and optimize slow queries.

By following these tips, you can ensure your WordPress database runs efficiently, leading to a faster and more responsive website.