How I Increased My Website Speed by 300%: A Personal Case Study

Improving Website Speed: My Experience

In the world of the internet, website speed has become extremely important these days. Website speed not only helps improve SEO and user experience (UX), but it also directly impacts site traffic and conversion rates. My website’s speed was very slow before, but after implementing some measures, its speed improved by 300%. Today, I am sharing my experience with you.

My Website Performance Before:

• PageSpeed Score: 70/100
• Loading Time: 3.5 seconds
• Bounce Rate: More than 70%

Searching for Solutions, I explored various methods to solve the problem and focused on a few key steps.

1. Upgrading Hosting

Initially, I was using shared hosting, which provided limited resources. To solve this problem, I did the following:

• Upgraded to a VPS (Virtual Private Server).
• Considered migrating to Cloud Hosting (such as DigitalOcean and Cloudways).

This change significantly improved the server response time of the site.

2. Using Cache Plugins

While researching, I understood the importance of caching and used the following plugins:

• WP Rocket: Very easy to use.
• W3 Total Cache: Free but takes time to configure.

Caching stores static files such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in the user’s browser, which reduces loading time.

3. Image Optimization

The biggest issue with my website was heavy images. To address this, I implemented the following solutions:

• TinyPNG: To reduce image sizes.
• Imagify Plugin: For automatic image optimization in WordPress.
• WebP Format: Lighter than traditional JPG/PNG formats.

4. Using a CDN (Content Delivery Network)

I used Cloudflare CDN, which distributes site content across servers worldwide. This helped me in:

• Reducing load time.
• Providing protection from DDoS attacks.

5. CSS and JavaScript Minification

To minify CSS and JS files, I used the Autoptimize plugin. This reduced file size and improved the website’s speed.

6. Minimize HTTP Requests

When a page loads, each file (like images, CSS, JavaScript) triggers an HTTP request. I reduced the number of files and by combining CSS or JavaScript files, I minimized HTTP requests.

7. Enable Browser Caching

Browser caching stores static files (like images, CSS) in the user’s browser, saving time during subsequent loads. This helped me to speed up the website when users re-visit the website.

8. Implement Gzip Compression

Gzip compression reduces the file size, minimizing the time taken to send them from the server to the browser. This helped me to reduce large HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, boosting website speed significantly.

Need more help? Explore Google PageSpeed Insights or try GTmetrix.

8. Implement Gzip Compression

Gzip compression reduces the file size, minimizing the time taken to send them from the server to the browser. This helped me to reduce large HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, boosting website speed significantly.

9. Reduce Redirects

Every redirect on a website requires the server to find a new page, which takes extra time. I updated old URLs and eliminated unnecessary redirects to improve load time.

10. Optimize Server Response Time

Server delays negatively impact website speed. To optimize server performance, I chose efficient hosting services, improved database queries, and reduced unnecessary server load.

11. Implement AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

AMP is designed specifically for mobile users, using a lighter version of HTML to load pages faster. It enhanced my site’s mobile browsing speed by making it smoother and quicker.

12. Leverage Lazy Loading

Lazy loading ensures that content and videos are only loaded as the user scrolls. This helped me prevent unnecessary resource loading at the start and accelerates the page load time.

13. Optimize Fonts

Fonts can slow down website loading. I used modern font formats (like WOFF2) and loaded only the required font weights to improve my website speed.

14. Remove Render-Blocking Resources

Some CSS and JavaScript files prevent the primary content from loading. To fix this, I loaded these files either deferred or asynchronously, ensuring key content loads first.

15. Use Lightweight Themes or Frameworks

For CMS platforms like WordPress, selecting lightweight themes (e.g., GeneratePress, Astra) is advisable. These themes are built with minimal code, allowing my website to load faster.

16. Monitor Third-Party Scripts

Third-party scripts like ads, tracking pixels, and others can slow down website performance. I removed unnecessary scripts and plugins and only used essential ones.

17. Monitor and Test Performance Regularly

Now, I am regularly checking my website’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Lighthouse. This helps me identify weaknesses and make improvements to enhance the performance of my website.

Results

After implementing all these measures, my website’s performance improved significantly:

• Loading Time: Less than 2 seconds.
• PageSpeed Score: 95/100.
• Bounce Rate: Less than 50%.

Conclusion

This process helped me improve my website’s speed significantly. A fast website reduces bounce rates and enhances user experience. If your website is slow, you can apply these strategies to improve its speed.

Need more help? Explore Google PageSpeed Insights or try GTmetrix.