Do you manage a WordPress, e-commerce or membership website? If so, taking steps to enhance your site’s performance is an important consideration for acquiring and retaining visitors.
One way to improve your website is to configure caching, which can have a significant impact on overall website performance. Not to mention, it is one of the easier things you can do. Caching (pronounced “cashing”) is the process of keeping data in a temporary storage area known as a ‘cache’. This allows the data to later be retrieved without the need to request the data from the original source.
By setting up caching, you are able to address several concerns:
- Allow your website to load more quickly
- Improve user experience
- Reduce overall website load
A common caching scenario may include fixed elements of your website, such as your “Contact” page. Instead of requiring a visitor’s browser to retrieve this information from the host server at each visit, slowing load time and increasing bandwidth, caching stores this information and presents it right away once a visitor returns.
While there are different ways to configure caching, one popular method is to use a cache plugin. There are many to choose from, with each offering various features and load times, though all aim to improve website performance. A favorite among WordPress users, to provide one example, is W3 Total Cache. The highly-recommended plugin comes with lots of customizable features, and is easily accessed through the WordPress settings page. Try out a few caching plugins and see which one works best for you.
To analyze your site’s performance right away, head over to GTMetrix.com and receive a score using PageSpeed and YSlow, with each offering recommendations on how to make things faster.
By boosting your website’s performance, you will not only enhance your users’ experience, but also improve your search rankings and drive the overall volume of traffic visiting your website.
Resources
https://www.loadview-testing.com/