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Speed Optimization

Website speed is a critical factor in user experience, SEO, and conversion rates. A fast-loading website not only improves engagement but also enhances search rankings and customer satisfaction. Whether you’re running a WordPress, WooCommerce, Laravel, or Shopify website, optimizing performance should be a top priority.

At Imagewize, we consistently achieve 97-100/100 scores on Google PageSpeed Insights through best practices such as CSS & JS minification, custom Gutenberg blocks, and a finely-tuned VPS setup with Roots Trellis, FastCGI Cache, Memcached, and NGINX on Hetzner. In this article, we’ll explore key techniques to optimize website speed and ensure a smooth browsing experience.

1. Image Optimization & Modern Formats

Images often constitute a significant portion of a webpage’s weight. Optimizing them can drastically improve load times.

Use Next-Gen Image Formats: AVIF & WebP

  • AVIF and WebP offer superior compression without compromising quality.
  • Convert images using tools like Imagify, ShortPixel, or WebP Express for WordPress.
  • For Laravel and Shopify, automate image conversion through cloud services like Cloudinary or local packages like Intervention Image.

Lazy Loading

  • Load images only when they appear in the viewport using the native loading="lazy" attribute.
  • Use JavaScript libraries like Lozad.js for non-native lazy loading.
  • WordPress has built-in lazy loading for images since version 5.5, reducing the need for additional plugins.

2. Minify & Optimize CSS & JavaScript

Unoptimized CSS and JS files can lead to render-blocking resources, slowing down page loads.

Minification & Concatenation

  • Minify CSS & JS using plugins like Autoptimize or WP Rocket for WordPress.
  • Laravel projects benefit from Laravel Mix for CSS & JS optimization.
  • Shopify users can leverage Shopify’s built-in minification or third-party apps like Page Speed Optimizer.
  • Well-organized themes, such as our Roots Sage starter theme with Bud.js, have CSS and JS minification built-in, ensuring optimal performance.

Eliminate Render-Blocking CSS & JS

  • Defer JavaScript using defer and async attributes.
  • Load critical CSS inline and defer non-critical styles.
  • Use tools like Critical CSS Generator to extract above-the-fold styles.

3. Server-Side Caching & Performance Boosters

Caching plays a major role in reducing server load and improving response times.

FastCGI Caching & Memcached

  • At Imagewize, we utilize FastCGI Cache on NGINX, ensuring rapid content delivery.
  • Memcached significantly boosts database performance, particularly for WooCommerce and Laravel apps.
  • Our Trellis FastCGI Cache works seamlessly with WooCommerce by excluding the dynamic parts of the store that cannot be cached, ensuring proper functionality while still benefiting from significant performance improvements.

Leverage Object Caching

  • For WordPress, use Redis Object Cache or WP Super Cache.
  • Laravel benefits from Laravel Cache Driver with Memcached or Redis.
  • Shopify, while more limited, benefits from CDN and caching strategies at the theme level.

4. Hosting on a Dedicated VPS with Roots Trellis

Instead of shared hosting, a well-optimized VPS ensures maximum performance and reliability.

Why Use Roots Trellis for WordPress & WooCommerce?

  • Automated Server Provisioning with Ansible.
  • Optimized NGINX Configuration for speed and security.
  • Built-in FastCGI Caching for faster responses.

Hetzner VPS – The Best Bang for Your Buck

  • Affordable, high-performance cloud servers.
  • NVMe SSD storage for ultra-fast read/write speeds.
  • Perfect for hosting WordPress, WooCommerce, and Laravel applications.

Final Thoughts

Speed optimization is a multi-faceted process requiring a mix of frontend and backend optimizations. By implementing image compression, minified assets, caching solutions, and VPS hosting with Trellis, you can significantly enhance your website’s speed and performance. At Imagewize, we pride ourselves on delivering ultra-fast websites with 97-100/100 PageSpeed scores, ensuring a seamless experience for users and better search rankings.

Need help optimizing your website? Contact Imagewize today and let’s supercharge your website speed!