A slow WordPress site loses visitors and ranks poorly in search engines. Here are the most impactful optimisations you can make today.
Install a Caching Plugin
Caching serves pre-built HTML pages instead of running PHP on every request. Install LiteSpeed Cache (best for Double Hosting's LiteSpeed servers) or WP Super Cache. Enable page caching and browser caching.
Optimise Images
Images are the biggest performance culprit. Install Smush or ShortPixel to compress images on upload. Enable lazy loading so images below the fold only load when needed. Convert images to WebP format where possible.
Clean Up the Database
WordPress accumulates post revisions, transients, and spam comments. Install WP-Optimize to clean and optimise database tables. Schedule weekly automatic cleanups.
Use a CDN
Enable Cloudflare (free) to serve static assets (images, CSS, JS) from global edge locations. Users worldwide experience faster load times and your server handles less traffic.
Audit Your Plugins
Deactivate and delete plugins you're not using. Test page speed with GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights before and after deactivating each plugin to identify slow ones.