If your website was loading more quickly before, a recent adjustment might have impacted its load time. In that situation, you could revert the change to check if it improves the site’s loading speed. If you’re uncertain about what led to the slowdown, you can turn off different features of your site and re-enable them one by one until you identify the issue.
The following are some of the most common features that can increase latency.
1. Plugins
Every plugin installed on a WordPress site has the potential to slow down its performance. You can turn plugins on and off to determine if it enhances the loading speed.
To activate a plugin
- Log in to WordPress.
- Click Plugins.
- Click Add New.
- Search for the plugin you want to use, and then click Install Now.
- Click Activate Plugin.
The way you utilize and control the plugin varies based on its creator. To see all the plugins that are currently installed, click on the Plugins option in the menu.
Certain WordPress plugins may hinder your site’s performance. Turning off plugins and subsequently testing your site’s speed again can assist you in identifying performance problems.
To Deactivate WordPress Plugins
- Log in to WordPress.
- Click Plugins.
- Select all of the plugins you want to deactivate, and then from the Bulk Actions menu, select Deactivate, and then click Apply.
2. Theme
The way a WordPress theme is coded can affect the loading speed of your site, especially when utilizing a third-party theme. To determine if your theme is causing slower performance, consider switching to a different theme.
- Log in to WordPress.
- Install a theme if the theme you want to use has not yet been installed.
- From the Appearance menu, click Themes.
- Hover over the theme you wish to activate.
- Click Activate.
Your new theme will now be live on your WordPress site.
3. .htaccess
The .htaccess file typically doesn’t affect the loading speed of a website, but a misconfiguration could lead to issues. Attempt to disable it by renaming it to something like 1.htaccess, .htaccess.bak, or .htaccess_disabled.
If this resolves the issue, you’ll need to modify your .htaccess file to fix the problem. Otherwise, if you keep the original .htaccess file disabled, you will have to reset the Permalinks on your WordPress site. You can follow the steps below to reset the permalinks in WordPress.
- You should always backup your site before performing any troubleshooting.
- Log in to WordPress.
- Go to Settings > Permalinks.
- Change the permalink structure to Plain.
- Click Save Changes.
- The URL on your website’s pages should display the permalink settings you selected.
4. Website content
The material on your website can influence its performance as well. If the elements on a page are not well-optimized, it can result in transferring more data than necessary. For instance, large images might load slowly on less efficient connections, and external resources may lack proper optimization. Click the link for additional information on optimization. How to Optimize WordPress Images & Database.
5. Network latency
Sometimes, problems with the network can lead to longer load times for a website. To verify this, try accessing the site using a different network.
To evaluate network latency, you can use a utility called traceroute. This tool follows the route from your computer to the server you are trying to reach.
When examining the traceroute results, pay attention to the time it takes for each hop to finish. This duration should remain relatively stable. Significant fluctuations may point to a network issue. If needed, reach out to your Internet Service Provider for help in reviewing the traceroute.
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