Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool for improving the quality of web pages. You can run it against any web page to get a report on its performance, accessibility, progressive web app capabilities, and SEO.
One of the things that Lighthouse reports on is performance. This includes the page’s loading time, the number of requests it makes, and the size of those requests. A good performance score will help your website load faster and be more user-friendly.
If you’re using WordPress, there are a few things you can do to improve your website’s Lighthouse performance score.
1. Use a caching plugin
A caching plugin can help to speed up your website by storing static files on the user’s computer. This means that the files don’t have to be downloaded every time the page is loaded.
There are many caching plugins available for WordPress including Hummingbird Pro that CyberGrapes clients can get access to through CyberGrapes hosting. Have a CyberGrapes hosting account but don’t have a copy of Hummingbird Pro? Contact us and we’ll get it installed for you.
2. Optimize your images
Images can be a major source of slow loading times for websites. To optimize your images, you can use a tool like Smush Pro which is available to CyberGrapes hosting clients. Smush Pro will compress your images without sacrificing quality. You can also use Smush Pro’s Image Compression and Optimization to optimize your images automatically.
3. Minify your CSS and JavaScript
Minifying your CSS and JavaScript files will reduce their file size and speed up the loading time of your website.
You can minify your files manually or use a plugin like Hummingbird Pro.
4. Combine your CSS and JavaScript files
Combining your CSS and JavaScript files will reduce the number of requests that your website makes. This will also speed up the loading time of your website.
You can combine your files manually or use a plugin like Hummingbird Pro.
5. Use a CDN
A CDN (content delivery network) is a network of servers that deliver content to users based on their location. This can help to speed up the loading time of your website for users who are located far from your server.
There are many CDNs available, such as CyberGrapes CDN automatically made available through CyberGrapes WordPress hosting plans.
6. Use lazy loading
Lazy loading is a technique that delays the loading of images until they are needed on the page. This can help to speed up the loading time of your website.
You can use a plugin like Smush Pro or Hummingbird Pro to lazy load images on your website.
7. Enable gzip compression
Gzip compression is a way of compressing the data that is sent to your users. This can help to speed up the loading time of your website.
You can enable gzip compression on your server or use a plugin like Hummingbird Pro.
8. Use a fast host
Your website’s host can have a big impact on its loading time. Make sure to choose a host that offers fast servers and good uptime.
There are many web hosts available, such as Bluehost, HostGator, SiteGround, and CyberGrapes. If you want to go really fast, checkout CyberGrapes’ Web Hosting Plus plans.
9. Use a fast theme
Your WordPress theme can also have a big impact on your website’s loading time. Make sure to choose a theme that is lightweight and optimized for speed.
There are many fast themes available, such as Astra Pro, Hestia Pro, and Divi. CyberGrapes has Agency licensing for these three themes. If you’re hosting with CyberGrapes, contact us to get a free, fully-licensed copy.
10. Optimize your database
Over time, your WordPress database can become bloated and slow. To optimize your database, you can use a plugin like WP-Optimize or All in One WP Security & Performance.
These plugins will clean up your database and remove any unnecessary data.
By following these tips, you can improve your WordPress website’s Lighthouse performance score and make it load faster for your users.