Top Tips to Boost WooCommerce Speed

Inquire about any brand or business, regardless of size, and you’ll find a common worry: “how to boost my WooCommerce speed?”

It’s widely known that sluggish WooCommerce stores bear a hefty cost: declining business metrics (like bounce rates conversions), spiked cart abandonment rates, and a visible slump in customer loyalty, brand reputation, visitor numbers, and even search engine ranking visibility.

Patience isn’t a virtue anymore in the real or online world. This is precisely why most ecommerce establishments are now leaning towards Web Performance Optimization (WPO).

Determining an exact optimal load time isn’t set in stone. Nonetheless, the widely recommended benchmark hovers around 2 seconds. Unsurprisingly, page load time stands as a crucial performance indicator in Web Performance Optimization (WPO). 

If your WooCommerce store takes more than two seconds to load, there’s significant room for improvement. Here’s an interesting Google statistic on the page load time.

Source: Google

Undoubtedly, the immediate question that arises is, “How can I enhance page load time without losing customers?”

How To Boost WooCommerce Speed: 10 Ways

1. Start by Decluttering

Over time, WooCommerce stores tend to slow down due to the buildup of clutter in their databases. Here are key areas of “spring cleaning” that can accelerate WooCommerce stores.

1.1. Trim Extension Overload

The quality, not the quantity, of extensions matters. However, managing numerous active extensions can be challenging. Regularly review your extensions to ensure relevance and consider replacing some with equivalent code, which is a smart move for WooCommerce speed optimization.

1.2. Curtail/Disable Revisions

While WooCommerce’s revision feature allows tracking changes to product pages, it can hinder performance. For instance, multiple minor edits to a product page create numerous copies, potentially slowing down WooCommerce.

To curtail/disable revisions, add these lines to your wp-config.php file: 

Disable Revisions

sql

define (‘WP_POST_REVISIONS’, false);

Limit Revisions

define (‘WP_POST_REVISIONS’, 3); // limit to 3 revisions

Note: ‘3’ represents the number of revisions; you can adjust them as needed.

1.3. Database Cleanup

Beyond limiting revisions, remove existing ones from the database. WP-Optimize plugin excels in this, cleansing the entire WooCommerce database and can automate the process.

1.4. Restrict External Resources

Minimize scripts, style sheets, or fonts not hosted on your server, as these external resources often hinder store performance. Opt for reputable sources like Google Fonts to mitigate these issues.

1.5. Streamline Widgets and Sharing Tools

Widgets such as social sharing buttons can notably slow down your store by downloading external resources, increasing HTTP requests, and expanding page size. Consider using simpler share buttons for better WooCommerce speed optimization.

1.6. Trim Affiliated Ads and Products

Prune excessive affiliate ads and products, sticking to a single network for ads and optimizing images hosted on external servers. Reducing DNS queries by hosting images yourself can enhance performance.

1.7. Limit Plugin Pile-Up

Install only essential plugins, prioritizing those renowned for speed and performance. Use tools like Query Monitor to evaluate plugin speed, helping decide which ones to retain on your website.

2. Optimize WooCommerce Images for Web

Image optimization stands as a pivotal element in overall WooCommerce speed enhancement for online stores.

Images often constitute the bulk of downloaded bytes for a webpage. Hence, optimizing images not only reduces page size but also accelerates WooCommerce stores, lowering client bandwidth consumption.

Optimizing store performance doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Hence, instead of specific plugins, I’ll outline general strategies for image optimization.

2.1. Image Pruning and Alternatives

Start by questioning image necessity. Optimal design isn’t about image overload. While images convey information effectively, finding a balance is crucial.

Three common tactics for image optimization:

• Base64: Reduces server requests and speeds up image display but use it cautiously, particularly for small images, to prevent bloating product pages.
• Inline SVG: Offers benefits of Base64 without its drawbacks but lacks support in older browser versions.
• CSS Image Sprites: Group small images together using Sprite CSS, an age-old technique for optimized display in WooCommerce themes.

Note: These tactics might counteract performance on HTTP/2-powered stores.

2.2. Image Formats

Choosing the right format significantly impacts store page load speed.

• JPG: Ideal for high-resolution photos and images with intricate details.
• PNG: Suitable for icons, logos, transparent images, etc.
• GIF: Use sparingly for small images; typically, PNGs outperform GIFs except for animations.

2.3. Image Dimensions

Avoid uploading excessively large images. Manually resize or use plugins like Imsanity to automatically resize to suitable dimensions.

2.4. Image Compression

Manual compression through software like Photoshop is laborious. Opt for plugins like TinyPNG for optimal WooCommerce speed performance. 

It’s easy to configure, requiring an API key, and offers free compression for up to 100 images per month, often sufficient for many WooCommerce stores.

2.5. Responsive Image Display

Consider mobile visitors by ensuring images match screen sizes. Plugins like RICG responsive images adjust image sizes based on screen width, optimizing the user experience for various devices.

3. Opt for Reliable Hosting

Hosting is the most crucial aspect influencing WooCommerce store performance. The infrastructure’s hardware architecture manages traffic and delivers pertinent data to users. Hence, prioritizing the Fastest WooCommerce Hosting is paramount.

Consider a hosting provider that:

• Offers global data centers
• Provides CDN and SSD-based storage
• Incorporates performance-enhancing technologies

Note: Opt for a server closest to your audience to reduce server response time.

Diving into Cloud Hosting specifically, it’s the optimal blend of performance and cost-effectiveness for WooCommerce stores. Cloud hosting typically follows a pay-as-you-go model, ensuring payment for only the resources utilized by the store.

Amidst holiday seasons with a surge in traffic and user requests, traditional hosting solutions might falter. Cloud hosting’s scalability empowers businesses to sustain growth despite increased loads on their WooCommerce store.

3.1. Managed WooCommerce Hosting

For those averse to extensive server configurations, managed hosting for WooCommerce is the ideal solution.

Leading managed hosting services offer 1-click free backups, robust security measures like firewalls, server upgrades, patches, and round-the-clock support from WordPress experts.

4. Optimize Website Code

Within a WooCommerce store, the accumulation of files can be overwhelming for users, steadily expanding over time. This abundance often leads to sluggish WooCommerce stores, burdening visitors’ browsers with the necessity to load substantial files for every page.

4.1. File Compression

The go-to method for compression, Gzip compression, notably shrinks the size of static resources. 

For instance, compressing JavaScript files can slash their size by half without compromising performance. A Gzip compression test can be informative for assessing your store’s compression status.

4.2. CSS Resources

Optimizing CSS resources involves several strategies. One key approach is minimizing the number of style sheets.

When the browser awaits the full loading of all style sheets, it delays displaying content to visitors. By reducing the quantity of style sheets, the WooCommerce store’s speed for visitors can notably improve.

While reducing style sheets is beneficial, it’s often challenging with WooCommerce. Themes tend to emphasize “features,” resulting in a style sheet for each feature. Tools like Breeze allow easy concatenation of these files. However, caution is advised as concatenation might disrupt the live WooCommerce store. It’s prudent to test such operations on a staging site first.

4.3. JavaScript Files

Similar to CSS resources, large JavaScript files hinder page load speed. Developers can employ minimization and compression techniques similar to those used for CSS files.

Unlike style sheets, rendering “ASYNC” scripts prevents blocking the display, thus accelerating WooCommerce stores. 

However, altering loading types and concatenating scripts may disrupt WooCommerce stores. The more scripts present, the more intricate their optimization becomes.

5. Minimize Redirects

The journey through your online store resembles a detailed map, with each click representing a redirection—a necessary guide directing users to their desired destinations. 

However, despite the swiftness with which these redirects occur, they can inadvertently create a sense of delay for users, impacting the store’s bounce rate and user satisfaction.

Redirects are akin to signposts, indispensable yet potentially slowing down the journey. An excess of redirects can strain server resources and extend the final page load time, causing frustration and impatience among visitors. 

To counter this, minimizing redirects emerges as a critical strategy to significantly enhance page load speed—a proven method for optimizing WooCommerce stores.

Plugins & Tools for Redirection and Cache Management

1. Redirection Plugin

Redirection offers a comprehensive solution for managing redirects within your WooCommerce store. It allows for easy handling of 301 redirects, keeping track of 404 errors, and helps in optimizing the user journey seamlessly.

2. Safe Redirect Manager Plugin

Another valuable plugin, Safe Redirect Manager, offers a user-friendly interface for managing redirects safely. It enables precise control over how and where redirections occur, ensuring a smoother navigation experience for customers.

3. WPMemory

WordPress operates within a default PHP memory limit of 32MB, suitable for standard websites. However, the data-intensive nature of WooCommerce stores might strain under these limitations. 

WPMemory helps elevate the WordPress memory limit to 256MB, which can significantly enhance the store’s speed and overall performance.

Before adjusting these settings, it’s crucial to back up your data to prevent potential data loss in case of unforeseen issues.

4. W3 Total Cache

W3 Total Cache offers robust caching capabilities, providing alternative options for caching configurations to suit varying store requirements.

By implementing these strategies and utilizing the recommended plugins and tools, you can streamline your WooCommerce store’s performance, delivering a smoother and faster browsing experience for your customers.

6. Improve Web Design

Performance and design go hand in hand. Brad Frost emphasized this in an article, highlighting that good performance is good design—an approach that respects user’s time and enhances their experience. 

Design elements like carousels, HD background images, or extensive social widgets significantly impact your WooCommerce store’s speed. 

While these elements add visual appeal, prioritizing performance may demand a trade-off.

Suggested read: How to Choose the Best Website Builder: A Comprehensive Guide

7. Choose Lightweight Theme

Designers often prioritize aesthetics overload speed when selecting website themes. Opt for lightweight, performance-oriented themes that maintain responsiveness while boasting clean, optimized codebases.

Good theme options:

• Astra Theme: Astra Theme
• GeneratePress: GeneratePress Theme
• OceanWP: OceanWP Theme

Suggested read: Top 20 One-Page WordPress Themes

8. Use WordPress CDN

For WooCommerce stores catering to a global audience with rich multimedia content, integrating a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is recommended. 

CDN serves static elements from the nearest location to visitors, significantly improving page load times and user experience.

Popular CDN Providers:

• Cloudflare CDN: Cloudflare
• StackPath CDN: StackPath CDN

9. Lazy Load for Images and Videos

Implement Lazy Load to enhance performance. This technique loads content only when necessary, reducing load times and benefiting your store’s search engine rankings. Additionally, it conserves bandwidth and visitor resources, significantly improving overall page load times.

Plugins & Tools:

• Lazy Load by WP Rocket: Lazy Load by WP Rocket Plugin
• BJ Lazy Load: BJ Lazy Load Plugin

10. Update Everything Often

Regularly update WordPress core, plugins, and themes to maintain optimal performance and security. 

Outdated versions can slow down your website and potentially compromise security. Replace discontinued plugins with actively maintained alternatives to ensure ongoing support and optimization.

Plugins & Tools:

• Advanced Automatic Updates: Advanced Automatic Updates Plugin

Summarizing: Top Tips to Increase WooCommerce Speed in 2024 

Speed optimization is the most important activity that any WooCommerce store owner should be worried about for better user experiences, higher search rankings, and fewer cart abandonment rates. 

Increasing WooCommerce speed will be achieved through multiple ways involving database decluttering, image optimization, upgrading hosting, code compression, and design element adjustment. 

Particular steps like pruning useless extensions, compressing images, and shrinking CSS and JS files to the minimum size become crucial. Reliable hosting, lightweight themes, and the use of a CDN can further speed up store performance. 

Regular updates, managing redirects, and utilizing lazy loading for media files also guarantee smooth and effective operations to successfully speed up your WooCommerce store.

Frequently Asked Questions About Boosting WooCommerce Speed

How do I optimize my WooCommerce images?

That would be done by resizing, compressing, and using the right formats, for example, JPG for high-resolution images and PNG for icons. Plugins such as TinyPNG or Imsanity automate this for you when compression and resizing are needed.

Where could WooCommerce be hosted?

Hosting on global data centers, CDN, and SSD storage. A highly scalable option is cloud hosting. It will also be pretty easy to work with server configurations by using managed WooCommerce hosting.

How does cleaning up the WooCommerce database improve speed?

Over time, a lot of extra data builds up in the databases for WooCommerce. The following are examples of such data: old revisions and various external scripts. When these are cleaned up using plugins like WP-Optimize, store performance is improved by reducing the size of the database.

Should I regularly update WooCommerce plugins? 

Yes, regular updating not only of WordPress itself but also of plugins and themes is important for better performance and safety. Too old plugins can make your store slower and even vulnerable.