Would you like to check the speed of your WordPress website using GTmetrix?
Due to issues like slow web hosting, big image files, poorly designed plugins, etc., many WordPress sites are slow.
This post will demonstrate how to test and enhance WordPress site performance using the GTmetrix plugin.
GTmetrix: What is it?
You may check the speed of your website’s loading using the GTmetrix tool. People’s attention spans are shorter than ever, making website speed more crucial than ever.
A one-second delay in page load time can result in a 7% loss in conversions, 11% fewer page views, and a 16% drop in consumer satisfaction, according to a StrangeLoop case study involving Amazon, Google, and other major sites.
Using GTmetrix, you can see what’s holding down your website and get advice on how to make WordPress run more quickly.
After saying that, let’s look at how to use the GTmetrix plugin to speed up your website.
installing the WordPress plugin GTmetrix
Installing and activating the GTmetrix WordPress plugin is the first step. Check out our comprehensive tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin if you need help with this.
Once activated, the plugin will add a new menu item to your WordPress admin sidebar called “GTmetrix.” To access the plugin’s settings page, click it.
You must enter your API credentials and GTmetrix account email on this page.
In order to obtain the API keys, you can register for free. There will be a daily cap on the amount of requests allowed for this free account. You won’t likely ever run out of credits, though, if you only use this on one website.
Just visit the GTmetrix website and create an account.
Click on the “User settings” link at the top after creating your account, and then click the “GTmetrix API Details” link under Account Settings.
Simply click the Generate API key button on the next screen. You will receive an API key from GTmetrix that you must copy.
You may now return to the settings page for the “GTmetrix” plugin in your WordPress dashboard. Enter your account email address and the API Key that you previously copied.
To save your settings, don’t forget to click the “Save Changes” button.
Once the plugin is configured, you can start testing WordPress performance.
Access the GTmetrix » Tests page by going there. By selecting the “Test your Front Page immediately” button from here, you can rapidly test the home page of your website.
Any page on your WordPress website can have a performance test done. Just type the page’s URL into the “Test performance of” box.
You can also enter a label and select a region for these unique tests. You should ideally concentrate on areas that are close to your target market.
Interpreting the results of the GTMetrix Performance Tests
A detailed breakdown of the performance for the page you are testing is provided by GTmetrix. Your page-load will be scored using the YSlow and Google Page Speed tests, and the results will be summarized with an overall score.
Anything less than an A indicates there is an opportunity for development. This does not, however, imply that your page loads incredibly slowly.
You must click the “Detailed Report” link to view your URL on the GTmetrix website in order to comprehend the score.
This report provides you with a thorough analysis of your PageSpeed and YSlow scores as well as a list of suggestions for how to speed up your page.
It is separated into various tabs. Your page speed score will be the first thing you see, along with a list of ranking factors and each one’s unique score.
Good green things don’t need your attention; they are good. Red things need more research because they slow down your website.
The nicest thing is that it explains exactly what needs to be fixed when you click on the item.
That is but one illustration. There is a little “What’s this mean?” button on each tab. If you click on that, information on what can be improved will be provided.
An illustration from the YSlow tab follows:
On the GTmetrix » Tests page, in the Findings area, you may access all of your previous reports.
As you try to enhance the speed and functionality of your website, this enables you to organize and conduct tests.
Not Using a Plugin When Using GTmetrix
Simply go to their main page and enter your URL if you want to utilize GTmetrix without installing the plugin.
Like with the plugin, you’ll receive a thorough report after testing your website.
This method’s drawback is that you are unable to save many reports and compare them as your website speed improves.
Guidelines to Boost Website Performance
The GTmetrix speed test will provide you with a wealth of details. You could want to contrast your findings using an another website speed test tool, such as Pingdom or the IsItWP Website Speed Test Tool.
If your website is still receiving low ratings, you can go through the details and boost each component individually. However, a novice user would find this to be too technical.
The following are a few fast strategies that you can use without any specific knowledge to immediately fix website speed issues.
1. Use a reputable WordPress host
You won’t be able to do much to increase the performance of your website if your WordPress hosting service is subpar.
Here are our picks for the top 3 quick web hosts you should check out:
- Bluehost offers excellent pricing and includes built-in caching.
- SiteGround offers top-notch WordPress hosting with integrated caching and utilizes Google Cloud.
- The best managed WordPress hosting company, WP Engine, optimizes performance.
2. Installing the WordPress Caching Plugin
All reputable WordPress hosting providers now provide built-in caching tools that you may activate to speed up websites. However, you may also utilize a WordPress caching plugin to enhance the performance of your website.
By using caching, your website can load a page from a temporary file rather than sending a new request for it. WP Rocket is the top WordPress caching plugin available, so we strongly suggest installing it.
3. Enhance Images for Quicker Page Loading
A page with a lot of images slows down your website since they take longer to load than text. On the other hand, you cannot avoid using photos because they are crucial for user engagement.
WordPress image optimization can make pages load more quickly. The same photographs will still be used, just with reduced file sizes.
There is a lot more you can do to increase the speed at which your website loads. For novices, we’ve put together a comprehensive WordPress speed and performance tutorial with detailed instructions on how to speed up your website.
We wish you luck in learning how to use the GTmetrix plugin to enhance the functionality of your WordPress website.
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