How to Prioritize WordPress Site Prep for High Traffic

Preparing a WordPress Site for High Traffic

1. Caching

• Implement Caching Plugins: Use plugins like W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, or Cache Enabler to serve static files and reduce server load.
• Browser Caching: Configure HTTP headers (Cache-Control, Expires, ETags) for static files so browsers store them and cut down on repeated requests.
• Object Caching: Employ Redis or Memcached to keep database query results in memory, lowering database strain.
• Server-side Caching: Consider Varnish for advanced caching on the server.

2. Optimize Your WordPress Website

• Minimize Plugins: Deactivate and remove any you don’t need.
• Optimize Images: Use the right format (JPG, PNG, WebP) with proper compression.
• Minify Files: Reduce CSS and JavaScript sizes.

3. Upgrade Hardware/Hosting

• Increase Resources: Move to a plan with more CPU, RAM, and I/O.
• Switch to SSD: Choose a host offering SSD or NVMe storage.
• Separate Services: Put the database and web server on different machines if possible.

4. Optimize Software

• Web Server: Tune Apache or Nginx settings for better throughput.
• PHP: Enable Opcache to speed up PHP execution.
• MySQL/MariaDB: Adjust query cache and use InnoDB storage engine.

5. Content Delivery Network (CDN)

• Use a CDN: Offload static assets to servers closer to your visitors.

6. Monitoring

• Site Monitoring: Get alerts if your site goes down.
• Performance Tracking: Keep an eye on load times and slow transactions.
• Profiling Tools: Use New Relic or AppDynamics to spot bottlenecks.

7. Database Tuning

• Clean Your Database: Remove clutter with optimization plugins.
• Limit Revisions: Reduce the number of saved post revisions.

Priority Order for Optimizations

Highest Impact - Tackle First

1. Caching: The biggest immediate boost—you’ll need caching plugins and browser caching before anything else.
2. Content Delivery Network (CDN): Shifting static assets like images, CSS, and JavaScript to a CDN lightens your server load and improves speed for global users.
3. Upgrade Hardware/Hosting: When the site already feels strained, adding CPU, RAM, or SSD storage can be the fastest way to stabilize performance.

Significant Impact - Next Steps

1. Optimize Your WordPress Website: It includes several tasks:
   • Minimize Plugins
   • Optimize Images
   • Minify CSS and JavaScript
2. Optimize Software: Keep PHP, your web server, and database software up to date and correctly configured.

More Complex or Ongoing

1. Database Tuning: Cleaning and tweaking database settings may demand deeper technical know-how.
2. Monitoring: Set up uptime checks and performance tracking so you spot issues before they lead to downtime.