If you have a website based on Magento®, sooner or later, you face the question of how to optimize Magento performance. We have already discussed how page loading speed influences conversion. So it’s time to make it clear and finally get the working steps on how to speed up Magento based website. Let’s start.
Magento Performance and Website Speed Test
Although the process of Magento performance optimization is quite difficult and depends on different parameters, there are several basic things that can help you decrease your website loading time. You can speed up Magento by yourself using our Magento optimization techniques. Let’s start from scratch and check whether your website is optimized or not. Then run the Google speed test and learn how fast your website is.
If you see that your page loading time needs to be reduced, we can move on.
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Magento Performance Tuning
The process of performance optimization for any CMS and website is quite similar: we should keep up with the times and reduce page loading time by reducing the weight of content and code. We need to shorten the way of servers request. How to do it? Let’s do the following:
Use the Latest Version of Magento for Better Performance
It’s quite important to use the latest version of CMS and modules because the bugs are fixed, and performance is improved in updates. Also, it will help you to keep your Magento based website protected.
Optimise Images and Reduce Their Weight
Surprisingly, but more than 50% of page loading time is taken by images loading. Here we move to reduce the weight of content. So, where are the images on your website? For sure, you’ll find them in Products and Categories. If you just decrease their size and use the compression, it will drastically affect the page loading time. You can do it with help of different extensions, but also the simple way is to use “Save for Web” in Adobe PhotoShop (you’ll find this function in header menu, “File” tab).
Flatten Your Categories and Products
Imagine that your website has a huge number of categories and products. And all of them have their own attributes. These attributes are stored in separate databases. So while reaching some product from some category, the way of the request is too long. That’s why if you enable flat categories and products, the attributes will be in one table. Therefore, you shorten this way. Magento website speed will be increased.
How to enable flat categories and products:
- go to Magento admin panel;
- choose System in top menu;
- then choose Catalog.
- Catalog Frontend and set Yes for “Use flat Categories” and “Use flat products”.
Combine CSS and JS Files into One File
This will also have a positive impact on a website performance. It’s useful when it comes to the time of server request. If you merge CSS and JS files, you’ll shorten the way of request and optimize your code.
How to merge CSS and JS file:
- go to Magento admin panel;
- choose System in top menu;
- then choose Configuration, Advanced.
- go to Developer, CSS settings, and JavaScript settings;
- there you should set Yes for “Merge Javascript” Files and “Merge CSS” Files.
We are on the right way. We have already done the most important steps. Let’s move to the next one.
Enable Compilation and Activate the Scripts
This step helps to activate some important scripts in Magento core, and the website becomes faster.
How to enable compilation:
- go to Magento admin panel;
- choose System in top menu;
- then choose Tools, Compilation, Enable.
Enable Caching
Cache is quite a powerful element when it comes to website performance optimization. It helps to shorten the way of server request by storing different data that was loaded before. There are different types of caching in Magento. We offer you to enable all of them and look at the result.
How to enable caching:
- go to Magento admin panel;
- choose System in top menu;
- then choose Cache Management, select all items and choose Enable.
Also, don’t forget to turn on the page cache. It’s a pretty useful and powerful way to increase your Magento website speed. You can use special extensions for these purposes, for example:
Zoom Full-Page Cache, LiteMage Cache, Product & Category Page Cache
Choose the Fastest Web Hosting
It’s an important step which you should do right at the beginning of your Magento performance optimization. It is a base for your website, that’s why it should be fast and reliable enough in order to resist the high load and perform the best efficiency. It’s better to prefer not cheap but well known hosting providers with a good reputation and reliable technical support.
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