The thing many designers love about WordPress is the ability to customize a page using plugins. Most of the time, these third party tools that offer additional functions that WordPress does not. They can really help small businesses thrive and can make even commonly used themes feel individual. But plugins aren’t always rainbows and cupcakes. What you choose to use on your pages can absolutely affect the page speed, and the user experience. So why and how do plugins affect page speed? And what can you do about it? Here are some things to consider.
Site Load Speed
One of the most important things for your search engine optimization, or SEO, is the site load speed. There are many things that impact the load speed, but plugins can be a big source of load speed problems.
Since each plugin you use adds more code to your site, you can unknowingly slow everything down. You want to choose plugins that are going to be fast and serve the purpose your clients need.
Unsupported Plugins
Since plugins are generally third-party tools, you may not know when they are no longer being updated. If that’s the case, they could not only slow down your page but also leave your client sites vulnerable to massive problems.
The only way to ensure that your plugins are working the way they should is check into them every once in a while. If a plugin hasn’t been updated in six months or more, it may no longer be supported and it’s time to replace it.
Read Plugin Reviews
Not all plugins are created equal. Some are coded poorly and, even if they do exactly what you need them to, they slow down your site. Before you install any plugins, be sure to read their reviews and see how we’ll they’re put together.
Check out trusted WordPress review sites to read about the current plugins and any that you’re curious about using. Much like installing apps on your phone or tablet, you want to make sure what you use is worth it.
Overall Site Performance
Plugins aren’t the only thing that can cause slower site speeds that affect your SEO. You really should be looking at it as a whole, not just the pieces. Any good website is the sum of its parts, from design to backend coding.
If you want to focus on the art and design of branding your client sites, it may be best to leave the backend and security to experts.
Do you want to know more about site load speeds and how to ensure your client sites are fast and effective? Call Site Trustee today.