WordPress
Top The BunnyCDN
dashboard showing options
for both pull and storage
zones in addition to various
usage statistics
Above After running the
various optimisations the
PageSpeed result comes
out much better; 100/100
is rarely obtainable but if
the results are showing as
green then they are more
than acceptableand the origin URL (the URL of the website the CDN
is being used on).
Save the settings, making a note of the CDN
hostname (
If using the Breeze plugin, re-open the settings
and head to the CDN tab. From there, enter the
hostname in the CDN CName box, leave CDN
content as it is and exclude any content as needed
in the Exclude Content box. Once done, click Save
and purge the cache. Over the next few minutes,
assets should be served from the CDN instead of the
local server. This can be checked by using Chrome
DevTools to examine the URL of images on the
homepage: if they are loading from
net then the CDN is working correctly.
UPGRADE TO PHP 7
Making regular upgrades to PHP is something that
has flown under the radar for many, with PHP 7.1
now at end of life. Many websites still run on the
older and much slower PHP 5.6. Upgrading to at least
PHP 7.3 would bring a major performance increase
and should reduce the pressure on the server,
making it more efficient.
TEST TO SEE WHAT VERSION OF PHP IS
BEING USED
Depending on where and how the website is hosted,
there are several ways to check the version of PHP
being used. If FTP access is an option, create a new
file called version.php and add the following code:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>
Upload this file to the root folder of the website and
then access it from a browser. The details of the
current PHP installation will be shown.
If SSH or shell access is available, open the server
terminal and simply type:
php -v
The currently installed version will be shown.
Many hosting companies have a dashboard that is
specific to them that shows this information. As
a general guide, look for ‘Change PHP settings’ or
something similar for the best chance of finding the
version number.
If none of these approaches work, ask the person
in charge of the hosting. If the version returned is
lower than the currently supported version, attempt
to upgrade to the latest stable version for a large
performance boost.
RETESTING
Once all changes have been made, return to
Google PageSpeed Insights and run the tests again.
Significant improvement should have been made
even though the score likely won’t be perfect. It
can be difficult to optimise a website to 100/100 on
both mobile and desktop as sometimes the problem
doesn’t entirely lay at the feet of the webmaster. Poor
themes and plugins can sometimes be critical. The
important thing is to be aware that it is a factor and
take it into account when planning new features.
In summary, site speed should always be modified
and optimised to the maximum extent possible. The
quicker a web page loads, the longer the site retains a
user’s attention. Conversion rates skyrocket with
even small increases in page speed.