Just like a house or a car or your home PC, eventually, if you don’t tidy up, things get cluttered and work worse. Your website is no expectation. If you don’t remove old emails, log files, and the other things we are about to list, your website will slow down and can even have some issues. We suggest every six months or so to go in and clean things out. It only takes about an hour and your website visitors will love you for it.
Remove any old emails
We use programs like Thunderbird and MailBird to download and remove all emails from the server. This is a great backup option even if you don’t use Thunderbird to read emails. Keeping thousands of emails on your account uses IO file space, which makes the server work harder to process your website files. Also, most productivity specialists say keeping old emails is like keeping old bills at home, it only makes for subconscious clutter.
Remove log files
Most PHP scripts like WordPress have a dump file it adds to when an error happens. If there is a bad service, this file can get huge fast. We suggest removing error reporting and removing any old log files. If you have an error, then turn off error reporting and use the files in real-time. Leaving it there just adds space and more files that are not needed.
Remove any old addon domain not being used
Did you add a domain and forgot about it? We surprisingly have a lot of issues because of old add-on domains people forgot about and the old files were exploited. Mainly just make sure you don’t have any old add-ons, aliases, or parked domains not being used. This is important for performance and safety.
Remove any add-ons and themes not being used on WordPress
All you need is the theme you are using and the most recent default theme from WordPress. Any other themes can be deleted. Fewer files mean more performance and better security. Addon is another top way WordPress is exploited. Make sure any add-ons are safe and remove any deactivated or not needed. Less is always more once you do the basic WordPress Optimization process.
Check for duplicate pages
This simple website service checks your website for duplicate content, and it’s free.
Check for broken links
We love to use https://pro-sitemaps.com/or there is a free program called Xenu that works well too. You can contact Web Host Pro for a free copy.
Remove Outdated Content from Your Site
Yes, I know. You’ve been avoiding this because it takes time, but if you’re cleaning up your site, this is a must (and an obvious one). Not all content is equal. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t good at one time, it just might not be descriptive enough or relevant enough now. Or perhaps it needs a new call-to-action (CTA) or more research.
Clean Up or Remove Content Sitting in Your CMS
Speaking of the trash folder now is also the perfect time to clean up your CMS. Have content sitting in a draft stage that’s never going to be published? Delete it! Are there old pieces of content sitting in the trash folder? Hit “permanently delete.” When you have a clean digital working space, you will have an easier time finding and updating existing website content!
Update Users and Passwords
Does everyone have access to your CMS or other tools related to your website? Do the right people have access? Now is a great time to update passwords and users. Start off 2019 with a fresh start and ensure the correct team members have access while removing anyone who has left the organization.
Optimize Images
- Compress images without losing quality using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim.
- Use the correct image formats (e.g., WEBP, JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics).
- Enable lazy loading so images load as users scroll.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- A WordPress CDN like LiteSpeed or a website CDN like Cloudflare can help by distributing your website content across various servers worldwide, reducing load times for users far from your main server.
Reduce Plugins
- Only use essential plugins. Each plugin can increase the number of requests and slow down your site. Audit your plugins regularly and disable or delete unnecessary ones.
Use Fast and Lightweight Themes
- Choose themes optimized for speed and performance. Avoid bloated themes with excessive built-in features you don’t need.
Why is a fast website so important?
Having fast web hosting from Web Host Pro is crucial because it directly impacts your website’s performance, user experience, and SEO rankings. Faster load times lead to better user engagement, reducing bounce rates and increasing customer retention. When your website loads quickly, visitors are more likely to stay and interact with your content, which can result in higher conversions and sales. Additionally, search engines like Google prioritize fast-loading websites in their rankings, giving you a competitive edge in search visibility. Web Host Pro’s fast hosting ensures that your website is always running smoothly, enhancing both user satisfaction and business success.