1. Staying up to date with releases

Staying up to date with the latest version of WordPress is critical. In every update, there are usually a lot of performance enhancements. The developers at WordPress don’t release updates just for fun, but because they’ve upgrades or made something about WordPress better.

Same situation with WordPress plugins, stay up to date with the latest versions. It’s as important, and for the same reasons. WordPress plugin developers release new versions because they’ve modified the code in some way to make the plugin better. So keep up with the releases!

2. Disable or delete unused plugins

This is probably one of the biggest issues that causes WordPress sites to slow down. Depending on the plugin, they can have tons of scripts and code. So if you’re not using a plugin disable it and maybe even delete it. Decide which plugins are necessary for your site to run and then do-away with the ones that aren’t needed. It’s as simple as that.

3. Clean up your code

Since your code is what runs your site behind the scenes, optimizing it can do wonders for your load time. Below are some easy ways you clean up your code to load faster.

• Decreasing WhitespaceWhitespace refers to the spaces used in your code. Some coders, like myself, like to use a lot of whitespace (indented tabs, line breaks, etc.) for better readability and organization. But, decreasing whitespace will speed up your site’s load time by shaving off some extra bytes off the total size.An example of using some whitespace:.test {
font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;
font-size: 12px;
color: #000000;
}

  An example of minimized whitespace:

  .test {font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; color: #000000;}

• Using external scriptsInstead of placing tons of code in your header.php file, use external scripts. This allows the browser to cache the script so it won’t have to read it for every other page.An example of using external scripts:<script type="text/javascript" src="example.js"></script>
• Using shorthand CSSUsing shorthand CSS is great for everyone. It’s great for you, your browser, and your site visitors. It allows for your CSS to be more concise, and it loads faster too!An example of using long ass regular CSS:.test {margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 1px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 3px;}

  An example of using shorthand CSS:

  .test {margin: 7px 1px 5px 3px;}

4. Minimize PHP and database queries

And most important of all, cutting down on PHP and database queries. Each time a page on your site loads, if your browser has to execute any PHP queries, it adds to the load time. If you replace the PHP queries with static HTML, every time a page loads, your browser just reads the HTML.

An example of lots of queries & requests:

<title><?php bloginfo(’name’); ?><?php bloginfo('description'); ?></title>

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="<?php bloginfo('html_type'); ?>; charset=<?php bloginfo('charset'); ?>" />

<meta name="generator" content="WordPress <?php bloginfo('version'); ?>" />

<link rel="stylesheet" href="<?php bloginfo('stylesheet_url'); ?>" type="text/css" media="screen" />

<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="<?php bloginfo('rss2_url'); ?>" />

<script type="text/javascript" src="<?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?>/mootools.js"></script>

An example of minimized queries & requests:

<title>WPCandy - The Best of WordPress</title>

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />

<meta name="generator" content="WordPress 2.3" />

<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://wpcandy.com/wp-content/themes/wpcandy/files/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen" />

<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/wpcandy" />

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://wpcandy.com/wp-content/themes/wpcandy/files/mootools.js"></script>

There you go, you’re on your way to being an SEO guru! OK seriously, there is a LOT to know about SEO however you can have Google give you a ton of love by doing some really fast and basic optimization. All you need are Brad’s words in your mind, and two plugins to let you optimize your WordPress content quickly and easily.

Before you publish

First up, do your keyword research with free keyword tool at Wordtracker (or similar tool). Find the keywords you are looking to optimize any given post or page for. When you’ve got that down, you can publish your post and optimize that post with the following two essential SEO plugins for WordPress.

Two Essential SEO plugins for WordPress

All In One SEO
The grand daddy of them all: All In One SEO.

Sitemap Generator
Dagon Design has been giving and getting a lot of love from the WordPress community. Here is their sitemap generator plugin.

Those are the two I can’t live without. What about you … got a favorite SEO plugin you just have to use?

If you are in direct competition with another business that has a website,,

they have a clear advantage – especially if they are adequately marketing

their website.

Your Open 24/7.

Imagine being open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week with

out having to go in or even pay an extra light bill. A website will allow you

to do just that. Many people surf the web in the evening when most places

of business are closed. If you have a website they can find, you are just as

good as open. Is your competition open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Deliver Significant Information.

More than ever before, people are turning away from traditional means of

finding information and looking online. Yellow pages, directories, and

printed material are being used less.

Improve Customer Confidence & Corporate Image.

With a professional website, your business will instill customer confidence

and will greatly improve your overall image.

Small Businesses Have Higher Revenue.

Well that got your ears perked. According to the SBA, small businesses

that have websites are averaging $1.07 million per year in sales more

than the small businesses who are not online. That is 39% higher revenue!

Establish More Customers.

According to the SBA, 50% of internet sales are from new customers.

Having a website will significantly improve your customer reach no matter

what services or products you are offering. Want new customers? Get a

website!

Not Just Local – Global.

Most small businesses are only able to market to their town and

surrounding communities. With a website, you can take your goods and

services accross America and around the world, if you choose.

Check them out:

http://www.dlightappworks.com
http://support.dlightappworks.com

Pastor Javier Moreno approached us to create a vibrant active website for his predominantly Spanish church.

Shred Knowledge approached us for a complete redesign on the Joomla 1.5 framework. This site includes a forum and the ability for guest teachers to post lessons.

We were contacted to create a website that entails news, a blog and a place to host live mp3 sermons.