The Best Speed Improvements on Shared Hosting

The TL-DR

Shared hosting can very be limiting. You can improve your site’s performance though by optimizing your site’s code, using caching, and optimizing your site’s database. If you’re using WordPress there are many options for you to use.

How Can I Improve My Site’s Speed on Shared Hosting?

Website performance optimization is crucial for the success of any online business or personal website. It not only improves the user experience, but also helps with search engine optimization and can increase conversions. However, when using shared hosting, there are certain limitations to what can be done to optimize website performance.

In this article, we will discuss various techniques for optimizing website performance on shared hosting, including optimizing website code, caching, database optimization, and monitoring and troubleshooting. By implementing these techniques, you can improve the speed and performance of your website, despite the limitations of shared hosting.

What are the Limitations of Shared Hosting?

Limited Resources

Many shared hosting providers have strict resource limits in place, which can severely impact the performance of your website. These limits may include restrictions on CPU usage, memory usage, and storage space. These limits are put in place to ensure that all websites on the server have an equal share of resources, but they can also lead to issues such as slow loading times, frequent downtime, and even suspension of your website if resource usage is too high.

Additionally, if your website experiences high traffic, it may be difficult to maintain performance within the resource limits set by the shared hosting provider. It’s important to keep in mind these limitations when choosing a shared hosting provider and to plan accordingly.

No Control over Server Configuration

When using shared hosting, you do not have control over the server’s configuration, which can limit your ability to optimize performance. This includes things like PHP version, server-side caching, and the use of specific modules or plugins.

High Traffic Can Affect Other Websites

High traffic on your website can also affect the performance of other websites on the same server. This is because shared hosting resources are divided among all the websites hosted on the server, and any high traffic can lead to increased load on the server and slow down the performance of all websites.

Overall, the limitations of shared hosting can make it difficult to achieve optimal website performance, but implementing the techniques discussed in this article can help to mitigate some of these issues.

How Do I Optimize My Website’s Code?

Minimizing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

To optimize website performance on shared hosting, it is important to minimize the amount of code used on your website. This can be done by removing any unnecessary white space and comments, as well as by combining multiple CSS and JavaScript files into a single file.

If you have a WordPress website on shared hosting, there are a number of minification and optimization plugins you can use. We wrote an article specifically for WordPress plugin optimization if this is your situation.

Additionally, using a tool like Gzip can help to compress the code, further reducing its size. If you have good hosting, this can be automatically done for you. However, automatic gzip compression isn’t always enabled for shared hosting.

Compressing Images and Other Media

Large images and other media can significantly slow down the loading time of your website, especially on shared hosting. To optimize performance, it is important to compress images and other media before uploading them to your website. This can be done using tools like Photoshop or online image compression tools.

Additionally, using a lazy loading plugin can help to defer the loading of images until they are needed, further improving performance.

Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a group of servers located in different geographical locations that work together to deliver content to users. By using a CDN, you can reduce the load on your shared hosting server and improve the speed at which your website loads for users. This can be done by using a plugin or module, or by manually configuring a CDN on your website.

Can Caching Work on Shared Hosting Plans?

What is Caching?

Caching is the process of storing data temporarily in a cache, or a fast-access memory storage, to reduce the number of times an action or calculation must be performed. Caching can help to speed up the loading time of your website by reducing the amount of data that needs to be loaded from the server each time a page is accessed.

How Can I Enable and Configure Caching?

Some shared hosting providers offer caching options through their control panel, such as “object caching” or “page caching”. Alternatively, if you are running a WordPress site, you can configure caching using caching plugins or modules, such as WP-Cache or W3 Total Cache. By configuring caching, you can reduce the load on the server and improve the speed at which your website loads for users.

It’s important to note that not all shared hosting providers allow the use of caching plugins and modules, so it’s best to check with your hosting provider before installing one. Additionally, caching plugins and modules can be complex to configure, so it’s important to have a basic understanding of how they work before installing them.

What Database Optimizations Can I Do On A Shared Hosting Plan?

How Important Is Database Performance?

The database is an essential component of a website and its performance can have a significant impact on the overall performance of the website. On shared hosting, database performance can be affected by the number of users accessing the server simultaneously and by the size of the database.

How Do I Optimize Database Queries?

Optimizing database queries can help to improve the performance of your website on shared hosting. This can include things like indexing columns, using the right data types, and reducing the number of joins in your queries. Additionally, using a tool like phpMyAdmin or MySQL Workbench can help to identify and optimize slow queries.

It’s important to note that not all shared hosting providers allow the use of database management tools, so it’s best to check with your hosting provider before installing one. Additionally, database optimization can be complex and requires a good understanding of SQL and database management, so it’s important to have the necessary knowledge before attempting to optimize your database.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Importance of Monitoring Website Performance

Monitoring the performance of your website on shared hosting is essential for identifying and troubleshooting any issues that may arise. By monitoring website performance, you can identify areas that need optimization, track the effectiveness of any optimization techniques you have implemented, and respond quickly to any issues that arise.

Tools for monitoring website performance on shared hosting

There are a variety of tools available for monitoring website performance on shared hosting. These include website speed test tools such as GTmetrix, Google PageSpeed Insights, and Pingdom. Additionally, tools like Google Analytics can help you track website traffic and user behavior.

Troubleshooting common performance issues

Common performance issues on shared hosting include slow loading times, high resource usage, and frequent downtime. To troubleshoot these issues, you can use the tools and techniques discussed in this article, such as optimizing website code, configuring caching, and optimizing the database. Additionally, you may need to consult with your hosting provider for further assistance.

In conclusion, monitoring and troubleshooting website performance is a crucial step in ensuring that your website runs smoothly on shared hosting. By identifying and addressing any issues that arise, you can maintain optimal performance and provide a better experience for your users.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed various techniques for optimizing website performance on shared hosting. These included optimizing website code, caching, database optimization, and monitoring and troubleshooting. By implementing these techniques, you can improve the speed and performance of your website, despite the limitations of shared hosting.

Website performance optimization is an ongoing process and requires regular attention and maintenance. We encourage you to implement the techniques discussed in this article and to continue to monitor and optimize your website’s performance. By taking these steps, you can ensure that your website provides a fast and reliable experience for your users.

Looking for Optimized Hosting?

Looking for highly optimized hosting that does a lot of this work for you already? We offer high-performance hosting that will minimize the amount of work you have to do fixing your site to see great performance.