There are some plugins that are useful for a handful of websites. And then, there are those ones that every WordPress site needs. The latter plugins belong to a distinct category: caching and performance optimization.
Website performance plays a pivotal role in user experience and, in particular, raises or influences conversion rates and Google rankings. Every website owner wants their website to load as fast as possible. This is why they install caching plugins. In addition, beginners typically need to know the 6 essential features of a Web Hosting Service.
WP Rocket is one of the most well-known and, indeed, as per our experience, one of the finest caching plugins. Although primarily a caching plugin, WP Rocket is packed with plenty of useful performance optimization features that make it worth consideration.
The first thing that people tend to notice about WP Rocket is it is a paid tool, unlike other WP caching plugins. However, when you factor in the amount of money it will save you in the long run, it is not that expensive. Instead, it can make you more money. By getting your site in a better position, you are attracting more prospects and leads to your products/services.
Let’s find why WP Rocket is such a useful tool.
WP Rocket Features
Cache Options
Aside from the usual caching, browser caching is also done by WP Rocket. This way, it maintains your site’s static resources on the client-side .i.e. the web browser belonging to your users. This way, it provides a competitive edge with an increase in speed.
Furthermore, with its dashboard, you can control (include/exclude) caching for each web page. Similarly, you can take out a specific content piece from the cache.
Also, the plugins help ban certain users or browsers from accessing the cache. With WP Rocket, you can track your site, updating the cache every time you publish a new blog post or edit a web page. Besides, there is also an option to configure a limit to the cache lifespan to determine how long a page has to be cached before the cache gets deleted.
Cache Preloading
Usually, free caching plugins will only start building cache once a visitor comes on the page. This slows down the website loading time. WP Rocket resolves this hold-up by relying on cache preloading. What this means is that it builds the cache and updates it to make sure each page is loaded quickly.
Code Minification and Concatenation
Your website source code can be the culprit behind its poor performance. WP Rocket counters this issue with the optimization of the CSS, PHP, and JavaScript source code.
Minification deletes unneeded characters, such as code comments and spaces. On a similar note, concatenation merges CSS and JavaScript files. Thus, both of these processes are beneficial to your site speed.
Mobile Caching
WP Rocket allows caching for phones. This cache can be created separately for mobile devices. Since most of your users are expected to use a phone, this can turn out to be a valuable feature.
Image Optimization
Larger image files contribute to slow loading speed. WP Rocket addresses this dilemma with a feature known as lazy loading. This way, unless the user scrolls down, below-the-fold images will not be loaded.
Database Optimization
Your database collects a wide range of trash/spam comments, removed blog posts, and discarded drafts over time. As a consequence, the site experiences a drop in speed.
WP Rocket revitalizes your site by ensuring that your database removes all the junk in no time. Furthermore, you can schedule automatic monthly, weekly, and daily cleanups to keep your site fast.
E-Commerce Compatibility
If you manage an online store, then WP Rocket is a must-have plugin. It works well with most of the e-commerce plugins and makes sure your e-commerce functionalities run smoothly.
Support
Installation and configuration with WP Rocket is a piece of cake. Even those who aren’t tech-savvy can get started easily. More importantly, WP Rocket is supported by an experienced and responsive support team.
What’s more exciting is that you can reach out to them by using your WP dashboard – no need to visit the WP Rocket site. Other contact options include email and a ticketing system.
What Makes WP Worth the Price?
WP Rocket is reliable – it actually fulfills what it promised, which makes it better than most of the plugins. We have found it to increase website loading times – an observation shared by several other website owners.
At most, it has increased site speed by over 50%. It may not seem much at first, but SEO guys know how effective this change could be. With every website trying a plethora of speed optimization tools and techniques, this is a terrific chance to use a dependable plugin.
Features such as database optimization, image optimization, and LazyLoad have mainly produced excellent outcomes in keeping websites lighter and faster.
Another thing that we liked was the documentation compiled by WP Rocket. Click here to check it. As you can see, it has been made while keeping convenience in mind – allowing anyone to get started and solve standard issues without external help.
One aspect where WP Rocket stands out is its support. Usually, developers release a plugin and forget it after some time. Since WP Rocket is a paid plugin, it receives constant updates at least two times every month.
This way, potential bugs are eliminated efficiently, and performance is enhanced significantly. This is also why it is always going to be compatible with the WordPress versions and updates.
Final Thoughts
With COVID-19, competition among businesses has increased in the digital space. Everyone is going online and trying their level best to provide the best possible site experience. With WP Rocket, you can capitalize on this opportunity and offer a high-quality user experience. Although WP Rocket comes with a price tag, we recommend it, because results show that it is worth it.
