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WordPress can be a bit... slow. Learn how to speed it up!

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Web performance is a business problem.

Fast websites...

  • Make more money.
  • Get more traffic.
  • Rank higher in Google.
  • Have stronger brand loyalty.

WordPress can be a bit slow, but it doesn’t have to be!

Learn how to build WordPress sites that load in under 1 second.

Your server, your theme, the way you load files. They all have an impact on how fast (or slow) your WordPress site is.

Wicked Fast Websites provides you with a blueprint for building insanely fast WordPress sites. It also gives you a framework for analyzing web performance and advocating it to clients and managers.

Here’s what you’ll learn

Wicked Fast Websites covers everything you need to build insanely fast WordPress sites, from browser quirks to file optimization to server settings.

  • Why web performance matters.
  • The right way to measure web performance.
  • Annoying browser quirks (and how to fix them).
  • How to reduce page weight for faster load times.
  • Server optimizations that boost web performance.
As a developer reacquainting myself with WordPress, this course was just what I wanted. Chris walks you through applying current performance techniques, debunking the myth that WordPress is inherently slow.- Alex Hardy, Designer & Developer

A Comprehensive Approach

Building insanely fast WordPress sites involves a variety of techniques. This book covers them all.

  • CSS tricks
  • JavaScript enhancements
  • WordPress PHP modifications
  • Server configurations
  • Using build tools to make your life easier

3 boilerplates to speed up your development time

Wicked Fast Websites comes with three awesome boilerplates to help dramatically speed up your development time.

  1. Gulp Boilerplate. Use Gulp to combine files, remove whitespace, automatically add version numbers to your theme, and more!
  2. CodeKit Boilerplate. Prefer GUIs over command line? No problem. Use CodeKit to combine files and remove whitespace from your website files.
  3. PHP Cheatsheet. Copy-and-paste code for implementing all of the WordPress-specific techniques discussed in the book.

Table of Contents

Here’s everything that’s in the book.

  1. Why web performance matters. A look at some data that explains why web performance matters.
  2. Measuring performance. When it comes to web performance, how fast is fast enough? And what’s the right way to measure it?
  3. Combining files. Combining similar file types together—–a process known as concatenation—–improves web performance. What are some tools and techniques for doing this, especially when dealing with third-party plugins and themes?
  4. Social Sharing Buttons. Social sharing buttons provided by sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ all load a bunch of additional files behind the scenes and you might not even realize it.
  5. Better CSS Loading. A new technique—Critical Path CSS—can dramatically improve the perceived load time of your site.
  6. Better JavaScript Loading. JavaScript is often the biggest bottleneck in your site’s performance. Let’s explore some techniques to improve it.
  7. Fixing Fonts. Loading web fonts often results in a Flash of Invisible Text (FOIT) that leaves the page unusable until it loads.
  8. Lightning Fast Tapping. Many mobile browsers introduce a 300ms delay when a user taps on a link or button. This is why web apps feel so much slower than native apps.
  9. Remove White Space. Removing white space in your CSS and JavaScript files can reduce file size by 75% or more. How do you do this with third-party plugins and themes?
  10. Smarter Images. Images now account for almost two-thirds of the total weight of an average web page. This has a huge impact on performance.
  11. SVGs. A vector-based image format that can keep your image files smaller and more crisp on high-density screens.
  12. Responsive Images. How to send different images based on the visitor’s screen size, density, and more.
  13. Gzip. A simple server setting that can reduce the size of your website by 70%.
  14. Expires Headers. Reduce latency by telling browser to hold on to reused files for future visits.
  15. The Magic Plugin. The one plugin you should always install that will have a rediculous huge impact on your site’s performance.
  16. Putting it all together. A recap of everything from the book, and what to do now.

Ready to buy Wicked Fast Websites?

Get everything you need to build insanely fast WordPress sites.

  • The Book (in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI formats)
  • The Gulp Boilerplate
  • The CodeKit Boilerplate
  • The PHP Cheat Sheet
  • FREE lifetime updates

Buy now for $39

This course is SO absolutely insightful. I’m so glad I took it. Some recommendations I’m already using, some I’ve been vaguely aware of, some I have seen before and others are new to me. I am significantly more informed than I was two days ago.- Mike Kilmer, Media Zen

This book is great for…

  • WordPress freelancers who want to build faster sites for their clients.
  • In-house WordPress developers who want to improve their skills.
  • Developers who are comfortable writing basic PHP and JavaScript.
  • People who know that faster websites make more money.

My 100% Money-Back Guarantee 💰

Don’t put off building insanely fast WordPress sites! If you’re not 100% satisfied with the book, let me know within 30 days of purchase and I’ll give you a full refund.

About the Author

Chris Ferdinandi

Hi, I'm Chris Ferdinandi.

I’m a WordPress developer, consultant, and speaker. I’ve taught thousands of people how to improve the performance of their WordPress sites through my free articles and at WordPress events.

I want to help you build insanely fast WordPress sites.

Ready to buy “Wicked Fast Websites”?

Buy it now →

If you have any questions or comments, send me an email at chris@gomakethings.com.