If you’ve been testing your WordPress site’s performance, you might have come across something called Time to First Byte (TTFB). However, you may not be sure what it means, and how you can optimize your site for this metric.
The good news is that Time to First Byte is pretty straightforward. Once you have a good understanding of what it is, you can try some simple strategies to improve your TTFB score. For example, you can optimize images, enable caching, and regularly update plugins.
In this post, we’ll go over the basics of TTFB and why it’s important. Then, we’ll show you three ways to reduce TTFB and boost your site’s performance. Let’s dive right in!
Table of Contents
What Is Time to First Byte?
Before you learn how to reduce Time to First Byte, it’s important to have a basic understanding of what this metric means. Essentially, TTFB measures the time it takes for a web server to establish a connection and deliver the first byte of a web page after a request.
TTFB helps you determine your server’s responsiveness. According to Google Developers, you should aim for a TTFB score of 0.8 seconds or less:
Image credit: Google Developers
Time to First Byte is crucial when it comes to WordPress performance. In fact, it’s important for all sites, no matter what website builder or Content Management System (CMS) they’re built on.
That’s because a poor TTFB score translates to slow loading times. This can have a negative impact on the user experience and your site’s rankings in search results.
Although TTFB isn’t one of Google’s Core Web Vitals, it’s still an important metric. In fact, when you use popular speed test tools such as PageSpeed Insights, you’ll often get a TTFB score for your site:
When you’re aware of user-centric performance metrics like TTFB, you can optimize your site speed and keep visitors happy. More specifically, strengthening WordPress performance can help you boost your site’s SEO to gain more traffic and increase conversions.
3 Ways to Reduce Time to First Byte
Now that you have a good understanding of Time to First Byte and how it affects WordPress performance, we’re going to show you three easy ways to reduce TTFB. Some of these strategies will require 10Web Booster:
Image credit: WordPress
This powerful tool integrates with PageSpeed Insights to analyze WordPress performance and provide automated speed optimization features. In fact, 10Web Booster can help you earn a “passing” Core Web Vitals score without having to make any manual changes.
So, before you continue, you’ll need to install and activate this plugin on your site.
1. Optimize Images
Heavy image files often lead to slow page speeds. Therefore, one of the best things you can do to reduce TTFB is to optimize the images on your website.
With 10Web Booster, you can do this in just a few clicks. Once you’ve set up an account, navigate to your dashboard and go to the Image Optimizer tab:
Image credit: 10Web Booster
Here, you’ll be able to see the number of images on your site. You can then click on the Optimize Now button to optimize them. It’s as easy as that!
On the same screen, you’ll see an option to enable Automatic Optimization. This way, all images you add in the future will be automatically optimized for peak WordPress performance.
2. Enable Caching Using a Content Delivery Network
A Content Delivery Network or CDN enables you to implement website caching. This involves storing copies of web files so that they can be delivered quickly when they are needed. Therefore, caching can reduce TTFB and speed up your site.
10Web Booster has a partnership with Cloudflare, which is one of the most popular (and trusted) CDN providers:
Image credit: Cloudflare
To enable Cloudflare caching with 10Web Booster, you’ll need to upgrade to a Pro plan. Then, you can go to the dashboard in your account and select Cloudflare CDN under Website Booster.
In the panel for Cloudflare Enterprise, simply click on the Enable button. Then, you’ll need to go through a number of steps to verify your domain and complete the configuration.
This process will differ slightly depending on your web host, so you may want to consult 10Web Booster’s documentation on enabling the Cloudflare CDN. When finished, you might also want to enable full-page caching.
3. Update Your Plugins
Regularly updating your WordPress plugins can also help reduce your Time to First Byte. That’s because outdated plugins can lead to bugs, security vulnerabilities, and slow-loading pages.
To do this, navigate to the Updates tab in your WordPress dashboard and scroll down to Plugins:
Check the box for any outdated plugins and click on Update Plugins. You’ll either want to do this regularly or enable auto-updates:
Keep in mind that some plugin updates can lead to incompatibilities on your site. Therefore, you might want to do this manually and with caution. For example, you could create a backup before you run any updates, or test the plugins on a staging site.
Conclusion
Whether you’re an aspiring developer or an online entrepreneur, a good understanding of Time to First Byte is essential. It can help you optimize your site’s performance and ensure the best user experience possible.
To recap, here are three ways you can improve TTFB:
- Optimize images with a performance plugin like 10Web Booster.
- Enable caching using a CDN.
- Update your plugins on a regular basis.
Do you have any questions about Time to First Byte and WordPress performance? Let us know in the comments section below!
Noor Mustafa Raza
Editorial Staff
