Introduction
Nowadays Drupal is a popular framework for websites. From personal blogs to complex corporate websites, as our Drupal site grows in content and complexity, you might notice its performance.
Imagine waiting for a friend who’s always late. That’s kind of how users feel with a slow website. Websites that load quickly keep users happy and coming back for more. They also tend to rank higher in search results, so more people can find you in the first place!
In this blog, we’ll share some simple ways to keep your Drupal website running smoothly. Let’s make it work like a dream!
What is Drupal performance?
Drupal Performance indicates the optimal functioning and responsiveness of a Drupal website. It encompasses various factors, including page load times, server response times, database queries, and user satisfaction, not only use satisfaction but also SEO. It means delivering a fast, reliable, and engaging user experience while efficiently utilizing resources and growth. Achieving and maintaining good performance requires careful planning, regular monitoring, and optimization efforts throughout the website.
Here are some tips to develop a faster website
- Use the latest version of Drupal
- Always ensure that you are using the latest version of Drupal for your Website. Every version comes with better performance, bug fixes, and enhanced security Features. The latest version can have a significant impact on website speed and performance.
- Choose a reliable hosting provider
- In simpler terms, your website’s speed relies heavily on the company that stores its data (hosting service). But not all of them are the same, especially for powerful website-building tools like Drupal. You want a hosting company that gives Drupal a special boost, like having ways to store website data for faster loading (caching), using the latest software (PHP versions), and having the know-how to deal with Drupal’s unique way of being built.
- Updated Drupal modules
- Keeping all installed modules up to date is not just a security best practice but also a performance optimization strategy. New releases often come with improvements that can enhance efficiency and speed. Before updating, always back up your website and test the updates in a staging environment to avoid complex issues.
- Enable caching
- Caching is crucial for Drupal performance. Drupal 8 and later versions come with built-in caching features that are more extensive and easier to manage than previous versions.
- Page caching: Stores complete web pages for anonymous visitors.
- Views caching: Particularly important for sites that make heavy use of the Views module to display content.
- Block caching: Caches the output of individual blocks.
- Caching is crucial for Drupal performance. Drupal 8 and later versions come with built-in caching features that are more extensive and easier to manage than previous versions.
- Optimize images
- Images can significantly impact website loading times. Optimizing their file size can lead to substantial improvements in website performance and user experience. Use tools to compress images without losing quality.
- Implement lazy loading to delay loading images until they are needed.
- Use the right image formats.
- Images can significantly impact website loading times. Optimizing their file size can lead to substantial improvements in website performance and user experience. Use tools to compress images without losing quality.
- Minify and aggregate CSS and JavaScript
- Drupal offers built-in functionality to optimize website performance. By enabling CSS and JavaScript aggregation, you can significantly reduce page load times. This feature combines multiple CSS and JavaScript files into fewer, smaller files. This translates to a lower number of HTTP requests for the browser, leading to a faster and more efficient user experience.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN)
- A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is like having copies of your website’s images, code, and other stuff on servers all over the globe. When someone visits your site, their computer grabs this stuff from the closest server, making everything load lightning fast. There’s a handy Drupal module that makes setting up a CDN a breeze.
- Optimize the database
- Regularly optimize your Drupal database to improve efficiency. This includes tasks like:
- Remove unused modules: Every module installed on your Drupal site can add to its database load. Uninstall and remove any modules that you are not using.
- Running database maintenance: Use Drupal’s built-in database optimization tools or perform manual optimizations, such as clearing cache tables and optimizing table storage.
- Regularly optimize your Drupal database to improve efficiency. This includes tasks like:
- Regularly audit and monitor performance
- Regularly use profiling tools to identify performance. Use Proper tools so that they can provide insights into how your site performs and where you can make improvements.
- Coding standards
- Coding standards with best practices that developers should follow when writing code for Drupal websites. It helps maintain consistency, readability, and quality across code.
- Enable HTTPS
- Implement robust security measures by enabling HTTPS for your website. This involves installing an SSL certificate, which encrypts data transmission between your server and user browsers. This encryption safeguards sensitive information from unauthorized access and manipulation.
- Enable Drupal’s built-in security features
- Don’t forget to turn on Drupal’s built-in security features! They’re there to protect your site from stuff like hackers trying to inject weird code (XSS) or steal your users’ info (CSRF). Make sure these features are switched on and set up right to keep your site safe.
Conclusion
Optimizing your Drupal website for speed is an essential, ongoing process. By consistently implementing the strategies outlined above, you can ensure exceptional website performance.
This translates to a significantly enhanced user experience, potentially leading to improved search engine ranking and increased website traffic. As an offshore development company, August Infotech specializes in crafting tailored solutions to meet your unique needs.
Contact us today to elevate your online presence and drive business growth.
