Online shopping is becoming undoubtedly more convenient than going to a physical store. But still people expect that their online shopping experience to be quick. They don’t like waiting when they click on the page, they want the response to be quick. If they are facing delays, they will leave the page and look for another website. Therefore, stores working online are focusing on increasing their website’s speed and response time to generate more sales.
If you are using PrestaShop for your online store, you can enhance its performance by several ways.
Server Optimization
- Remove unused modules
Having unused modules installed in PrestaShop can impact performance. You should uninstall and delete every unnecessary module to stop them from loading and slowing down the speed of your PrestaShop store.
- Update PrestaShop version
Use the latest PrestaShop version for better performance improvements and security fixes. Keep your PrestaShop installations up-to-date to avail the best opportunity from the latest features and customization given by the platform.
- Latest PHP version
Use the latest PHP version, the update version offers significant speed improvements, brings more performance compared to its old versions. However, PHP 7 is a recommended choice for PrestaShop users. - Web servers
Utilize both Nginx and Apache can optimize the speed of the server. Place the Apache behind Nginx, allowing Nginx to handle the static content request whereas Apache will manage dynamic requests, resulting in giving a balanced and efficient server configuration. - Server-side Rendering
Server-side rendering helps in generating and delivering the web pages directly from the server. It reduces the rendering time from client-side, enhancing the overall speed of the website.
Database Optimization
- Table defragmentation
Table defragmentation is necessary to improve the database performance. Over time, when data is added, modified, and deleted from the database, it can become fragmented which leads to slower execution of queries. Defragmentation reorganizes the data storage, reduces fragmentation, and optimize the response time of query.
Table defragmentation can be done through specific tools for database management system or through commands. For Example, in MYSQL defragmentation can be done through the optimize table command. - Query Optimization
Optimization of database queries is necessary for improved PrestaShop performance. Inefficient queries take more space and slow down the response time.
Content Delivery Optimization
- Choosing the right CDN provider
Choosing the right CDN provider is an important decision. Consider the following factors:
- Network Coverage: Choose a CDN that has a huge network of servers located strategically worldwide. It makes sure that the content is delivered swiftly to the customers regardless of their place.
- Performance: Evaluate the performance of the CDN providers. See for the low-latency and high-throughput networks to ensure quick content delivery.
- Security features: Prioritize CDN providers that are offering robust security features.
- Set up caches
Cache rules plays an important role in optimizing performance of CDN.
- Static asset caching: Set up the static asset cache for extended periods. This will minimize the need for the repeated requests, reducing server load and accelerating the content delivery.
- Dynamic Content Optimization: For dynamic content, set up caching rules to cache dynamic content appropriately.
- Cache Invalidation: Implement cache invalidation strategies to automatically update the cache when a change occurred on your website.
PrestaShop-Specific Optimization
- Integrate PrestaShop cache modules
Find Prestashop modules to optimize page cache, resulting in faster loading time. - Combine, Compress and Cache
Enable CCC in order to compress HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. This reduces the size of the files leading to faster loading pages. - Image optimization
Optimizing images is necessary to increase the speed of the page. It directly impacts the page load time and user experience.
Choose Optimal Image Format
Choosing the right image format can have a significant impact on the quality and size of the file. It decreases the loading time of the images, resulting in faster load time of the website.
Resizing & Compression
Rather than using modules for the image optimization, adopt the best practices for resizing and compressing the images.
Make sure to optimize the images as per the required dimensions of the website’s layout. Avoid adding large and heavy images, as they can impact the page speed of your website.
Compress the images to get the optimal result without compromising the image quality.
Create image sprites for small, repeated graphics to reduce the number of server requests.
