Every time someone asks how to speed up a WordPress site, the advice usually sounds the same:
“Install this plugin.”
“Add another optimization tool.”
“Switch to a different theme.”
I used to think that way too.
But after working on real WordPress sites — especially ones that were already using “all the right plugins” — I realized something important:
Most WordPress speed issues aren’t caused by missing plugins.
They’re caused by poor configuration and heavy architectural decisions.
This post is a breakdown of how I approach performance today, using a minimal stack and focusing on fundamentals rather than plugin overload.
The Real Reason Many WordPress Sites Feel Slow
In most audits I do, the problem is rarely WordPress itself.
It’s usually a combination of:
- Server misconfiguration
- Too many overlapping performance plugins
- Heavy page builders generating unnecessary markup
- Unoptimized images and fonts
- No clear strategy for asset loading
- Plugins can help — but only after the foundation is right.
- My Performance Stack (Simple on Purpose)
- I intentionally keep things minimal.
Performance Plugins I Use
- FlyingPress
- Flying Pages (by Gijo Varghese)
- That’s it.
- No all-in-one “do everything” plugins.
- No multiple caching layers fighting each other.
- Server Comes First: LiteSpeed Web Server
- Before touching WordPress settings, I always look at the server.
With LiteSpeed:
Correct PHP version matters
OPcache must be enabled
Compression should happen at server level
TTFB issues often disappear here
This is where many sites go wrong — they try to fix server problems using WordPress plugins. That almost never works.
FlyingPress: Powerful, But Only If You Configure It Properly
FlyingPress is one of the few performance plugins that respects your setup instead of trying to override everything.
What I focus on:
- Clean caching setup
- Careful CSS and JS handling
- Delaying only non-critical scripts
- Avoiding aggressive options that can break layouts
- Turning on every toggle doesn’t make a site faster.
- Understanding what each option does does.
- Flying Pages: Speed Isn’t Only About Metrics
- Flying Pages doesn’t just improve scores — it improves how the site feels.
By preloading links a user is likely to click:
- Navigation feels instant
- Pages appear to load faster
- UX improves without adding bloat
- Perceived performance matters just as much as actual load time.
- Images: WebP, Proper Scaling, No Shortcuts
- Images are often the biggest performance issue hiding in plain sight.
My basic rules:
- Use WebP format
- Upload correctly sized images (no oversized files)
- Avoid heavy hero images
- Always define width and height to prevent layout shift
- No plugin can fix badly prepared images. This has to be done right at upload time.
- Why I Avoid Page Builders
Most page builders generate:
- Large DOM trees
- Extra CSS and JavaScript
- Layout shift issues
- Instead, I rely on:
- Gutenberg
- GenerateBlocks
This combination gives:
Clean HTML output
Minimal assets
Full layout control without performance penalties
The difference in page weight is noticeable immediately.
Using Premade Templates the Right Way (Otter Blocks)
For the front page, I used Otter Blocks premade templates.
Premade templates aren’t the problem — poor implementation is.
I make sure:
- Structure stays clean
- Styling is minimal
- No unnecessary scripts are loaded
- Used carefully, they save time without hurting performance.
- Fonts: Either Local or Not at All
- Fonts are another common performance trap.
My approach:
- Prefer system fonts
- If custom fonts are required → host them locally
- Load only the font weights actually used
- Avoid render-blocking font requests
- This alone can significantly improve first paint and CLS.
- Cloudflare: Fixing Network-Level Issues
Cloudflare helps with things WordPress can’t:
- CDN delivery
- DNS speed
- Global latency
- Configured properly, it works smoothly with LiteSpeed and adds a strong performance layer without extra plugins.
- Again — configuration matters more than tools.
- Why This Approach Works Long-Term
This setup consistently delivers:
- Fast real-world load times
- Low layout shift
- Stable performance after updates
- Sites that don’t break every few months
- Most importantly, the site stays fast because it’s built on solid fundamentals.
These are above my own portfolio sites. Many people ask me if you are expert of that level why you don't show your own site's speed test. So added realtime speed test.
Final Thoughts
WordPress performance isn’t about:
❌ Installing more plugins
❌ Chasing perfect Lighthouse scores
❌ Switching tools every time something feels slow
It’s about:
✅ Understanding the stack
✅ Making clean architectural choices
✅ Configuring what you already have properly
Once configuration is right, plugins become helpers — not bandaids.
Author Note
I regularly work with WordPress performance optimization, clean block-based builds, and server-level tuning.
Some real-world workflows and case studies are available on my portfolio: https://syedsaadullah.com
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