GTMetrix, PageSpeed Insights, or other website performance analysis platforms indicate that the server response time is high. What can I do?

Front-end performance analysis sites are becoming increasingly popular among website administrators, helping them identify areas that need improvement. One of the most common recommendations given is: Improve server response time.

How do we check the server response time?

To determine the actual response time of the server (without processing the site's data), we can use the ping command. Example:

ping hostico.ro

The result will include the response time, as observed in the example below:

PING hostico.ro (77.81.2.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from hostico.ro (77.81.2.1): icmp_seq=1 ttl=63 time=3.0 ms

Why can the server response time vary?

The server response time can be influenced by several factors, such as:

• Application optimization: The server must process PHP scripts or other programming languages.
• SQL Queries: Data must be retrieved and processed from the database.
• Optimizing absence: Unoptimized PHP scripts or SQL queries can significantly increase response time, especially if the database contains a large volume of information.

Methods to Reduce Server Response Time

To improve server response time, follow the recommendations below:

• Access log verification: Check the logs in the control panel for abnormal activities, such as brute force attacks. If you identify suspicious IPs, you can block them using the IP Blocker feature available in cPanel or Webuzo.
• Activating caching: Make sure that the application being used has an active caching module. For example, in WordPress, you can install the WP-Super-Cache plugin.
• Updates: All modules, the theme, and the application used must be updated to the latest available version.
• Front-end optimization:
  • Minify CSS, JS, and HTML files.
  • Enable Gzip compression.
  • Set up front-end caching.
  • Optimize the images used on the site.
• Back-end optimization:
  • Deactivate and delete unused modules/plugins.
  • Optimize the database using the functionalities in PhpMyAdmin or a specialized plugin.
• Upgrading to a newer PHP version: If the application allows, use the latest available PHP version for improved performance.
• Activating PHP caching: Ensure that the PHP caching functionality is enabled for the used PHP scripts.
• Application-specific optimizations: Adapt optimizations to the specific needs and characteristics of the application or site in use.

Upgrade to a superior package

If all the above optimizations have been implemented and the server response time remains high, consider an upgrade to a higher hosting package that offers more resources for your site.