Issue #185 Loop WP

Hi, {{first_name|friend}}. 👋

Welcome to Issue #185 of Loop WP!

Last week was the obligatory BFCM edition! Discounts for new and existing users and LTDs for products and services I actually use.

This week is about prepping your WooCommerce store's hosting for the long holiday season.

Let’s go! 👇

The holiday season is long, and for many, offering early Black Friday deals has already started.

WooCommerce has come a long way in terms of performance, but it still needs a helping hand from time to time.

Some of you lovely readers are technical, some are not, and some are store owners finding their way, so let’s share some tips on making sure your WooCommerce store can cope with the holiday rush! 👇

Start with this guide, “How to fix WooCommerce Performance (Brutal Truth)“ from Remkus de Vries, which is more than a perfect intro to the subject and full of actionable tips.

There is much more I can say on this topic, but I want to focus on hosting.

As with WordPress, you’ve got to start with good hosting. Cheap, shared WooCommerce hosting won’t cut it.

I use both Kinsta and Rocket.net for my clients’ WooCommerce sites, but there are other options, including recommended options from WooCommerce.

📈 First, check if your hosting plan offers scalable resources or an easy upgrade path. For example, if you're on shared hosting, you might want to consider a VPS or a managed WooCommerce host that can handle traffic spikes.

Rocket.net even has an innovative ShopShield feature, marketed as the “Ultimate Performance Tool” for WooCommerce.

Look into implementing a Content Delivery Network (CDN) if you haven’t already. A CDN can distribute your site’s static content across multiple servers globally, reducing load times for customers no matter where they’re located.

Cloudflare is excellent for the likes of Kinsta and Rocket[dot]net, which have this built into their stack.

🚀 Also, consider enabling full-page caching if you haven’t. Plugins like WP Rocket or server-side caching solutions can significantly speed up load times by serving pre-built pages to your visitors.

⚙️ Finally, monitor your site’s performance with tools like New Relic or even built-in hosting analytics if your host provides them.

That way, you can catch any bottlenecks early and ensure a smooth shopping experience even at peak times.

Kinsta offers New Relic and also has its own excellent APM Tool.

Object Caching is also a massive win for WooCommerce. There are lots of options out there, but I use Object Cache Pro, and Rocket.net offers it for free with their hosting.

Don’t forget to focus on making the checkout process as smooth as possible.

Use tools like this free plugin I made for Address Autocomplete to reduce friction and speed up the process for your customers.

The easier and faster it is for them to complete their purchase, the more likely they are to convert, especially during the busy holiday rush.

That’s it for this week, {{first_name|friend}}. 👋

This week's excellent and insightful WordPress News & Tips:

If you have a question about this email or WordPress, please reply, and I will respond as soon as possible.

👋 Until next time,

WooCommerce is a registered trademark of Automattic Inc. This image includes the WooCommerce logo for illustrative purposes only; no endorsement or affiliation is implied.