Drupal is one of the best open-source content management systems available right now, and it’s important that you know how to keep it running as efficiently as possible. It can be easy to forget about certain things that ultimately lead to a marked decline in performance. When you actually take the time to get some helpful tips like these, it will be much easier for you to make the most out of this framework. The last thing you want to do is allow Drupal to become inefficient and ineffective, because it will adversely affect your site.
- Make use of Page Caching
Page caching can be immensely helpful when it comes to optimizing Drupal so you can get the most out of it. By enabling this feature you will be storing the entire contents of each individual page on your site in a unique database, allowing it to be brought up faster than ever before. This is actually one of the more effective ways of enhancing the performance of this CMS, but unfortunately not many people think to do it. You will greatly decrease SQL queries that are needed by a single lot to do its job properly.
- Enable Views Caching
It’s also a good idea to think about enable views caching so you can speed up Drupal and unlock its full potential. If you want to improve authenticated user page speed, this is the very best way to do so. All you need to do is enable caching for pages as well as blocks that are made with the views module. This means that the page block will be cached instead of the entire page; it is a great way to make Drupal more efficient overall.
- Upgrade
You cannot realistically expect Drupal to run at optimal performance levels if you aren’t using the current version. Upgrading your version of this CMS doesn’t take very long at all, and you will certainly be glad you did it. There are lots of problems that can come about from using an old version, so make sure you stay current. You could also try using a dedicated Drupal host to help things further.
- Utilize a CDN
A Content Delivery Network can make all the difference when it comes to speeding up the performance of Drupal in a very noticeable way. This can make it easier for everything to load faster, all the way from pictures of the products you sell to JavaScript itself. The faster your website as a whole loads for visitors, the more paying customers you will get. Nobody wants to use a website that is sluggish and unresponsive, so you will need to keep this tip in mind.
- Compress your Images
Always make sure that you compress the images of your products before they go onto your website, as this will keep it from getting bogged down and becoming very slow. These days most online merchants know to compress their images, because otherwise their websites cease to function efficiently. This won’t take a lot of time and it can do wonders for the performance of your website.
- Use an External Service for 404s
While a lot of people still use modules for look for 404 page load errors, you will want to think about running your site through some outside service instead. There are many of these services to choose from, and we highly recommend that you take the time to find the right one.
- Change your Web Host
A faster web host can make all the difference when it comes to enhancing Drupal’s ability to manage your site’s content. If your website is still loading very slowly despite your best efforts, it might be time to start looking for a new host. Make sure that you find a host that can meet all of your bandwidth requirements. By doing this you will likely speed up your site considerably.
Final Thoughts
Drupal can be a great tool for online merchants, but you will need to know how to keep it running efficiently for the benefit of your site as a whole. If your CMS starts slowing down, your entire website will too. While some of these tips may seem a bit simplistic or obvious, they are incredibly effective nonetheless. Sometimes the simplest answers are the best ones when it comes to getting the most out of your content management framework. It is crucial that you stay on top of these things so you don’t allow your site to suffer in any way.
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