How to improve load time of Genesis

[Mealtog]

I agree, It took a while to go through each of those settings and I actually found 1 or 2 options that conflicted with other plugins and had to disable them. Almost every benchmark I had reviewed showed an advantage to W3 Total so that was why i asked.

[nutsandbolts]

It all depends on the server (and the plugin config). When I had colo servers and offered web hosting, my servers were specifically optimized for WP Super Cache because it was so much easier for my customers. In my opinion, the bigger concern is the number of plugin conflicts; most people just don't know what to do with that.

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Andrea Whitmer, Owner/Developer, Nuts and Bolts Media
I provide development and training services for designers • Find me on Twitter and Google+

[Mealtog]

Good tip. Basically, you are trading off possible problems that may arise with pure performance. Can't argue with that. Would rather have a smooth running site than a fast one that is broken.

[beoleary1]

Andrea,

I've been running with your suggestions and settings for Super Cache for a few weeks now. When I perform a site Audit using Raven Tools, I get failing marks for my Cache Controls. Here is what it says:

RECOMMENDATION: Add an Expires or a Cache-Control Header

There are two aspects to this rule:

For static components: implement "Never expire" policy by setting far future Expires header
For dynamic components: use an appropriate Cache-Control header to help the browser with conditional requests

Web page designs are getting richer and richer, which means more scripts, stylesheets, images, and Flash in the page. A first-time visitor to your page may have to make several HTTP requests, but by using the Expires header you make those components cacheable. This avoids unnecessary HTTP requests on subsequent page views. Expires headers are most often used with images, but they should be used on all components including scripts, stylesheets, and Flash components.

Browsers (and proxies) use a cache to reduce the number and size of HTTP requests, making web pages load faster. A web server uses the Expires header in the HTTP response to tell the client how long a component can be cached. This is a far future Expires header, telling the browser that this response won't be stale until April 15, 2010.

[nutsandbolts]

You can add expires headers to .htaccess pretty easily: http://www.robertwent.com/blog/servers-and-hosting/45-set-expires-headers-in-htaccess

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Andrea Whitmer, Owner/Developer, Nuts and Bolts Media
I provide development and training services for designers • Find me on Twitter and Google+

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