How to reduce time to first byte to Improve WordPress Page Load Times

This article is going to explain what TTFB is, how it affects your WordPress Page load times and how to reduce it. When troubleshooting a slow website, TTFB (time to first byte) is one of the metrics all site benchmarking performance tools use to determine how fast your website starts loading from a specific location or setting.

Firstly, you must understand that TTFB (time to first byte) is not measuring your website speed. TTFB is a measurement of responsiveness.

What is TTFB?

Time to first byte (TTFB) measures the duration of time browser has to wait before receiving its first byte of data.  A common misconception is that this is calculated post DNS lookup, however, the calculation of TTFB always includes network latency.

A lower TTFB means fewer dynamic calculations being performed by the server most often due to caching. A very low TTFB is observed with static HTML page, while larger TTFB is often seen with dynamic data requests being pulled from a database.

When a visitor views your website an HTTP request is sent from the browser to the server. There are various factors that can cause delays during this process. Slow DNS lookup times can contribute to increased time for the request. If your site’s geographical location is far away, this can increase latency due to the distance the data must travel.

Once the server receives the request, it has to process and generate a response. If your website uses a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, the server has to do all the necessary computations needed to display the site content. PHP loads the MySQL database and fetches the content to display the appropriate output for the browser.

There can be various delays during this process such as slow database queries, too many WordPress plugins, not caching, using an older PHP version, poorly optimized code or WordPress theme. This could result in a poor TTFB value like 1-4 seconds or higher, which does not always mean your hosting server is slow or experiencing problems.

If you are seeing slow TTFB with a static HTML page, then you may want to start investigating from the server as there could be no other factors affecting the performance of your site.

How to reduce TTFB for your WordPress site

1. Utilize WordPress Cache

One of the easiest ways to lower your TTFB is utilizing cache on your WordPress site. You may think that caching only helps decrease your load times, but in fact, it can also help lower TTFB as it reduces the server processing time.

Our servers utilize LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress, which is built-in page cache to dramatically reduce page load times and lower TTFB.

Simply enable the plugin from your cPanel control panel under LiteSpeed Web Cache Manager.

If you have cache enabled and still notice high TTFB, you must check for two things.

  • Make sure you are measuring a cached result, you can do this by performing your test more than once. A slower first result is normal and should be faster with consecutive tests. Run multiple tests to verify you’re measuring cached results.
  • Are you testing from a close geographical location? If you are testing from a farther geographical location it is normal to have higher than average TTFB due to network latency. If you want your site to be fast from various locations, consider implementing a CDN.

You cannot fully cache all pages such as Checkout pages and shopping carts. You can still make sure you are using PHP 7.2 or latest with opcache enabled from cPanel control panel under Select PHP version.

You can also utilize Memcached service to further improve the time WordPress takes to pull data from the MySQL database.

2. Check WordPress Plugins

Check all the WordPress plugins you are using. How many total plugins are installed and how many are active? Are the plugins high quality and regularly updated? How much load do they add to your page rendering process?

3. Implement a CDN

Another easy way to lower TTFB is to utilize a Content Delivery Network (CDN). If your website is serving visitors from different parts of the country or around the globe, CDN can help drastically lower your TTFB.

Say Hello to Code Editor on Skype

Human capital has become quite mobile these days. Employers tend to recruit people from different countries and cities. In this process of recruitment, Skype plays an integral role. After all, how else can you interview potential employees?

Skype has ensured that the process of technical interviewing goes by as smoothly as possible with the inclusion of a real-time code editor.

What Does This Mean?

You might wonder, what will this latest feature offer to users? Well, with the help of this function, any video call you make would be placed on a code editor, which will allow interviewers to interview applicants without changing applications.

This code editor feature has the power to support over seven languages including C, C++, Java, and Ruby. Additionally, it comes with a syntax highlighting function which is built into the system to provide optimum performance.

How Does It Work?

The next question that will cloud your mind is, how can you avail this service? The answer to this query is quite simple as well. All that you are required to do is go to the Skype Interviews site online and click on the option that allows you to start your interview.

Skype will then send both the interviewers and interviewees a unique link. Once all of the participants follow the given link, the interview can begin.

Does This Sound Familiar?

If you are a tech-savvy individual, you might be rolling your eyes right now. This is because you must be aware of various other tools that provide a similar function. For those of you who are not aware of such tools, one that you can search about is HackerRank.

HackerRank allows programmers to come together and practice and compete in different elements like coding. It also allows you to get employment through a similar method as recently launched by Skype.

Conclusion

All in all, while Skype may not be the first to start a code editor feature, it certainly isn’t that late to the party. Since it is a credible way of communication, the fact that it is revamping to ensure that it meets the current needs of the masses is a step in the right direction.

Regardless of whether you are conducting the interview or are being subjected to it, the fact remains that technical interviews have now become easier to perform with the help of Skype.

Difference Between Trademark ™, Registered ® and Copyright ©

Have you ever come across brand names and encountered various symbols which you did not understand the meaning of? Well, that is usual as there exists a nomenclature which legalizes certain brand names. These naming methods include trademark, registered, and copyright. These three names give a different message and allow you to understand the brand better.

Trademark ™

Whoever has not yet been able to register their brand name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) should be listed as a “Trademark” as opposed to a “Registered.” Similarly, even if the application has been submitted for registration but has not been accepted yet, the brand name continues to be listed under “Trademark.”

While the use of the trademark label protects an unregistered name, it does not guarantee protection under the trademark law. In order to guarantee safety under the Lanham Act, the owner of the trademark needs to ensure and prove that they were first to use the trademark and that the use of the trademark by other parties will confuse the audience from distinguishing between the good’s source.

Registered ®

Any brand name registered with the USPTO is denoted by the “R” symbol. Being registered allows you to use your trademark in a more superior manner over others and allows you to obtain damages against infringers. Registering a trademark prevents any imitators from bothering you and provides you with a heavy presumption of ownership. It is generally preferred to have a registered trademark over one that is unregistered.

Copyright ©

This “C” symbol, giving the impression of copyright, sends a message to the public saying that the work is copyrighted and the user has ownership of the work. The symbol is not necessary in order to protect your work as it achieves automatic protection upon creation.

Now that you are aware of the nomenclature, you will be able to better identify brand names. Any of the brand names which have not been registered or are waiting for registration are to be termed under the trademark symbol, whereas registered brand names have the “R” symbol right after them. Finally, any work that is copyrighted and requires a visual impression given to the public uses the “C” symbol right around the corner of the work.

How to Trademark Your Business Name

Building a brand image is not an easy task. It requires a lot of effort and dedication. There are multiple advantages of building your brand name, number one being brand recall; that’s when everyone starts to recognize you by name.

However, what happens when someone else starts using the same name as your brand? At that point, customers can easily mistake your brand for the counterfeit one. Plus, various competitors can pop up with a name that has little or no difference from yours.

In order to protect your name, you must trademark it. Once you trademark your name, you get exclusive rights to it. The name does not need to be one word. It can either be a few words, a phrase or even a short sentence. Not only that, but you can also trademark a design, a symbol or your brand logo.

Before you decide to trademark the name, you must know that you can only do so if the name belongs to a business that is operational or will be used by a setup in the future. You cannot trademark personal names.

Also, you will only be able to trademark it if the name of your business is unique and does not sound generic at all. For example, Starbucks is a different name, so the trademark was given. Names such as ‘cold ice-cream’ will not be given consideration.

When you are deciding a name for your business, make sure to run a little background check to see whether any other company has the same or similar name because if there is one available, you will not be able to get the trademark. Also, make sure that your name is specific to some type of goods or services being offered by the company, which would increase the chance of you getting the trademark.

How to Trademark a Company Name

Deciding on the company name can be a daunting task as it is a name that will be associated with you forever. You need to make sure that you pick a name that you do not regret. However, what can be discouraging is when you finally decide on a name and you find out that you cannot trademark it. This is why you need to know how to trademark a company name beforehand. Once you follow the points below, you will be able to ensure that it does not take you forever to decide on a name only to revise it.

Do Some Research on Trademark Name

By conducting a trademark search, you will be able to find various problems that you may encounter when you go to file the application. It will save you a whole lot of time, and you will be able to make things clearer in less time, saving you money as well.

When you conduct the research, you will get to know if there are existing businesses with the name you want or if there are any with names that are only a little different but can cause confusion. If there is any confusion, it is possible that your application will be denied. With the research, you will be able to figure out that possibility beforehand.

Another thing that this research will help you with is in finding businesses that have the same or similar name to yours. Though these businesses may not have a trademark, they may have their names protected by the law in specific geographical locations. It is best to ensure that you do not get into any legal trouble because of such names.

File the Application

An application must be filed with the USPTO for the trademark of names. For this, you can apply online as well and you need to make sure that the following information is included:

  1. The address and name of the owner of the business.
  2. The name that needs to be trademarked.
  3. The services or goods that the business will provide and with which the name will be associated.
  4. You need to make sure that you clearly point out whether the name will be used in the future or if the business already exists.
  5. If your business already exists, you will need to provide evidence such as a letter head or a label. If it’s for future use, you will submit these when the business becomes operational.

You will also need to pay the fees associated with the filing. This varies from $225 to $325 depending on the class of goods or services you are providing.

Respond to Queries

Once your trademark has been assigned to a person for review, you will be questioned if any problems are spotted. These questions will come to you in the form of a letter, and you will also be assigned a specific time period in which you will need to answer. To make sure that the application proceeds to the next level, you need to respond in the given time period or your application will be canceled.

Your application will then be published for opposition. If any comes up, you will need to resolve the issue. After that is done, your trademark will be registered.

How to Create a Blog on WordPress

Writing is the best form of expressing yourself. If you have something deep inside or if you just want to rant, you can let it out by writing it down. There is a possibility that you will fall in love with this method and you will find yourself to be good at it.

If you feel that you have a knack for writing and want to share your words with the world, we suggest you take up blogging. A blog is easy to set up, and many people from over the world visit various blogs daily to have a read. Before you know it, you might be one of the biggest bloggers of your time.

Why Choose WordPress

There are many options that you can use when selecting a website to create your blog, but we suggest WordPress. It is accessible to everyone over the world and is simple to set up. It also comes with many different features that you can add to make your blog look more attractive. Best of all, it is free, though if you want more advanced settings or need other high caliber features, you will need to pay a little to add them to your blog.

How to Set Up Your Blog

Once you have chosen WordPress as your blogging platform, it is time for you to start creating your account.

Choose Your Domain

Make sure that you choose a unique and attractive domain name for your blog. Just don’t pick anything or assign the domain given to you by WordPress. This is because the first impression you make on your audience will leave a lasting impact on their mind. Secondly, it will help improve your ranking in various search engines.

Whichever domain name you choose should be short and define your blog or brand. Also, make sure that it is easy to pronounce with a spelling that everyone can guess in the first go.

Choose Your Theme

The next thing you need to do is to select a theme for your blog. Make sure the text part of your blog is easy to read and visible for all. Secondly, choose the color scheme that best defines your writing style or your brand. Another thing you must keep in check is that the layout of the blog is user-friendly so that it is easier for people to locate various topics.

Add Images Where Needed

If you want to add pictures to your front page or to the blogs that you have added, find some good ones online and add them. If you have taken your own pictures, then add them as this gives a personal feel to the blog.

Add Some Content

An empty blog is never attractive, so when you set up the page, make sure you add at least a few blog posts so that people have something to read when they visit your page.

Check the Plugins You Need

There are various plugins available on WordPress. Go through them and add the ones that you feel will best suit your profile.

Sign Up and Install WordPress

Once you sign up a blog with a web host, you make it accessible to a mass audience. Your content will be saved, and everyone will be able to view it when they visit.