How to Improve PageSpeed Insights Score w/ Free WordPress Plugins

WordPress is liberating websites, making them available for non-developers. People are discovering that they can build a website by themselves, without any technical superpowers, which is awesome! However, this also creates some issues along the way. For instance, what do you do if your Google PageSpeed Insights score is a bit low? Today, we talk about how you can improve PageSpeed Insights score for your WordPress site.Theres a lot of debate around the subject of how Google ranks websites, and whether you should put more effort into raising the bar in an attempt to improve PageSpeed Insights score for your site. Of course, Googles is not the only player in this game, and there are other tools available for monitoring website performance. GT Metrix and Pingdom do a great job in analyzing website speeds, and I recommend checking them as well. However, the rules of the game set by Google shouldnt be ignored, moreover because they are easy to be met.Heres how the 10 Google PageSpeed rec ommendations can be checked, with immediate results for your sites load time.The good news is that for most of Googles PageSpeed rules, there is a WordPress plugin that can assist you. Without any technical background, you will be able to fix your website code and improve PageSpeed Insights score!Improve PageSpeed Insights score step #1: Google PageSpeed testTo begin with, you have to check how your website stacks up against Googles PageSpeed metrics. This can be done on the spot, with no account needed, no email sign up, nor any marketing witchery. Just grab your websites URL (or any URL you want to check) and go HERE.Just paste your websites URL and wait a bit, the process will take a few seconds depending on the complexity of the page. Keep in mind that the analysis is made in relation to that exact URL not the entire website. The page is fetched both for desktop and mobile usage, so you will actually receive two reports.Googles scale goes from 0-100, and each score is marked wi th a separate color, depending on the performance levels: red, yellow and green. Scoring over 85 points gets marked green, signaling youre on the safe side.The 10 rules of Google PageSpeed InsightsAfter running the analysis, you will get a detailed report on what your website is doing ok, as well as the things to improve, with actionable suggestions for both mobile and desktop versions. There are 10 main rules that Google is monitoring, some of them will be successfully met, some not.For the failed ones, you will receive advice on how to better handle the requirements, mostly addressing webmasters who can work their way directly into the code.Here are the things you should do first:1. Leverage browser caching (see the original rule)Some elements of your website can be temporarily stored (cached) to make the loading easier. Loading non-cached content (HTML, CSS, logo, images) will significantly slow things down. No wonder it is the number one fix for your website if you want to impro ve PageSpeed Insights score.Caching for WordPress websites is managed by several free and premium plugins. I suggest trying out either W3 Total Cache (free solution, link below) or going directly for WP Rocket, which has a price tag, but still very affordable (its what we use on the blog). W3 Total Cache Author(s): Frederick TownesCurrent Version: 0.10.1Last Updated: September 11, 2019w3-total-cache.0.10.1.zip 86%Ratings 17,209,595Downloads WP 3.2+Requires 2. Eliminate render-blocking JavaScript (see the original rule)In short, some JavaScript code may be interfering with your above-the-fold content, preventing the page from loading properly.There are two sides to this problem:The technical explanation: the thing you need to do is move the call to jQuery from the head of the page further down, adjusting when the call to the jQuery module is made.The simplified solution: you can fix the problem with one cool plugin WP Deffered JavaScripts. It will force  the browser to dow nload JavaScripts in parallel, helping  the site to load faster. WP Deferred JavaScripts Author(s): Willy Bahuaud, Daniel Roch, Grà ©gory ViguierCurrent Version: 2.0.5Last Updated: September 1, 2016wp-deferred-javascripts.2.0.5.zip 64%Ratings 144,644Downloads WP 3.0+Requires 3. Optimize CSS delivery (see the original rule)Most CSS requires extra time to download, so reducing the weight of the CSS code will also help improve PageSpeed Insights score.One plugin thats really effective when it comes to aggregating and minimizing JavaScript, CSS and HTML is called Autoptimize. Just install it and enable the options you want in Settings / Autoptimize. Autoptimize Author(s): Frank Goossens (futtta)Current Version: 2.5.1Last Updated: September 11, 2019autoptimize.2.5.1.zip 94%Ratings 8,117,091Downloads WP 4.0+Requires If you dont like it, you can use WP Super Minify alternatively.4. Minify resources (see the original rule)Unnecessary or redundant code affects the browsers behavior. Google will downgrade you when your HTML, CSS and JavaScript files are too large. Its recommended that all JavaScript files larger than 4096 bytes should be minified.This process is handled well by the plugins that also optimize CSS delivery, which we mentioned in the previous point: WP Super Minify or Autoptimize. Use them to improve PageSpeed Insights score.5. Enable GZip compression (see the original rule)Continuing with the code improvements, CSS and HTML can also be compressed. This is done with GZip compression, which reduces the size of your website before sending it to the browser. This can be set in various ways:You can have your web host set this up.You can set it in your .htaccess file.You can enable it through your caching plugin, like the aforementioned W3 Total Cache.6. Optimize images (see the original rule)Images contribute, on average, for about 60% of a web pages total size this is the largest factor influencing loading times. The optimization process c an considerably reduce the size of your images by removing unnecessary information, and by smartly re-compressing them using the most appropriate algorithms.The optimization may be handled in different ways. Lossless optimization is moderate and it is recommended for technical drawings where no details should be removed from the image. Lossy optimization can radically improve the website speed by shrinking images more aggressively. However, this will not interfere with the visual aspect of your image. Images will still be properly displayed on the web, and the optimization will not disturb the way users see the images online.Another thing, cameras and smartphones create photos with lots of megapixels, which are not needed for the web. In order to keep an optimal image size, and reduce server space usage, you should also resize images to a maximum width and height that your WordPress theme can handle.For a detailed how-to on image optimization please check out our other post here. It will help you improve PageSpeed Insights score.7. Improve server response time (see the original rule)Slow response time may be caused by several issues: poor web hosting, web server setup, traffic overload or too many resources used. Googles optimal server response time recommendation is set below 200ms.Among other things, having too many poorly coded plugins may affect the servers response times.8. Prioritize visible content (see the original rule)A very good practice in website coding when building the HTML structure of your site is to put content first, and then all the side elements and JavaScript further down the page.Google also warns about reducing the amount of data used by your resources an option which should have been resolved by the plugins recommended when discussing rule #4.9. Use asynchronous scripts (see the original rule)When the code is executed synchronously by the browser, it cannot do more than one task at a time and will prevent the page from loading faste r.For this, Google has published a list of the asynchronous versions of popular JavaScript tools/script. Make sure that you use them instead of their standard versions to improve PageSpeed Insights score.10. Avoid multiple landing page redirects (see the original rule)Redirects are a nice tool for getting people exactly where you want them on your website. However, unnecessary redirects will also cause delays and make it more difficult to improve PageSpeed Insights score for your WordPress site.Google isnt particularly fond of redirects in any shape or form. However, when you do need to use them, make sure that you have only one redirect for a single URL.For example, avoid redirecting from site.com/page  » www.site.com/page  » m.site.com/page when dealing with the mobile version.If you want just simple one-time 301 redirects, try out a plugin called Linker. In short, it lets Google know that whatever youre redirecting isnt a temporary redirect but will stay there for good. Lin ker Author(s): Yakir Sitbon, Ariel KliksteinCurrent Version: 1.2.0Last Updated: May 8, 2019linker.1.2.0.zip 90%Ratings 17,456Downloads WP 3.5+Requires ConclusionOkay, with all that behind us, my advice is to actually start by solving the most critical issues signaled in your PageSpeed Insights report.For more in-depth understanding of each recommendation, check out the Google developers rules everything explained more extensively. The Google PageSpeed Insights test can be repeated as many times as you want, but allow some time to pass between the runs, as the results are cached for 30 seconds or so.I hope youll feel much more confident to tackle all those PageSpeed Insights rules at this point. Im also interested to learn how youve been dealing with these issues, what other performance tools you have tried, and how theyve helped. Share them in the comments.And lastly, want to make your website quicker? Dont forget about our free email course on how to speed up your WordPress site:Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

The Assassination of Beatles Legend John Lennon

The Assassination of Beatles Legend John Lennon John Lennon - a founding member of the Beatles, and one of the most beloved and famous music legends of all time - died on December 8, 1980, after being shot four times by a crazed fan in the carriageway of his New York City apartment building. Many of the events that led to his tragic and untimely death remain unclear and decades after his murder, people still struggle to understand what motivated his killer, 25-year-old Mark David Chapman, to pull the trigger on that fateful night.   Lennon in the 1970s The Beatles were arguably the most successful and influential group of the 1960s, perhaps of all time. Nevertheless, after spending a decade at the top of the charts, producing hit after hit, the band called it quits in 1970, and all four of its members – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr moved on to launch solo careers. Throughout the early ‘70s, Lennon recorded several albums and produced hits like the instant classic Imagine. He had moved permanently to New York City with his wife Yoko Ono and taken up residence at the Dakota, a fancy, old apartment building located at the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West. The Dakota was known for housing many celebrities. By the mid-1970s, however, Lennon had given up music. And though he claimed he did so to become a stay-at-home dad to his newborn son, Sean, many of his fans, as well as the media, speculated the singer might have sunk into a creative slump. Several articles published during this period painted the former Beatle as a recluse and a has-been, who seemed more interested in managing his millions and holing up in his decadent New York apartment than in writing songs. One of these articles, published in Esquire in 1980, would prompt a pudgy, disturbed young man from Hawaii, to travel to New York City and commit murder. Mark David Chapman: From Drugs to Jesus Mark David Chapman was born in Fort Worth, Texas on May 10, 1955, but lived in Decatur, Georgia from the age of seven. Mark’s dad, David Chapman, was in the Air Force, and his mom, Diane Chapman, was a nurse. A sister was born seven years after Mark. From the outside, the Chapmans looked like a typical American family; however, inside, there was trouble. Mark’s dad, David, was an emotionally distant man, not showing his emotions even to his son.   Worse, David would often hit Diane. Mark could often hear his mom screaming, but was unable to stop his dad.   In school, Mark, who was a bit pudgy and not good at sports, was picked on and called names. All these feelings of helplessness led to Mark having strange fantasies, starting very early on in his childhood. By the age of 10, he was imagining and interacting with an entire civilization of tiny people he believed lived inside the walls of his bedroom. He would have imaginary interactions with these little people and later came to see them as his subjects and himself as their king. This fantasy continued until Chapman was 25, the same year he gunned down John Lennon. Chapman managed to keep such strange tendencies to himself, however, and seemed like a normal youngster to those who knew him. Like many who grew up in the 1960s, Chapman was swept up in the spirit of the times and by age 14, was even using heavy drugs like LSD on a regular basis. At age 17, however, Chapman suddenly proclaimed himself a born-again Christian. He renounced drugs and the hippie lifestyle and began attending prayer meetings and going to religious retreats.   Many of his friends at the time claimed the change came so suddenly they saw it as a type of personality split.    Soon after, Chapman became a counselor at the YMCA- a job he relished with fervent devotion- and would remain there into his twenties. He was highly popular with the kids in his care; he dreamed of becoming a YMCA director and working abroad as a Christian missionary. Problems Despite his successes, Chapman was undisciplined and lacking in ambition. He briefly attended community college in Decatur but soon dropped out due to the pressures of academic work. He subsequently traveled to Beirut, Lebanon as a YMCA counselor, only to be forced to leave when war broke out in that country. And after a brief stint at a camp for Vietnamese refugees in Arkansas, Chapman decided to give school another try. In 1976, Chapman enrolled at a religious college under the encouragement of his girlfriend, Jessica Blankenship, who was very devout and whom he had known since the second grade. However, he lasted only one semester before dropping out once more. Chapman’s failures at school caused his personality to undergo yet another drastic change. He began to question his purpose in life and his devotion to his faith.   His changing moods also put a strain on his relationship with Jessica  and they broke up soon after. Chapman became increasingly despondent about these events in his life. He saw himself as a failure at everything he tried and frequently spoke of suicide. His friends were concerned for him, but could never have anticipated what this shift in Chapman’s temperament portended. Down a Dark Path Chapman was looking for a change and at the encouragement of his friend Dana Reeves- an aspiring policeman- decided to take shooting lessons and obtain a license to carry firearms. Soon after, Reeves managed to find Chapman a job as a security guard. But Chapman’s dark moods continued. He decided he needed to change his surroundings and moved to Hawaii in 1977, where he did attempt suicide but failed, ending up at a psychiatric facility. After two weeks as an outpatient there, he obtained a job in the hospital’s print shop and even volunteered on occasion in the psych ward. On a whim, Chapman decided to take a trip around the world. He fell in love with Gloria Abe, the travel agent who helped book his round-the-world trip. The two frequently corresponded through letters and upon returning to Hawaii, Chapman asked Abe to become his wife. The couple married in the summer of 1979. Although Chapman’s life seemed to be improving, his downward spiral continued and his increasingly erratic behavior concerned his new wife. Abe claimed Chapman began drinking heavily, was abusive towards her and would frequently make threatening phone calls to complete strangers. His temper was short and he was prone to violent outbursts and would engage in screaming matches with his coworkers. Abe also noticed Chapman became increasingly obsessed with JD Salinger’s seminal 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the Rye It is unclear when exactly Chapman discovered Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, but one thing is for certain, by the late ‘70s it was beginning to have a profound effect on him. He identified deeply with the book’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield, an adolescent who railed against the seeming phoniness of the adults around him. In the book, Caulfield identified with children and saw himself as their savior from adulthood. Chapman came to see himself as a real-life Holden Caulfield. He even told his wife he wanted to change his name to Holden Caulfield and would rage about the phoniness of people and of celebrities in particular. Hatred of John Lennon In October of 1980, Esquire magazine published a profile on John Lennon, which portrayed the former Beatle as a drug-addled millionaire recluse who had lost touch with his fans and his music. Chapman read the article with increasing anger and came to see Lennon as the ultimate hypocrite and a â€Å"phony† of the very type described in Salinger’s novel. He began reading everything he could about John Lennon, even making tapes of Beatles’ songs, which he would play over and over for his wife, changing the tapes’ speed and direction. He would listen to them while sitting nude in the dark, chanting, â€Å"John Lennon, I’m going to kill you, you phony bastard!† When Chapman discovered Lennon was planning to release a new album- his first in five years- his mind was made up. He would fly to New York City and shoot the singer. Preparing for the Assassination Chapman quit his job and bought a .38-caliber revolver from a gun shop in Honolulu. He then bought a one-way ticket to New York, told his wife goodbye, and departed, arriving in New York City on October 30, 1980. Chapman checked into the Waldorf Astoria, the same hotel Holden Caulfield stayed at in The Catcher in the Rye, and set about seeing some sights. He frequently stopped at the Dakota to ask the doormen there about John Lennon’s whereabouts, without luck. The employees at the Dakota were used to fans asking such questions and generally refused to divulge any information about the various celebrities who resided in the building. Chapman had brought his revolver to New York but figured he would buy bullets once he arrived. He now learned only residents of the city could legally purchase bullets there. Chapman thus flew down to his former home in Georgia for the weekend, where his old buddy Dana Reeves- by now a sheriff’s deputy- could help him procure what he needed.    Chapman told Reeves he had been staying in New York, was concerned for his safety, and needed five hollow-nosed bullets, known for causing immense damage to their target. Now armed with gun and bullets, Chapman returned to New York; however, after all this time, Chapman’s resolve had diminished. He later claimed that he had a type of religious experience that convinced him what he was planning was wrong. He called his wife and told her, for the first time, what he had planned to do. Gloria Abe was frightened by Chapman’s confession. However, she did not call the police but simply implored her husband to return home to Hawaii. He did so on Nov. 12. Chapman’s change of heart did not last long. His strange behavior continued and on Dec. 5, 1980, he once again departed for New York. This time, he would not be back. Second Trip to New York Upon his second trip to New York, Chapman checked into a local YMCA, because it was cheaper than a regular hotel room. However, he was not comfortable there and checked into the Sheraton Hotel on December 7. He made daily trips to the Dakota building, where he befriended several other John Lennon fans, as well as the building’s doorman, Jose Perdomo, whom he would pepper with questions about Lennon’s whereabouts. At the Dakota, Chapman also befriended an amateur photographer from New Jersey named Paul Goresh, who was a regular at the building and well known to the Lennons. Goresh chatted with Chapman and would later comment how little Chapman seemed to know about John Lennon and the Beatles, considering he had claimed to be such an avid fan. Chapman would visit the Dakota regularly over the next two days, hoping each time to run into Lennon and commit his crime. Dec. 8, 1980 On the morning of Dec. 8, Chapman dressed warmly. Before leaving his room he carefully arranged some of his most treasured belongings on a table. Among these items was a copy of the New Testament in which he had written the name â€Å"Holden Caulfield† as well as the name â€Å"Lennon† after the words â€Å"Gospel According to John.†Ã‚   He arranged the items for maximum effect, expecting the police to come looking through his room after his arrest. After leaving the hotel, he bought a fresh copy of The Catcher in the Rye and wrote the words â€Å"This is my statement† on its title page. Chapman’s plan had been to say nothing to police after the shooting, but to simply hand them a copy of the book by way of explaining his actions. Carrying the book and a copy of Lennon’s latest album Double Fantasy, Chapman then made his way to the Dakota where he stood chatting with Paul Goresh. At one point, a Lennon associate, Helen Seaman, arrived with Lennon’s five-year-old son Sean in tow. Goresh introduced Chapman to them as a fan who had come all the way from Hawaii. Chapman seemed elated and gushed about how cute the boy was. John Lennon, meanwhile, was having a busy day inside the Dakota. After posing with Yoko Ono for famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, Lennon got a haircut and gave his last ever interview, which was to Dave Sholin, a DJ from San Francisco. By 5 p.m. Lennon realized he was running late and needed to get over to the recording studio. Sholin offered the Lennons a ride in his limo since their own car had not yet arrived. Upon exiting the Dakota, Lennon was met by Paul Goresh, who introduced him to Chapman. Chapman handed over his copy of Double Fantasy for Lennon to sign. The star took the album, scribbled his signature, and handed it back.   The moment was captured by Paul Goresh and the resulting photograph- one of the last ever taken of John Lennon- shows a profile of the Beatle as he signs Chapman’s album, with the killer’s shadowy, deadpan face looming in the background. With that, Lennon entered the limo and headed for the studio. It is unclear why Chapman did not take that opportunity to kill John Lennon. He later recalled he was waging an inner battle. However, his obsession with killing Lennon did not abate. Shooting John Lennon Despite Chapman’s inner misgivings, the urge to shoot the singer was too overwhelming.   Chapman remained at the Dakota well after Lennon and most of the fans had left, waiting for the Beatle to return.    The limo carrying Lennon and Yoko Ono arrived back at the Dakota around 10:50 p.m. Yoko exited the vehicle first, followed by John. Chapman greeted Ono with a simple â€Å"Hello† as she passed. As Lennon passed him, Chapman heard a voice inside his head urging him on: â€Å"Do it! Do it! Do it!† Chapman stepped into the carriageway of the Dakota, dropped to his knees, and fired two shots into John Lennon’s back. Lennon reeled. Chapman then pulled the trigger three more times. Two of those bullets landed in Lennon’s shoulder. The third went astray. Lennon managed to run into the Dakota’s lobby and clamber up the few steps leading to the building’s office, where he finally collapsed. Yoko Ono followed Lennon inside, screaming he’d been shot. The Dakota’s night man thought it was all a joke until he saw the blood pouring from Lennon’s mouth and chest. The night man promptly called 911 and covered Lennon with his uniform jacket. John Lennon Dies When the police arrived, they found Chapman sitting beneath the gate’s lantern calmly reading Catcher in the Rye. The killer made no attempt to escape and repeatedly apologized to the officers for the trouble he had caused. They promptly handcuffed Chapman and placed him in a nearby patrol car. The officers did not know the victim was the famous John Lennon. They simply determined his wounds were too serious to wait for an ambulance. They placed Lennon in the backseat of one of their patrol cars and drove him to the emergency room at Roosevelt Hospital. Lennon was still alive but barely able to respond to the officers’ questions. The hospital was made aware of Lennon’s arrival and had a trauma team at the ready. They worked diligently to save Lennon’s life, but to no avail. Two of the bullets had pierced his lungs, while a third had hit his shoulder and then ricocheted inside his chest where it had damaged the aorta and cut his windpipe. John Lennon died at 11:07 pm on the night of December 8, due to massive internal hemorrhaging. Aftermath The news of Lennon’s death broke during ABC’s televised Monday night football game when sportscaster Howard Cosell announced the tragedy in the middle of a play. Soon after, fans from all over the city arrived at the Dakota, where they held vigil for the slain singer. As the news spread around the world, the public was shocked. It seemed a brutal, bloody end to the ‘60s. Mark David Chapman’s trial was short, as he had pled guilty to second-degree murder, claiming God had told him to do so.  When asked at his sentencing if he wanted to make a final statement, Chapman stood up and read a passage from Catcher in the Rye. The judge sentenced him to 20-years-to-life and Chapman remains imprisoned to this day, having lost several appeals for his parole.

American Franchisers in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Franchisers in China - Case Study Example Foreign franchisers invested in Europe, Asia, South America and some parts of Africa. In Asia, China has the biggest market and starting businesses in this country is very strategic. However, the political, social, and cultural conditions in China are not the same with the United States. This paper tries to analyze the different strategies that the KFC franchisers took to make KFC one of the most successful franchises in China today. This paper also mentions the problems the managements encountered and the measure they took to remedy those. It also analyzes how successful KFC franchises are in China that they reached a total of 2,200 KFC branches4 in China alone. Johan Olsson cites several reasons why an international business strategy such as joint venture is recommended for China: (1) solves many logistic problems such as access to good quality chicken and other supplies, (2) eases the access to the Chinese market, (3) shares risk with local entity, and (4) serves a sign of commitment to the host government increasing goodwill.5 Pei Liang and Sun Zhixian examine which of the three (3) business strategies: (1) direct franchising, (2) master franchising, and (3) joint ventures is effective in the Chinese market. For direct franchising, the success of this strategy relies on establishing a good relationship between foreign investors like the Americans and local partners in China. Local partners know and understand much about the political, economic, and social conditions of the country. They are also in "much better position(s) to negotiate with government agencies as well as required suppliers."6 The authors also add that direct franchising for American franchisers will be difficult without local partners in a culturally-different state like China.7 Olsson adds that franchising is not suitable for China because of the strict foreign investment laws. For master franchising, the main problem that exists why this strategy has lower success rate compared to joint venture is the availability of a qualified master franchisee. Liang and Zhixian describe a master franchisee to have not only an abundant capital but also "a favorable social relationship as well as the entrepreneurial skills and the ability to communicate easily with a franchisor." If the master franchisee fails to maintain "franchise quality or reverse engineer and duplicates the franchisor system, he franchisor could, as a practical matter, face considerable difficulties in enforcing the terms of the master franchising agreement or terminating the relationship."8 For the master franchising to work in China, the master franchisee must possess the qualities of leadership and a lot of public relation skills. For Liang and Zhixian, they recommend the joint venture as the best choice for starting a business in China. They also mention that choosing a good and qualified local partner is the critical point for the success of any foreign business in China. Working with unqualified local partners may incur more management costs than management benefits because it weakens the performance of the business.9 Olsson supports these arguments by saying that "a potential partner with sufficient contacts [and] networks with government agency officials may smoothen the process of setting-up operations in the nation."10 Olsson also adds that joint ventures produce