How to Optimise Videos in WordPress for Faster Loading
In today’s digital age, videos are a crucial component of engaging website content. However, if not optimised properly, they can significantly slow down your WordPress site, affecting user experience and SEO rankings. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to optimise videos in WordPress for faster loading.
1. Choose the Right Hosting Platform
Hosting videos directly on your WordPress server can quickly consume bandwidth and storage. Instead, use dedicated video hosting platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia. These platforms are optimised for video streaming and can handle large amounts of traffic without slowing down your site.
2. Embed Videos Instead of Uploading
Embedding videos rather than uploading them directly to your site is a more efficient approach. To embed a video in WordPress:
Go to the video on your chosen platform.
Click on the “Share” button and copy the embed code.
Paste this code into your WordPress post or page using the ‘Custom HTML’ block or the ‘Embed’ block.
This method reduces the load on your server and takes advantage of the video hosting platform’s optimised delivery system.
3. Use a Lightweight Theme and Plugins
A lightweight theme and well-coded plugins can enhance your site’s overall performance, including video loading times. Avoid themes and plugins that are bloated with unnecessary features. Opt for those known for their speed and efficiency, such as Astra or GeneratePress for themes, and WP Rocket or Perfmatters for performance plugins.
4. Optimise Video Size and Format
Before uploading or embedding videos, ensure they are in a web-friendly format and size. MP4 is the preferred format due to its balance of quality and compression. Tools like HandBrake or Adobe Media Encoder can help you compress videos without significant loss of quality.
5. Enable Lazy Loading for Videos
Lazy loading is a technique that defers the loading of videos until they are needed. This means videos only load when they come into the viewer’s viewport, significantly improving initial page load times. You can enable lazy loading in WordPress using plugins like WP Rocket, Lazy Load by WP Rocket, or A3 Lazy Load.
6. Leverage Browser Caching and CDN
Browser caching stores static resources locally on a user’s device, reducing the need for repeated downloads. Configure browser caching through your caching plugin or by adding rules to your .htaccess file.
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare or BunnyCDN can also distribute your video content across multiple servers worldwide, ensuring faster delivery to users based on their geographical location.
7. Use Video Transcripts and Thumbnails
Providing transcripts and thumbnails can improve accessibility and reduce the perceived load time. Transcripts allow users to read the content if they have a slow connection, while thumbnails give users a preview of the video before it plays. Plugins like Video Thumbnails and FV Player can automate the creation of video thumbnails in WordPress.
8. Monitor and Analyse Performance
Regularly monitor your site’s performance to identify and address any issues promptly. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Pingdom can provide insights into your site’s loading times and suggest areas for improvement.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your WordPress site remains fast and responsive, even with video content. Optimised videos not only enhance user experience but also contribute to better SEO rankings, ultimately driving more traffic to your site.
