The SiteGround Blog

Even faster WordPress sites with our SG Optimizer plugin

During the past few years, the SG Optimizer plugin has become an essential part of the SiteGround WordPress hosting product. We’re constantly adding new features and improving existing functionality to make your WordPress sites faster. Now, we would like to tell you more about the most exciting changes we have introduced with the latest versions of our plugin. Read below to find out about the most recent front end and media optimizations in the plugin and how to test your site speed easily through your site backend using our cool integration of the Google PageSpeed test.

Moving to Google Cloud

We are excited to announce that we have started using Google Cloud platform to host part of our infrastructure. We are constantly researching possible new data center options so that we can offer the newest technologies and the highest level of speed and reliability at convenient geographical locations to our clients. During the last year we have explored services provided by the biggest cloud providers to evaluate who could meet our needs best and Google Cloud platform stood out. The first Google Cloud locations, which we already use, are in Iowa, USA; Eemshaven, Netherlands; London, UK; and Singapore. All of our new customers get activated in these locations and we have started to move some of the existing US and European customers too.

Moving to PHP 7.3 and Managed PHP Updates

An update of our default server PHP version is planned for February 26, 2020. We are going to move forward to PHP 7.3. The version has been around long enough and has already become widely compatible with different CMS’s, themes and plugins. With PHP 7.3 we will be also introducing our new Managed PHP service. Its purpose is to automatically update the PHP version of all users that are currently relying on our choice of default server PHP.

We moved from Static Cache to NGINX Direct Delivery

With the launch of our new Site Tools-based infrastructure we have opened a wide range of opportunities to further improve the loading speed of the websites hosted on our servers. The first change we have already introduced to everyone using Site Tools, is the replacement of the Static Cache with a new NGINX Direct Delivery. We no longer serve images, CSS, JS files and other static content from the server memory, but we use NGINX for direct loading of these files from the SSD instead. This improves browser caching for your site and also makes CDN usage easier and more efficient. Most importantly, NGINX Direct Delivery allows more RAM space to be used for dynamic content caching, without compromising on static content loading speed.

How to use social media to get traffic to your shop

Ecommerce has definitely gained huge popularity in the last few years. In fact, holiday ecommerce sales reached a total of $126 billion last year — up from $108.2 billion in 2017. That’s a 16.5% increase in online sales! Most people do not feel like going to crowded malls anymore. They prefer shopping online and finding the largest discounts from the comfort of their own home.

Industry experts say social media plays a major role in ecommerce businesses because it helps companies establish a strong web presence and increase their website traffic. When it comes to Black Friday, people are particularly ready to spend. That is why you have to make sure your ecommerce store is ready for this special day, and come up with the right strategies, which include social media.

Santa’s Got a Bag Full of PHP 7.4 Goodies

PHP 7.4 is already available on all SiteGround servers and we have invited our great friend Cal Evans, who is also one of the most admired people in the PHP community, to share which are the best things in the new PHP version.

It’s that time again. Time for Santa to hitch up the ElePHPants that power his sleigh and deliver that present all good developers have been waiting for, the newest release of PHP. I took a quick peek in Santa’s bag and here are my top three features coming in PHP 7.4.

How to maintain a fast ecommerce website

Whether you’re adding functionality to your website through a plugin, a theme, or carrying out bespoke development, it’s important to review any changes you make and the impact they have on your site performance.

For any website, but especially for ecommerce, performance is extremely important. Your website speed has an impact on how you rank on search engines and on your customers’ experience when shopping with you. Slow websites result in fewer page views, a reduction in customer satisfaction, and fewer conversions.

10 Design tips to maximize sales this shopping season

If you sell products or services online, you know that a well-designed site is crucial for success. You have probably put a lot of thought into the look and feel of your site, using attractive, readable colors and fonts, and selecting featured product images that are engaging and compelling.

You have also probably thought carefully about the wording on your site, to make sure your customers clearly understand the value and benefits of what you offer. You’re displaying this content using a well-architected site layout that follows the voice and aesthetic of your brand. You’ve put a lot of work into your website design, but is there more you can do to improve the shopping experience for your customer?