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    Why Does My Website Need Caching?

    Website caching

    Looking for ways to boost your search engine rankings? What about making your website faster for visitors? There is one way to do all of this and more, and this is called caching. 

    Find out how caching works, why it matters, and how to enjoy its benefits by applying it on your site. 

    What Is Caching?

    Web cache, also called HTTP cache, is a method of temporarily storing data such as web pages, documents, and images to bring down the load response time from the server. 

    Caching can provide a superior user experience because without this technology, every time a visitor clicks on a link to your site, they have to wait till the browser completes complex and time-consuming data transfers. Caching essentially remembers pages that were previously accessed, therefore significantly cutting down server lag for the subsequent times.

    Here is an example of how it works:

    1. You enable caching on your fashion blog
    2. A visitor views your homepage and the data is transferred
    3. The server makes a copy of the HTML file on the RAM 
    4. Another person visits the homepage
    5. The server does not need to process the information from scratch, as it is already stored
    6. The prepared HTML file that was previously prepared is sent straight to the visitor’s browser

    What happens when you update or change the content? Very simply, the cache is emptied and regenerated in such cases for seamless loading alongside content changes.

    Why Is It Important?

    According to statistics, a website that is coded properly will load within two seconds. This is well within the ideal load time of up to five seconds. So, if your website is coded well, do you need to invest more time in caching? The answer is yes, and here are the reasons:

    Decrease In Resource Consumption

    By reducing the consumption of bandwidth, the HTTP cache decreases site traffic and associated crowding for resources.

    Cut Down The Load 

    You can also adeptly decrease the load on the remote web server which typically stores data by spreading it out between proxy cache via WAN.

    Maintain Uptime 

    If your website crashes or is undergoing a network-partition process, your customers can still access the cached copy via proxy. 

    SEO Bonus 

    You can increase page rankings because Google favors websites that load faster. 

    Reduce Latency

    By reducing the transmission delay via the usage of neighboring proxy caches, you can bring down latency that happens during network congestion. 

    Types Of Caching

    Generally, there are two types of caching - one serviced by the browser and the other by the server. 

    Browser Caching

    Browsing content is not just data storage. In order to display it appropriately, other elements like fonts, stylesheets, Javascript files, and so on should be downloaded by the browser used by the visitor upon their first visit. When they view your site a second time, the website loads faster with the help of caching. 

    For example, when you visit the HostPapa hosting website or the first time to look for a hosting package, it might take a few seconds to load all the elements. However, if you visit the site for a second time, the website will load quicker than the first.

    Server Caching

    Server caching is similar to site caching - the only difference is that the content is not stored on the customer’s side, but on the server. In short, the website data copy is stored on the server so as to decrease processing time. The best thing is that this type of cache process is made without any actions from the browser on the visitor’s side. 

    How Does Caching Work In WordPress?

    If you are a WP site owner, there are three methods of using cache. 

    Plugins 

    Using a plugin can improve your site speed by using cache. Here are the top two WP plugins for the task: 

    Caching By Your Hosting Service 

    If your hosting plan is based on WP managed hosting, WPEngine and Kinsta are effective ways to use the best cache tools in the industry. Moreover, these are tailored for WP environments and hence perform better. 

    Coding 

    If you are a coder, you will be able to apply caching on the backend of your WP site.

    Summing Up 

    Caching is the process of storing a copy of your page content on the server or the browser for quick and efficient loading time. The process is simple and it helps to enhance performance and user satisfaction, besides reducing resource usage, latency, congestion, and server lag. In addition, you can boost your site’s SEO by using cache technology through your web host or with the help of a plugin. 

    Caching is an essential part of a website today, and it is easy to apply for absolutely anyone.