Optimizing WooCommerce for Page Speed and Caching with WP Rocket and More

In a recent Business Bloomer Club Slack thread, a WooCommerce user managing a B2B store struggled to optimize page speed due to caching conflicts with WP Rocket.

The store displays prices only to logged-in users, which led to display errors as cached pages for logged-out users affected the experience.

Here are some practical solutions to improve performance, reduce caching issues, and ensure a fast, user-specific experience for B2B customers.

Step 1: Enable User-Specific Caching in WP Rocket

WP Rocket provides a User Cache feature, which caches a unique version of the page for each logged-in user. Enabling this option ensures that logged-in users get their own cache, preventing cached pages for logged-out visitors from interfering.

1. Go to WP Rocket > Settings.
2. Enable User Cache to allow WP Rocket to create separate cached files for logged-in users.
3. Optionally, check Same cache for all logged-in users to create a shared cache for logged-in users, which may reduce caching load for large user bases but should be used with caution for user-specific content.

More on WP Rocket User Cache

Step 2: Identify Performance Bottlenecks Using Code Profiler

As pointed out in the thread, caching can only enhance scalability, not address core performance issues. To optimize the site effectively, it’s essential to identify plugins or scripts causing slowdowns. The Code Profiler plugin helps diagnose plugins or processes slowing down your site:

1. Install and Activate Code Profiler: The plugin scans all active plugins and lists their processing time.
2. Review Results: Disable or replace plugins that consume excessive resources, as this can significantly improve load times.

Note: Run Code Profiler on a staging environment to avoid interfering with live-site functionality.

Step 3: Improve Base Performance by Optimizing WooCommerce and Theme

1. Optimize WooCommerce Queries: Use a plugin like Query Monitor to identify slow database queries. Optimizing these queries, especially on product and checkout pages, can reduce load times.
2. Minimize Plugins and Scripts: Disable or remove unnecessary plugins and limit the use of heavy elements like sliders or background videos, which can drag down page speed.
3. Use Lightweight Themes: Ensure your theme is WooCommerce-optimized and lightweight. Themes with bloated code can counteract the benefits of caching plugins.

Step 4: Additional Caching and CDN Solutions

1. Use a CDN: Offload static content to a CDN (Content Delivery Network) like Cloudflare, which distributes files across servers globally, reducing load times and improving stability.
2. Defer JavaScript and CSS Loading: WP Rocket includes options for deferring JavaScript and CSS loading, which can help improve initial page load times, especially when paired with a CDN.

Step 5: Optimize Database and Images

1. Optimize Database: Regularly clear out expired transients, WooCommerce sessions, and unnecessary post revisions using WP Rocket or WP-Optimize.
2. Compress and Lazy-Load Images: Use WP Rocket’s image optimization options or plugins like Imagify to compress images. Enable lazy loading for product images to reduce initial page load time.

Conclusion

For a WooCommerce store serving B2B clients with login-specific content, enabling WP Rocket’s User Cache, diagnosing plugin-related slowdowns, and optimizing WooCommerce queries can significantly improve performance. These steps will help ensure a fast, reliable experience for logged-in users while maintaining a scalable setup.