I think 10 seconds is too long to wait for a low traffic blog page to load. Don’t you?  Imagine if it was put under any stress.

Page load speed has to be a factor in visitor satisfaction. Nobody likes to wait.

Here’s how I made it at least twice as fast.

First, I converted the header of my theme from a bunch of PHP function calls into static HTML. View source, copy, paste, save.

Then I used Firebug to figure out how long it was taking for each HTTP request to happen.

Then I started turning plugins on and off until I found the right blend of utility and efficiency.  Decided there were a few I could live without.

Next step was installing WP Super Cache. That made the HTML kick out at least 5 times faster after the page got cached.

I am satisfied with the results. There is more I could do.  I could remove the ad.  I could remove PayPal.  I could try moving the scripts to the bottom of the page.  I could move all the images to Flickr.  Maybe next time.

What tricks are you aware of to speed up WordPress?