Optimizing wordpress websites

On Smashing Magazine, Brian Jackson has posted an article about wordpress optimization

I have compiled a list of bad web practices and recommendations on what not to do on your site, based on thousands of hours of customer interactions, support tickets, and troubleshooting I experience on a daily basis. Some of these range from beginner mistakes to more complex issues...

and shares his list of do's and don'ts:

• Switching Hosts Isn't Always a Quick Fix. If your WordPress site is having code issues or compatibility problems with specific plugins, this is still going to occur no matter where you host your site.
• Live Sites are Not For Development Work. Use a local development environemt.
• Not A Developer? Don't Edit Your Code.
• Don't Cut Corners on Your Themes and Plugins. Try to stick with reputable developers when choosing plugins and look through the ratings and reviews beforehand
• Watch Your Admin AJAX Calls.
• Be Smart With Ad Networks and Limit External Services.
• Over Optimizing Can Hurt Your Performance.
• Common Performance Issues are Easy to Diagnose
• Modifying WordPress Core is Bad
• Ensure PHP 7/HHVM Compatibility Before Jumping on Board
• Large Sites Should Optimize Their Database. Disable or modify the number of revisions you keep in your database
• Do You Really Need a Multipurpose Theme?
• Error Log Is Your Friend
• Google is Here for a Reason
• 123456 Is No Longer Acceptable
• Scripts Don’t Always Need to Load Sitewide

Read the whole article at www.smashingmagazine.com/2017/06/better-faster-optimized-wordpress-websites/