The loading speed of a website is fundamental for user experience and search engine ranking.
Optimizing performance has become imperative for website developers and managers.
It is in this context that LiteSpeed Cache emerges.
For this reason, we explore together with you the features, advantages, and practical applications of LiteSpeed Cache.
LiteSpeed Cache, or LSCache, is an extremely efficient caching plugin designed to significantly speed up page loading and improve the overall quality of websites managed with systems like WordPress, Magento, and other CMS.
Through sophisticated resource management and powerful server response time reduction capability, LSCache represents a cutting-edge solution for those looking to optimize their web resources without compromising the quality and integrity of content.
What is LiteSpeed Cache
LiteSpeed Cache is not just a stand-alone product. It’s a plugin available for the most popular content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Magento, and Joomla.
When a user accesses a web page, instead of executing PHP scripts and database queries, the web server can serve the cached copy of the page, reducing loading time and server load.
A distinctive aspect of LSCache is its intelligent purge, or selective cache invalidation capability.
This means that LSCache automatically empties the cache of modified pages, allowing any updates to be immediately visible to users, without compromising the speed and efficiency derived from using the cache.
In addition to managing page caching, it offers various optimization features. These include file minification, which reduces the size of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files by eliminating unnecessary spaces and comments, and file combination, which merges multiple files of the same type into one to reduce the number of HTTP requests.
What is LiteSpeed Cache used for?
The main goal of LiteSpeed Cache is to increase website speed. By doing so, it improves the user experience, which often translates into higher conversion rates, longer time spent on the site, and lower bounce rates.
LSCache reduces the load on the server, allowing it to handle a greater number of simultaneous visits.
This is particularly important for websites with high traffic, or those experiencing sudden traffic spikes, such as e-commerce sites during seasonal sales.
Website speed is one of the factors considered by search engines when determining rankings.
A faster website can help improve a site’s position in search results (SERP), thus increasing visibility and potentially traffic.
By reducing the load on server resources, LSCache allows for savings on hosting costs, as it’s possible to manage a high-performance site without necessarily having to upgrade to more expensive hosting plans.
How LiteSpeed Cache works
LiteSpeed Cache works through a process that intercepts and stores information as it’s generated, then promptly provides it when requested, instead of regenerating the same information every time.
Let’s look in more detail at how this technology works:
1. Page Caching
When a user visits a page on your website for the first time, LiteSpeed Web Server springs into action.
Instead of processing all PHP requests and accessing the database to build the page each time, the content is generated only once and a copy is saved in the server’s cache.
For example, imagine a blog that receives thousands of visitors. Without a cache, every time a visitor accesses a post, the server has to do all the work from the beginning.
With LSCache, after the first visitor has loaded the post, all others will receive the cached version, greatly speeding up loading times and reducing the load on the server.
2. Cache Tags and Smart Purge
LiteSpeed Cache uses an intelligent system to manage when cached content should be kept or deleted.
For example, if you manage an online store and update the price of a product or add new items, LSCache will automatically recognize that the information has changed.
Using cache tags, it specifically identifies those pages whose cached copy has become outdated and needs to be updated, and purges them from the cache.
When the next visitor arrives, a new updated version of the page is created and stored.
3. Resource Optimization
LSCache goes beyond simply storing pages. It offers web content optimization, compressing and combining CSS and JavaScript files.
Suppose your web page has five CSS files. Normally, the user’s browser would have to make five separate requests to the server, one for each file.
LiteSpeed Cache can combine these files into a single CSS file, reducing the total number of requests to just one. This process reduces latency and speeds up overall loading time.
4. Lazy Loading
Another useful feature is lazy loading of images. Instead of loading all images as soon as a visitor accesses a page, especially those that are not initially visible on the screen (outside the above the fold area), LSCache ensures that images are loaded only when the user scrolls to them.
This not only speeds up the initial page load but also reduces overall data consumption for the user.
5. CDN Support
For sites with a global audience, LSCache can integrate with Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to serve content from the server closest to the user, further reducing loading times.
If, for example, your main server is in the United States, but you have a large audience in Europe, LSCache can use a CDN to ensure that European visitors receive data from a European server, minimizing latency due to geographical distance.
Why use LiteSpeed Cache?
Using LiteSpeed Cache has many advantages that go beyond simply accelerating web page loading times.
This tool is essential for any website owner, business, or developer who wants to offer the best possible experience to users without overly burdening their server resources.
Here are some reasons why you should use LiteSpeed Cache:
Improvement of website performance
With the ability to serve cached pages, LSCache drastically reduces loading time, making the website faster.
Users are more satisfied and are more likely to stay on the site, explore other content, or perform desired actions such as purchases and sign-ups.
SEO Optimization
Site speed is a key factor in search engine ranking, such as Google. Faster sites have a better chance of ranking high in search results, bringing more organic traffic and visibility.
Scalability
During traffic spikes, such as during special events, sales, or marketing campaigns, LiteSpeed Cache ensures that your website remains available and responsive.
It prevents server overload, allowing the site to support more users simultaneously without compromising performance.
Cost savings
By reducing the load on the server, it also decreases the need for expensive hardware or more advanced hosting plans.
Improvement of User Experience (UX)
A fast and responsive site is fundamental for maintaining “users’ attention and satisfaction. LSCache helps improve” UX by reducing waiting times and minimizing potential performance issues that can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave the site.
Effective Resource Management
LSCache includes features such as image compression and CSS/JS file minification, freeing up additional resources and optimizing content served to users.
Integration and Compatibility
LiteSpeed Cache integrates successfully with a wide range of CMS platforms such as WordPress, Magento, and Joomla, making it versatile and suitable for many web applications.
Simple and Automated Maintenance
With intelligent features like automatic cache purging based on content changes, LSCache reduces the need for manual interventions and maintenance.
The 10 Main Features of LiteSpeed Cache
Let’s delve into the details of the features this plugin offers:
1. Server Level Full Page Cache
LSC communicates with the server that stores static copies of web pages and allows for faster retrieval;
2. Image Optimization
It reduces image sizes to speed up loading times.
3. Browser Cache Support
It supports storing static content on the user’s device which, until the cache expires, can display the content regardless of network speed.
4. Private Cache
There’s the possibility to store personalized copies of cached pages.
5. Cache Crawler
By analyzing the entire site, it can rebuild expired cache pages without waiting for a user to request them, so they’re already prepared and don’t extend loading times.
6. HTTP/2 Push
LiteSpeed Cache reduces latency time by preloading resources it knows will be requested from the server, without waiting for a request.
7. Edge Side Includes (ESI)
With ESI, it’s possible to store fragments of pages in others already present in the cache. This especially helps those with very large sites, with parts that rarely change.
8. CSS/JavaScript/HTML Minification
LiteSpeed Cache can clean up programming codes by eliminating unnecessary spaces and line breaks, which would only weigh down the code and consequently slow page loading.
9. Content Delivery Network Support
It can facilitate the use of content delivery networks.
10. Database Optimization
This way, you won’t need any other plugin to keep your website tidy, clean, and performant.
How Much Does LiteSpeed Cache Cost?
LiteSpeed Cache is an add-on component provided with the LiteSpeed web server. The cost depends on the nature of your hosting and your website’s specific needs.
Here’s a summary to help you better understand the costs you might incur:
- If your site is hosted on a shared server that uses LiteSpeed Web Server, you can likely use LiteSpeed Cache without additional costs. In this scenario, your hosting provider covers the costs of the LiteSpeed server, and the LSCache plugin for CMS like WordPress, Joomla, and others is free.
- If you have your own Virtual Private Server (VPS) or dedicated server, you might need to purchase a LiteSpeed Web Server license. Costs vary based on the type of license, which depends on the number of CPU cores available and other factors. The LSCache plugin is free, but requires LiteSpeed Web Server to be running on the server.
- If you’re a hosting service provider and want to offer LiteSpeed Web Server to your clients, license costs will be based on a variety of factors, including the number of servers, the number of CPU cores per server, and other elements specific to your hosting environment.
It’s important to note that LiteSpeed Technologies also offers a free version of its web server, called OpenLiteSpeed.
This version has some limitations compared to the paid versions, especially regarding control panel support like cPanel and some advanced caching features.
We’ve seen that increasing the loading speed of your website pages also means optimizing your conversions, thanks to the “optimal user experience you can guarantee to your users. Although this is certainly not the” only variable for an optimal UX.
Installing a simple yet high-performing plugin like LiteSpeed Cache allows you to save time, money, and achieve truly excellent results.
Contact us for more information.
