Speeding Up Real Estate: How We Made a Website 5x Faster?

There was a moment, after nine years of working on a successful eCommerce project, where I found myself at a crossroads. I’d mastered that project and knew it like the back of my hand, but the desire for a fresh challenge began to tug at me. As fate would have it, my next adventure was right around the corner. I was in talks with several companies about taking the next step, but one stood out from the crowd: Archicom.pl — a real estate company that captured my imagination in ways I hadn't anticipated.

When I joined the team, Archicom was already well-established, but there was one glaring issue — its website. We’ve all been there: waiting for a site to load, watching that spinning wheel, and getting more frustrated with each passing second. Archicom’s site was no different. It was loading painfully slow. And in the fast-paced digital world, especially in real estate, that simply wouldn’t do. Their site was sluggish, and no one — least of all me, a self-professed tech fanatic with battle scars from countless projects — could tolerate that.

First Steps: Digging into the Architecture

The real estate market in Poland, particularly in Wroclaw, is fiercely competitive. So, naturally, we needed Archicom’s website to stand out — and a site that loads in a blink was essential.

The first task on my agenda? Digging (a nod to our favorite term here at Digi2 ;)) deep into the site’s architecture and performance metrics. I knew the problem was there — I just had to find it. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

Let’s outline the technology stack on which the Archicom project was based:

Dedicated Server at OVH: The website was hosted on a dedicated server provided by OVH, a well-known hosting provider. This setup offered the flexibility and control needed for custom configurations and performance tuning.

WordPress: The site was built on WordPress, a popular content management system that powers a significant portion of the web. While WordPress is user-friendly, it requires careful configuration to ensure optimal performance.

So, How Did I Speed Up the Real Estate Website?

Before we begin... Below I have described the technology on which all the procedures were performed, so here I will focus on the specifics from which you will be able to draw something for yourself - keep in mind that every technology is different, so the steps below are only those I did for the project described.

1. Gaining Access to the Server:

The first step was getting access to the server. I requested SSH (Secure Shell) access from the company hosting the site. SSH allows for a secure connection to the server, letting me interact with the backend directly.

2. Running Speed Tests with PageSpeed Insights & GTMetrix

Before diving into the code, I needed to see where things stood. I ran the site through PageSpeed Insights and GTMetrix to get a clear picture of its performance. These tools provided detailed reports on loading times, resource usage, and bottlenecks. The verdict? It was too slow, but now I had a benchmark to improve upon.

3. Reviewing CMS and Server Configuration

Since the website was built on WordPress and hosted on a dedicated server, I needed to thoroughly review the entire configuration. This involved:

Apache2 Configuration: I reviewed the Apache2 server settings, which play a crucial role in handling web requests efficiently, and so the entire technology stack called LAMP.

WordPress Configuration: I analyzed the WordPress configuration files to identify any settings that could be impacting performance.

Logs Analysis: I delved into the server logs to understand traffic patterns, file loads, and any errors that could be affecting speed.

htop: I used htop to monitor server performance in real-time, providing additional insights into resource usage and processes.

4. Digging into Google Analytics

Google Analytics provided me with a broader view of user behavior. Which pages were most popular? Which took the longest to load? Where were users dropping off? This data allowed me to prioritize which areas of the site needed optimization the most.

The Culprit: The Bloated .htaccess File

After gathering all this information, the real problem became clear: the .htaccess file.

For those unfamiliar with it, the .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache servers. It handles everything from redirects to file permissions. However, Archicom’s .htaccess had grown out of control — it was several thousand lines long. This sheer length was adding unnecessary complexity and slowing down the server's response time.

The Solution

My first step was breaking the .htaccess file into manageable sections. Some of the rules there were outdated, others were redundant, and some were just plain unnecessary.

I began by removing duplicate rules that were clogging the system.

Next, I optimized the remaining rules by grouping them logically and eliminating anything that wasn’t critical to the site’s performance.

Once the file was down to a more reasonable 100 lines of code, I tested the site again.

The Result: A 5x Speed Boost

The impact was immediate. Pages that once took several seconds to load were now appearing in the blink of an eye. The website was now five times faster than before. It wasn’t just a win for performance; it was a win for user experience and, ultimately, conversions. In an industry like real estate, where clients expect information instantly, this improvement was critical.

Success... And What’s Next?

Within two weeks of taking on the project, the website was running smoother than ever. Pages that once took several seconds to load were now lightning-fast. But this was just the beginning.

Real estate websites, like many large projects, are never truly “done.” The focus must always be on continued optimization and growth. After the initial success, I began crafting a plan for the future using a guiding principle: BIG and SIMPLE. I focused on big-impact, simple solutions that could be quickly implemented for even greater results.

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