Question

How to Optimize WooCommerce on a DigitalOcean Droplet for Better Performance?

Hello, DigitalOcean community!

I’m currently running a WooCommerce store on a DigitalOcean Droplet and am looking for insights into how to optimize performance. Despite implementing caching and image optimization, I still experience slower loading times during high traffic periods. I’m considering adjustments in server configuration and possibly scaling resources.

Here are some specific areas where I seek advice:

Server Configuration: What are the best practices for configuring a server specifically for WooCommerce to handle multiple concurrent users?
Database Optimization: Are there specific MySQL optimizations that can help WooCommerce run more efficiently?
Scaling Strategies: At what point should I consider scaling vertically (upgrading the Droplet) versus horizontally (adding more Droplets)?

I’ve documented my current setup and performance metrics in this spreadsheet for reference: WooCommerce Performance Metrics.

Additionally, you can find more about my WooCommerce setup on my website here: DeckRepairLittleRock.

Any advice or resources shared by the community would be greatly appreciated as I look to improve the efficiency and handling of my online store. Thank you in advance!

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Bobby Iliev

Site Moderator

• August 25, 2024

Hey there!

I would usually suggest starting by following the steps from this tutorial here for any WordPress website:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-optimize-wordpress-on-ubuntu

Followed by the steps here on some general best practices that can also benefit your performance:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/questions/how-to-secure-wordpress-without-a-security-plugin

Besides that I could suggest a few other tings:

Optimize your webserver:

Nginx/Apache Tuning:
- For Nginx, configure worker_processes to match the number of CPU cores on your droplet and adjust worker_connections to handle a higher number of simultaneous connections.
- For Apache, ensure MaxRequestWorkers is set to a value that maximizes your server’s resources without overwhelming it.

PHP Optimizations:

Use PHP-FPM with adjusted settings to manage your server’s memory efficiently. Make sure you are using the latest stable version of PHP for performance improvements.
OPcache should be enabled to cache precompiled script bytecode, reducing PHP execution times. For more details on PHP optimization, check out this DigitalOcean guide.

Implement caching:

Object Caching with Redis is highly effective for WooCommerce as it caches database queries and session data. You can implement Redis caching using DigitalOcean’s Managed Databases for Redis, which offers a hassle-free setup and automatic failover.
Page Caching can be managed using plugins like W3 Total Cache or WP Rocket, which work well with WooCommerce.

On the database side you could follow the steps here on how to tweak your MySQL instance:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/questions/how-to-tweak-mysql-mariadb-configuration-for-increased-performance-and-stability

Or alternatively consider using a managed MySQL cluster instead:

https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/databases/mysql/

On another note, if you notice that your droplet’s CPU or RAM is consistently maxed out during peak times, consider upgrading to a larger droplet. DigitalOcean offers General Purpose Droplets that provide a balanced ratio of memory and CPU, which can be ideal for handling WooCommerce workloads.

Additionally, make sure to install the DigitalOcean Monitoring agent to keep an eye on your server’s performance and set up alerts for CPU, memory, and disk usage to react proactively.

Lastly, you can consider using a CDN service like Cloudflare which will generally reduce the load on your server and improve the latency of your site.

Let me know if you have any more specific questions!

- Bobby