As a developer working with WordPress sites regularly, I recently had a chance to experiment with real-world performance optimizations for a content-heavy niche site: The Popeyes Menu.

The goal was to improve load times, Core Web Vitals scores, and user experience, especially on mobile where most of our traffic comes from.

Key Steps I Took:
Switched to a Lightweight Theme
I replaced the old bulky theme with a performance-optimized one and removed unnecessary plugins that bloated the site.

Used Optimized Image Formats
Images on the menu pages were converted to WebP using a CDN with built-in optimization, reducing image weight by more than 60%.

Lazy Loading
I enabled lazy loading for images and embedded media, which dramatically improved LCP (Largest Contentful Paint).

Caching and Minification
With the help of tools like WP Rocket and Cloudflare, I implemented full-page caching, GZIP compression, and asset minification.

Mobile First Testing
Because the majority of users browse our menu pages on mobile, I fine-tuned the layout and removed any elements that caused layout shift or delayed interactivity.