We’re all well aware of the reasons behind the osCommerce platform’s big popularity among business owner’s both large and small for online storefronts. Secure by most standards, it’s also highly flexible and can be customized to meet the needs of any Enterprise website. Beyond the basics, there are some advanced SEO and on-site optimization techniques that will both speed up website functionality for users and improve Page Rank. The major advantage of osCommerce platforms is it can be effectively optimized for maximum performance and SEO. This article will give you some tips to optimize and speed up osCommerce sites.

How to Optimize and Speed Up osCommerce Sites?

1. Configuring Basic Settings After Installation

Before building a house, ensure that the foundation is solid. Native settings that can be used for quicker page loads and SEO are the place to start. Install Google’s Sitemap feature to enable their search engine tools and thoroughly index your pages for a higher ranking. When configuring the checkout cart for your online shop, firstly make sure you set minimum and maximum character values for entry fields like first and last names, addresses and so on. Once you’ve set up the basics like time zone, phone number and any other information you can move on to adding modules for performance and SEO.

In addition to these settings adjustments, take a minute to consider your template and how it’ll affect query speeds and overall site performance. Though osCommerce has a lot going for it, one area that’s often criticized is the default template system. Users are far better of implementing their own from scratch or modifying the original rather than rely on the provided template. The STS (Simple Template System) is better left out. It’s far better to have a custom-crafted template created by your web developer that’s tuned specifically for your site without all the code.

2. Use Third Party Tools or SEO Plugin

Like virtually any CMS, osCommerce allows for a number of third-party, community developed “Contributions”, otherwise known as plugins, to be added to the core framework. There are a few that will be essential in automating effective SEO practices to save time. SEO Contributions that handle meta-tags and keywords for maximum effect are a must. Ultimate SEO URLs is another helpful plugin for renaming URLs for search engine friendly addresses that can improve Page Rank. In addition, Page Cache will enhance speed optimization for a more responsive site. The SEO Manual is the best Community Contribution for far more in-depth discussion of osCommerce specific SEO modifications.

3. Pay Attention to This Factors

SQL responsiveness is certainly a vital area that will impact speed, but it’s hardly the only factor. Optimizing the site for the best ranking possible also relies on insignificant factors, like setting an alternative text within the HTML file for images. Performance issues including to speed can be fixed by compressing image files, CSS stylesheets and external JavaScript files also help Page Rank. Google and the other major search engines are placing greater importance on page load times when they determine the relative value of any page.

4. Choose Right Hosting Provider

Of course many customers don’t like pages that are sluggish and slow to load. It can lead to lost sales and missed conversions. There is no reason to have a slow shopping cart if you’re using osCommerce. If you’re not satisfied with your recent osCommerce hosting provider, you can move your osCommerce site to other hosting provider which can give you better performance and technical support. HostForLIFE.eu really understands the importance of choosing the right web host for your website. They’re dedicated to being more than just another web hosting provider but also they also can be your long-term business partner tasked with handling a critical component of your website. Reliability, Stability and Performance of their servers remain their top priority. Therefore, HostForLIFE.eu is the best choice for you who are looking for the best osCommerce hosting with great performance and fantastic technical support.