Every website owner is concerned about one thing – how long it will take for the respective website to load so that the user stays.

It is redundant to mention that a website that takes up a long time to load is going to miss out on visitors, in the majority of the cases. This is because a user usually waits for a couple of seconds, and if the website doesn’t load faster, he/she moves on to another site.

The process starts when a user visits your website. WordPress first and foremost checks the PHP code and then gives the output HTML to the visitor’s browser so that they can see it.

WordPress generally repeats the process mentioned above a staggering 200 times per page for a particular visitor. A caching plug-in functions typically by keeping a record of these HTML files, and it serves them whenever there is a request. It is a much faster way than loading the PHP scripts every time.

WordPress cache plug-in is a must-have for those who use WordPress as their preferred content management system. Check out some of the advantages and disadvantages of using the WordPress cache plug-in.

Following are the benefits of using WordPress cache plug-ins:

  • Increased loading speed

As already mentioned, plug-ins help in the process of loading a website or web pages much faster.

  • Improvement in SEO ranking

As the pages load faster, the website’s SEO rankings also improve. This is because algorithms of search engines give preference to such websites.

  • Lower bounce rates

If a webpage load faster, its bounce rates will decrease. This means that more people will remain logged into a particular site, rather than leaving it within seconds.

  • Increase in sales

According to a current study carried out by a prominent e-commerce site, even a .1 second decrease in loading time translates to a 1% increase in sales.

However, cache plug-in does not mean only installing the plug-in so that the pages start to load faster. It has its share of disadvantages as well.

Following are some of the disadvantages of using WordPress cache plug-in

  • The tussle between plug-ins and themes

Not every WordPress plug-in is compatible with every other plug-in and theme. This can cause problems ranging from minor to major ones. In the most extreme of cases, a person’s entire website might crash.

  • Issues during installation

Unfamiliarity with any particular plug-in might become a hindrance, especially during the installation process.

  • Vulnerability

If a WordPress user is installing a new plug-in, then he/she must be aware of the fact that they are more vulnerable to hackers. This is because, despite all the measures taken by WP users, there are loopholes in a plug-in that hackers tend to exploit.

  • Stoppage in displaying updates to websites

A WordPress user has to take extra measures to clear out their cache memory. Otherwise, it is highly probable that visitors might not be able to see any updates on that site.

Therefore, as it stands, the positives of plug-ins heavily outweigh the cons of WordPress plug-ins. And, if a person pays more attention to selecting the correct plug-ins, the major disadvantages can easily be avoided.