WordPress speed - via caching ⚡️ (also: how to keeping visitors longer)

If your WordPress site feels sluggish, your caching setup or lack thereof is likely to blame, especially on shared hosting.

This email was sent

July 6, 2026 8:13am EDT

Is this your brand on Milled? Claim it.

Matte tone:

(Shortcuts: 5 of the Best Caching Plugins for WordPress in 2026 // Easy Ways to Increase Time on Site // Create a Custom 404)

Hey there,

Karol here, from Themeisle.

Here's what's been going on this week in WordPress:

If your WordPress site feels sluggish, your caching setup or lack thereof is likely to blame, especially on shared hosting. I've spent some time testing some viable solutions to see how effective they are and how much it takes to make them work. I break down five of the most popular options to help you choose the right fit. Check out the top caching plugins here. ⚡

It's a bit jarring to realize the average visitor spends less than 10 seconds on a page before bouncing. If you're looking to build a loyal audience, you need to give them a reason to stay. We've put together five simple, universal techniques to boost your engagement and keep people reading. See how to increase your time on site. ⏱️

Hitting a broken link is a total momentum killer for your visitors, and a generic error page usually leads them straight to the exit. You can actually turn that frustration into a win by designing a custom 404 page that keeps people on your site. We've shared two easy ways to do this using tools you likely already have. Learn to build your custom 404 page. 🛠️

Video of the week 🎥

How to Display Multiple RSS Feeds on One Page in WordPress

Tool of the week 🔧

You're the OS! - is an interesting online game where you get to act as the OS. You know ... do all the stuff that your OS is actually doing every second - manage memory, take care of processes, etc.

What else's been going on

Want more of what you care about?

Take a moment to update your profile and tell us what topics you're most interested in.

Read our blog

The Themeisle newsletter is where we share the latest advice, roundups, and interesting things going on in the world of WordPress. Feel free to forward this edition to your friends and colleagues. New subscribers can join here.

Cheers,
-Karol