Optimize Database Tables

You can optimize database tables through phpMyAdmin by selecting the individual table to optimize.

Remove Category Counters

ZenCart's counters tend to cause issues with load and slowness, especially if there is a large number of categories. To remove counters for categories:

1. From the ZenCart Admin Home page, go to Config.
2. Navigate to and click on Show Category Counts.
3. Select False and click Update.

For further optimization, repeat these steps for Show Category Counts - Admin.

Use a Performance Enhancing Plugin

Consider purchasing or downloading a plugin for ZenCart to enhance performance. While HostGator does not recommend any specific plugins, more information can be found on ZenCart Forums.

Reduce Home Page Items

By reducing the number of products and items shown on the home page, you can reduce resource usage and improve the speed of your entire site. Consider reserving the home page for a few special deals or a highlighted deal from each category with links to their categories.

Scale Down Images

If a thumbnail in your server is a very large size, but on your website there is only a very small version, extra work in the background is going into loading unnecessary information. Sizing images appropriately for the area in which they are used will vastly improve site performance.

Limit Remote Resources

Check your site to see what resources are from other websites and servers and determine what can be moved within your account. You can drastically increase site performance by using a local copy (within your hosting account) of what was previously remote content.