Gulp, a task runner built on Node.js, can significantly enhance website performance. It automates repetitive tasks like minification, compilation, unit testing, and linting, which are crucial for improving site speed and efficiency.

Minification reduces file size by eliminating unnecessary characters from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files without changing their functionality. This results in faster page load times as smaller files require less bandwidth to download.

Compilation of preprocessor languages such as Sass or Less into CSS is another way Gulp improves performance. These languages offer features not available in regular CSS, enabling more efficient coding practices. Unit testing with Gulp ensures code reliability and prevents bugs that could slow down the website. Linting, on the other hand, helps maintain clean code, making it easier to spot errors and inefficiencies.

Moreover, Gulp’s watch feature automatically performs these tasks whenever changes are made to the source files, ensuring continuous optimization.