Speed is crucial for e-commerce success. A slow-loading store can significantly impact your conversion rates and search engine rankings. Old advice: "just compress images" Modern approach: systematic optimization across multiple layers. Here are 10 proven strategies to speed up your Shopify store:
1. Optimize Images
Large, unoptimized images are one of the biggest culprits of slow loading times. Use Shopify's built-in image optimization or compress images before uploading. Consider using WebP format for better compression.
Impact: Optimizing images can reduce page weight by 60-80% and improve load time by 2-4 seconds.
2. Minimize Apps
Every app you install adds JavaScript and CSS to your store. Review your apps regularly and remove any that aren't essential. Each app can add hundreds of milliseconds to your load time.
3. Use a Fast Theme
Not all themes are created equal. Choose a theme that's optimized for performance. Avoid themes with excessive animations or heavy JavaScript.
4. Enable Lazy Loading
Lazy loading defers the loading of images and other resources until they're needed. This can significantly improve initial page load times.
5. Optimize Your Code
Remove unused CSS and JavaScript. Minify your code to reduce file sizes. Consider using a code splitting strategy for larger stores.
6. Use a CDN
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) serves your content from servers closer to your customers, reducing latency and improving load times globally.
7. Reduce Third-Party Scripts
Third-party scripts for analytics, chat widgets, and other tools can slow down your store. Only include what's necessary and consider loading them asynchronously.
8. Optimize Fonts
Web fonts can be heavy. Limit the number of font weights and styles you use. Consider using system fonts for better performance.
9. Cache Aggressively
Implement proper caching strategies. Shopify's CDN helps, but you can also use browser caching for static assets.
10. Monitor Performance
Use tools like https://pagespeed.web.dev/ and Shopify's built-in performance metrics to regularly monitor your store's speed. Track improvements over time.
Pro tip: Set up automated monitoring with tools like https://gtmetrix.com/ or https://www.webpagetest.org/ to catch regressions before customers notice.
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Target | Poor |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | < 2.5s | > 4s |
| FID (First Input Delay) | < 100ms | > 300ms |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | < 0.1 | > 0.25 |
| TTFB (Time to First Byte) | < 600ms | > 1.2s |
Conclusion
Improving your store's speed is an ongoing process. Start with the biggest wins (image optimization and app reduction) and work your way through the list. Even small improvements can lead to significant conversion rate increases.
Struggling with a slow store? We've optimized dozens of Shopify sites. Contact CartShift Studio to discuss how we can help make yours faster.