Shopify is a well-known eCommerce platform that helps brands build digital stores by utilizing its top features. As website loading speed matters a lot, Shopify is well-versed in this capability. Shopify Page speed, or how fast your web page loads, is crucial. Google recommends it to be under two seconds. There are numerous reasons that tempt users to optimize their site speed.
The prime reason is faster speed means a better shopping experience, boosting engagement and satisfaction and reducing cart abandonment. Quick load times influence buying decisions and improve conversion rates. If it takes more than 3 seconds, conversions drop. Slow speed increases bounce rates. Fast loading also enhances SEO rankings, making your Shopify store more visible on search engines.
Thus, Shopify speed optimization agency prioritizes optimizing website loading speed using multiple techniques and technologies. Thus, explore this Shopify speed optimization guide and boost your store performance.
Techniques To Improve Shopify Site Speed
Choose A Lightweight Shopify Theme:
Pick a fast Shopify theme for better website performance. Some themes come with unnecessary extras, slowing your site down. Choose a lightweight theme for strong ongoing performance. These are the top Shopify templates:
Create Theme (1.1 FCP, 7.8 TTI)
Toy Theme (1.1 FCP, 7.7 TTI)
Warm Theme (1.9 FCP, 7.8 TTI)
Light Theme (1.1 FCP, 7.8 TTI)
Outdoors Theme (1.1 FCP, 8.1 TTI)
Consider these if speed is crucial, but it's not a guarantee for everyone.
Use a Content Delivery Network:
To make your website faster for global users, use a Content Delivery Network (CDN). It's a bunch of servers spread worldwide, sharing the load and speeding up local experiences. Additionally, paid CDN providers can help you improve your site speed. Thus, update assets with Shopify's features for better results.
Enable Quick View on Category Pages:
Enable Quick View on category pages, which allows customers to view products directly from listings, saving time. However, it can complicate the user experience by adding extra steps, causing accidental clicks, and slowing down page loading. In Shopify, check the theme customizer for Quick View options; if not found, it may be from an app or theme requiring a developer's help. Using Shopify virtual assistant can save you time and improve your site speed with enhanced performance. Removing Quick View remains the best option.
Compress Images:
Optimize your website's speed by using smaller image files. While high-resolution images enhance visual appeal, they can slow down page loading. To maintain image quality, choose compression tools like JPEGmini or TinyPNG before uploading. Ensure images match exact page dimensions, like 1500 X 500 for banners. For Shopify, follow recommended sizes, like 2048 X 2048 for products, or use 800 X 800 to boost site speed.
Pick Proper Font:
Selecting the right fonts is crucial for speeding up your Shopify store. Use system fonts like Menlo or Roboto to avoid making customers download new fonts. System fonts are already on most computers, preventing any inconvenience. Choose from options like mono, serif, or sans-serif families and customize with styles such as bold or italic.
Use Minimum Shopify Apps:
Maximize Shopify app efficiency. Optimize SEO, push notifications, email campaigns, inventory, discounts, and reports with versatile apps. Avoid clutter by choosing multi-functional apps from our best Shopify apps list. Fewer apps ease store management and enhance website speed. Limiting apps reduces script load for better performance. Prioritize ease of use and performance.
Reduce the Use of Redirects:
To enhance website performance, reduce unnecessary redirects, and fix broken links. Too many redirects slow down the site. In Shopify, use the "URL redirect" function for efficient 301 redirects. Broken links harm user experience by increasing HTTP requests. Minimize them to improve overall website speed and provide a better user experience.
Simplify Your Website Homepage:
Simplify your website's main page for better performance. Too much stuff slows it down. Most visitors only see half the content. Don't lose customers due to slow-loading features. A good Shopify homepage has essential elements, including easy navigation, appealing images, valuable content, clear calls to action, and social proof for credibility. Remove unnecessary sections that don't meet these criteria. Use preview and "view more" links to reduce clutter. Move widgets and social media feeds to strategic spots in your store.
Eliminate Pop-ups:
Remove annoying pop-ups and lightboxes on your online store. While they can be useful for sales and information, too many slow down your site and irritate visitors. Find the right balance by keeping only the essential pop-ups. If your site is slow, try disabling some to improve performance.
Utilize Hero Banners:
Consider using a single static Hero Banner instead of a dynamic slideshow on your Shopify store homepage. Slideshows with changing images may slow down your site due to multiple image files. Opting for a Hero banner enhances site speed and user experience by featuring a single, impactful image. Prioritize simplicity for a better-performing website.
Incorporate AMP:
Boost your website speed on mobile devices by integrating Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). In today's world, smartphones are essential and used for various tasks beyond communication. With 5.22 billion mobile users globally and $3.56 trillion in mobile eCommerce revenue, prioritizing mobile user experience is crucial. Shopify offers apps to easily create AMP pages, ensuring faster access for users.
Use Video Embeds:
Optimize your website by using lite video embeds. Videos are crucial for online communication, with 91% of companies using them for marketing. However, the usual YouTube embed code can slow down your site and doesn't adapt to various device screens. Lite embeds load only the video thumbnail initially, improving load times.
Use Google Tag Manager:
Optimize your Shopify site's speed with AVADA Google Tag Manager. Instead of dealing with various tracking codes, use this app to store all tags in one place, reducing load times. If a tag causes issues, the manager helps remove it swiftly. Easily add it with a code snippet or opt for the free Shopify Google Tag Manager app, which handles up to 70 tags. Also, explore the Shopify Plus Help Center for details.
Restrict Too Many Liquid Loops:
Watch out for too many Liquid loops. Liquid is a powerful coding language for Shopify. When using for-loops, where the system searches for specific conditions, like price or tags, be cautious, while useful for certain tasks, excessive loops can slow down your page. Check your theme code to avoid running the same loops multiple times, which can happen when multiple developers work on a theme. Removing duplications speeds up page loading.
Release the Browser from Scripts:
To speed up your website, release the browser from scripts that slow it down during the HTML parsing process. Parser-blocking scripts cause delays. Resolve this by adding "defer" to your script tag. Confirm that your site still works as intended after making these changes.
Therefore, these are the multiple types of Shopify speed optimization strategies for multiple kinds and types of Shopify stores.
Conclusion
Thus, Shopify website speed optimization is a must! No business can afford to ignore the factor. The loading speed of an eCommerce site determines its user leaving rate and consumer engagement percentage. Therefore, fixing all the issues and enhancing store loading speed is mandatory in today's digital marketing-centric environment.
Shopify speed optimization agency, like MakkPress Technologies, can help you boost your site speed by utilizing multiple tricks. MakkPress Technologies has a team of experts with over 10 years of experience optimizing stores for better speed, and MakkPress has completed over 1200 projects and provided remarkable results.
Consequently, this Shopify speed optimization guide will help you accelerate your site speed and watch out for better performance.
