How to improve store speed on Shopify

Page loading speed has a significant impact on the user experience and the effectiveness of the store. A properly optimized store ensures a smooth transition between pages, which promotes a positive user experience. Every second that a page loads affects visitors' perception of the site, so it is worth ensuring that response times are as short as possible.

Taking care of the store's performance is as important as the product offering itself. Minimizing delays and improvements in the site code translate not only into faster access to information, but also into more efficient site performance, which often goes hand in hand with better conversions.

Why does Shopify store speed matter?

The speed of an online store is the foundation upon which a positive user experience is built. When a page loads quickly, users can browse through the offerings without interruption, which has a positive impact on their satisfaction and shopping experience. Here are some reasons why you should take care to optimize your store's loading speed:

Better user experience  
The shorter the wait time for a page to load, the less often a user experiences the frustration of long loading content. An efficient store allows visitors to immediately immerse themselves in the offerings, increasing the chance that they will explore more pages and spend more time on the site.

Impact on conversion rates  
Every second of delay can reflect on purchasing decisions. Users who encounter long loading times may abandon a purchase or look for alternatives from competitors. An optimized store that loads quickly provides immediate access to product information and purchasing processes, which can positively impact the final conversion rate.

Stability and credibility of the store  
A fast-loading website builds trust - customers perceive it as more professional and modern. If the store is instantly responsive, customers feel that they can make purchases safely and efficiently, which in turn influences the building of long-term relationships with the brand.

Optimization of marketing activities  
Loading speed also affects the effectiveness of advertising activities and promotional campaigns. Ads that direct to a page that loads smoothly generate better results - lower rejection rates and higher user engagement translate into a better return on marketing investment.

Technical aspects and SEO  
Search engines take page speed into account when determining position in search results. Optimizing parameters such as load times can help improve a store's visibility in search engines, which in turn attracts more potential customers.

Taking care of your site's performance is not only a technological issue, but also a strategic branding element that satisfies customers and strengthens your relationship with them.

The most common problems affecting the slow performance of a Shopify store

In practice, the performance of a store can be slowed down by a number of factors that affect page load time. Below are the most common problems that you should identify and fix to improve your site's performance:

Unnecessary applications and scripts  
The most common problem is applications that burden the store. Many installed tools have proven to be redundant or written in a suboptimal way, generating additional requests to the server and significantly increasing page load times. In such situations, consider looking for alternatives that perform the same functions, but are optimized for efficiency and performance.

Outdated or suboptimal code  
Code that has not been updated or refactored can generate unnecessary load. Elements written many years ago or containing unused pieces of functionality reduce the store's performance and affect its stability.

Unused code and redundant resources  
Often there are code fragments lingering in templates and configuration files that are no longer needed. Nevertheless, they are loaded every time the page is refreshed, which negatively affects the speed of the store. Removing such elements allows you to reduce the size of the uploaded data.

Failure to optimize images and multimedia  
Large-size images or improperly compressed image files are a common reason for slowing down the site. Failure to use modern image formats, such as WebP, and omitting image loading techniques (lazy loading) result in longer wait times for content to fully load.

Non-optimization of CSS and JavaScript code  
CSS and JavaScript files that have not been minified or are loaded synchronously can delay page rendering. Using asynchronous loading and code minification helps reduce the time it takes for a page to fully load.

Identifying and eliminating the above issues is a key step to improving store performance on Shopify. In particular, it's worth paying attention to applications that can negatively affect the site's performance - looking for optimized alternatives often brings significant benefits in terms of faster site loading and better user experience.

Practical tips and tricks for improving Shopify store speed

Optimizing your store doesn't have to be complicated, even people without technical expertise can make a number of simple changes to speed up page loading. Here are some practical tips to help you improve your site's performance:

• Review and remove unnecessary applications  
  • Check the list of all installed apps - if you notice that an app doesn't add significant value to the store's performance, consider removing it.  
  • Often, apps are designed for additional functionality, but they can introduce unnecessary load. It's worth looking for replacements that offer the same functions, but are lighter and faster.  
  • Even if you are not an expert, you can ask for help from a consultant to assess which applications are worth keeping and which ones to replace.
• Clean up and optimize your code - simple steps  
  • If you use a ready-made theme, check it for unnecessary code snippets. Sometimes older elements remain in the background, even though you no longer use them.  
  • It's worth investing in basic tools or getting help from a specialist to clean up your store's code.
• Optimize images and multimedia  
  • Check that all images available on the site are the right format and size. Large, suboptimal images can slow down the loading of your site.  
  • Instead of using the original files, use image compression tools.  
  • Introduce so-called lazy loading, or delayed loading of images. This way, images will only be downloaded when you scroll the page and become visible to the user.
• Update your theme and plugins regularly.  
  • Make sure your store's theme and any installed plugins are always up to date. New versions often include performance and security improvements.  
  • Even if most of the changes are automatic, it's a good idea to review your settings from time to time and ask your provider about any improvements.
• Monitor site performance  
  • Use simple online tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights to regularly check your store's loading times and identify areas for improvement.  
  • The results of such tests often offer simple tips - even if you're not a techie, you'll learn which elements are worth improving.

If implementing these solutions seems complicated to you or you have doubts, we will be happy to help you. We offer a technology audit of your store, which will give you a complete report on the state of your site, along with optimization recommendations.

Click here to conduct a technology audit and learn how to speed up your store on Shopify.

How to check which app is slowing down your store?

If you notice that your store is loading slower than usual, there are a few simple steps that will allow you to verify whether any of the apps are affecting the slowdown of your site. Below is a detailed procedure that you can do yourself, even if you don't have advanced technical knowledge:

• Prepare for testing  
  • Create a “clean” store: Make sure you use the default theme (e.g. Dawn) and have no additional applications installed. This will give you a baseline of the store's performance without any additional loads.  
  • Make a note of the URLs of your store's main pages - you'll need links to the home page, product page and collection page. To do this, log into your Shopify dashboard, go to “Online Store > Themes,” right-click next to “View your store” and select “Copy link address.” This will give you a link that you can use for testing, even when the store is password protected.
• Get baseline performance results  
  • Use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to measure your site's loading time and performance.  
  • Paste the previously copied homepage URL into the tool and note the result you get (e.g., Lighthouse score under “Mobile”).  
  • Repeat the tests for the product page and the collection page. Make a note of all the results - they will serve as a reference before installing the application.
• Test the impact of a specific app  
  • Choose an app that you suspect of slowing down your store. Install it on your test store. Make sure you configure the app according to the default settings - so that it uses all its functions in the standard way.
  • After installation, test the performance of the same set of pages (homepage, products, collections) again using the same tools. Make a note of the new results.  
  • Compare the new results with the baseline results. If you notice a significant drop (e.g. a few points in the Lighthouse score), there is a good chance that your store speed is negatively affected by this application.
• Evaluation and follow-up  
  • If you find out that a particular app is slowing down your store, it's a good idea to look for a lighter alternative - apps that offer similar functionality, but are optimized for performance.  
  • You might also consider talking to the app provider - they sometimes offer optimized versions or tips on how to reduce the load on your site.

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If you need additional help or want to make sure everything is working as expected, take advantage of our technology audit. Our team of experts will conduct a comprehensive analysis of your store, provide a detailed report on the state of your site, and offer specific optimization recommendations. Click here to learn more and schedule a technology audit - let us help you get maximum performance from your Shopify store!