Boost Your Success: How to Jumpstart & Optimise Shopify Speed

Is your Shopify store fast enough to keep customers engaged? In today’s digital world, speed matters more than ever. A slow-loading store can frustrate visitors, hurt your SEO rankings, and even cost you sales. In fact, studies show that just a 1-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by up to 7%! Higher bounce rates, lost revenue, and disappointed customers—these are all consequences of a sluggish website. This is why learning how to optimise Shopify speed is crucial for your success.

Some technical and practical guide to optimise your Shopify store’s speed and ensuring a seamless shopping experience are:

In this article, you will find essential tips on how to optimise Shopify speed effectively.

1. Optimise Images for Faster Load Time

Why It Matters:

Large image files are one of the biggest culprits behind slow Shopify stores.

Best Practices

✅ Use WebP Format – Shopify supports WebP, which is 30% smaller than PNG or JPEG without losing quality.

✅ Compress Images – Use tools like TinyPNG or Shopify’s built-in compression.

✅ Enable Lazy Loading – Load images only when they come into view. Learn More…

✅ Scale Images Properly – Avoid oversized images by resizing them to fit your design.

Avoid

🚫 Uploading uncompressed images.

🚫 Using PNG instead of WebP (unless transparency is required).

🚫 Embedding large background images instead of using CSS.

2. Minimise & Defer JavaScript & CSS

Why It Matters:

Too much JavaScript and CSS can block rendering, making your Shopify store load slowly.

Best Practices:

✅ Minify Code – Use tools like Minifier or UglifyJS to remove unnecessary characters.

✅ Defer Non-Essential JavaScript – Modify scripts to load after the main content with async or defer.

✅ Remove Unused CSS – Use Chrome DevTools or PurifyCSS to clean up stylesheets.

Avoid:

🚫 Loading JavaScript in the header (it slows down the page).

🚫 Using multiple CSS files instead of one optimised file.

🚫 Adding excessive animations that impact speed.

3. Reduce Third-Party Apps & Scripts

Why It Matters:

Each additional app injects code into your store, potentially slowing it down.

Best Practices:

✅ Audit Installed Apps – Remove apps that provide minimal value.

✅ Use Shopify’s Native Features – Avoid third-party plugins when Shopify has built-in alternatives.

✅ Load Scripts Asynchronously – Ensure tracking scripts and chat widgets don’t block page rendering.

Avoid:

🚫 Installing unnecessary Shopify apps.

🚫 Running multiple analytics scripts at once (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc.).

🚫 Embedding live chat on every page—use it only where needed.

Check out Third Party App for more available options that match your needs.

Check out Third Party App for more available options that match your needs.

4. Leverage Shopify’s Built-in Performance Features

Why It Matters:

Shopify provides tools that can enhance site speed—if used correctly.

Best Practices:

✅ Enable Shopify’s CDN – Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) distribute files globally for faster access.

✅ Use Shopify’s Automatic Image Compression – optimise uploaded images.

✅ Activate Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) – Speed up mobile page loads for better UX.

Avoid:

🚫 Disabling Shopify’s image compression.

🚫 Hosting large files manually instead of using Shopify’s CDN.

🚫 Ignoring Shopify’s theme updates, which often include speed improvements.

5. Optimise Liquid Code in Your Theme

Why It Matters:

Unoptimised Liquid code can create unnecessary database queries, slowing down response times.

Best Practices:

✅ Limit Loops and Nesting – Excessive loops (for statements) in Liquid slow down pages.

✅ Use {% paginate %} Instead of {% for %} – Paginate large collections for better performance.

✅ Reduce Snippet Calls – Avoid excessive include or render calls inside loops.

Avoid:

🚫 Pulling too much data at once.

🚫 Overusing snippet includes, which increase server requests.

6. Improve Server Response Time

Why It Matters:

Slow servers mean slow load times, affecting your overall store performance.

Best Practices:

✅ Use Shopify Plus – Premium users get better server resources.

✅ Choose a Lightweight Theme – Opt for speed-optimised themes like Dawn.

✅ Monitor Server Performance – Use tools like Pingdom or Google PageSpeed Insights.

Avoid:

🚫 Using bloated, feature-heavy themes.

🚫 Overloading the homepage with too many sections.

Check out Shopify’s official speed optimization guide for more best practices .

7. Implement Lazy Loading & Reduce HTTP Requests

Why It Matters:

Loading all resources at once slows down page rendering.

Best Practices:

✅ Lazy Load Images and Videos – Ensure content loads only when visible.

✅ Reduce HTTP Requests – Combine CSS & JavaScript files to lower requests.

✅ Use System Fonts – Avoid custom fonts that increase load time.

Avoid:

🚫 Loading all images & videos at once.

🚫 Using too many custom fonts—stick to system fonts when possible.

🚫 Relying on external APIs for every page.

8. Enable Browser Caching

Why It Matters:

Caching speeds up load times for returning visitors.

Best Practices:

✅ Leverage Shopify’s Built-in Caching – Shopify automatically caches assets.
✅ Set Cache Expiry Headers – Use Cache-Control and Expires headers for browser storage.

Avoid:

🚫 Not using caching at all.
🚫 Constantly changing cache settings without monitoring performance.

9. Use Performance Monitoring Tools

Why It Matters:

Ongoing monitoring helps maintain a fast store.

Recommended Tools

📌 Google PageSpeed Insights – Speed optimisation suggestions.

📌 GTmetrix – Analyzes load time, page size, and request count.

📌 Shopify’s Theme Analyzer – Identifies theme-related speed issues.

Optimising Shopify speed requires consistent  efforts, but the benefits include better user experience, higher conversions, and improved SEO rankings. Implementing the above strategies will ensure your store runs efficiently and keeps customers engaged. 

Need expert help with Shopify speed optimisation? Contact us today !!