10 Proven Ways to Speed Up Your Shopify Store (Without Losing Functionality)

A slowly loading Shopify site can annoy visitors, damage your SEO rankings, and end up losing you sales. And did you know that a whopping 53% of mobile users will abandon a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load? The silver lining? You can actually boost the speed of your store without giving up functionality. Here are 10 tested and proven steps to make your Shopify store quicker and more streamlined.

1. Optimize Your Images

You do need high-res images to display your products, but they’ll bring your website crashing down if not optimized. This is how to do it properly:

• Compress images: Use software like TinyPNG, ImageOptim, or Shopify’s built-in image compression to compress file sizes without sacrificing quality.
• Use the WebP format: WebP images are 30% less in size than JPEG or PNG files, thus ideal for faster loading.
• Resize images: Make sure your images are not bigger than they need to be. For instance, if your theme shows product images in 800×800 pixels, do not upload 2000×2000 pixel images.
• Lazy load images: This ensures images only load as users scroll down the page, reducing initial load time.

2. Enable Lazy Loading

Lazy loading is a speed-improvement game changer. It defers the loading of non-essential resources (such as images and videos) until they’re actually required. Here’s how to do it:

• Use a Shopify app: Apps like Lazy Load by Rocket Apps or SEO Image Optimizer can help you enable lazy loading with just a few clicks.
• Check your theme settings: Many modern Shopify themes, like Dawn, come with built-in lazy loading features.

3. Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.

Minification removes the unnecessary characters (like spaces, comments, and line breaks) from your code, which contributes to reducing file sizes and faster loads. Let’s get started here:

• Use Shopify apps: Apps like Minifier or Crush.pics can automatically minify your store’s code.
• Work with a developer: If you’re comfortable with code, a developer can manually minify your CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files for better control.
• Combine files: Decreasing the number of CSS and JavaScript files by merging them can also enhance performance.

4. Upgrade to a Faster Theme

Your Shopify theme has a giant impact on your store’s speed. Overly feature-laden themes will slow things down. Here’s what to do:

• Choose a lightweight theme: Themes like Dawn (Shopify’s default theme) or Symmetry are designed for speed and performance.
• Avoid over-customization: While it’s tempting to add fancy animations and features, these can slow down your site. Stick to essential customizations.
• Test before switching: Use such tools as Google PageSpeed Insights to measure how the current theme of your website performs in comparison with a new one prior to making a switch.

5. Leverage Browser Caching

Browser caching caches static files (such as images, CSS, and JavaScript) on your visitors’ machines, so they don’t need to reload them each time they visit your store. Here’s how to do it:

• Use a Shopify app: Apps like Speed Boost or Cache Master can help you configure browser caching.
• Set expiration dates: Work with a programmer to establish proper expiration dates for cache files.

6. Reduce the Number of Apps

Whereas Shopify apps can provide beneficial functionality, having too many can slow and clog up your store. Here is how to handle them:

• Audit your apps: Regularly review the apps installed on your store and remove any that aren’t essential.
• Choose lightweight apps: Opt for apps that are known for their performance and minimal impact on speed.
• Combine functionality: Look for apps that offer multiple features in one, reducing the need for multiple installations.

7. Making Use of a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN hosts your store’s content on several servers located around the globe, making content load quickly for your visitors. Here’s what to do:

• Shopify’s built-in CDN: Shopify already uses a global CDN, but you can enhance it with services like Cloudflare.
• Optimize CDN settings: Work with a developer to ensure your CDN is configured for maximum performance.

8. Optimize Your Checkout Process

A slow or complicated checkout process can lead to abandoned carts. Here’s how to streamline it:

• Enable accelerated checkout options: Use Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay to speed up the checkout process.
• Reduce form fields: Only ask for essential information during checkout to minimize friction.
• Test your checkout speed: Use tools like Google Analytics to identify and fix any bottlenecks in your checkout process.

9. Monitor and Fix Broken Links

Broken links can slow down your store and frustrate visitors. Here’s how to stay on top of them:

• Use a broken link checker: Tools like Screaming Frog or Broken Link Checker can help you identify broken links.

• Fix redirects: Ensure all redirects are working properly and point to the correct pages.

• Update internal links: Regularly review and update internal links to ensure they’re accurate and relevant.

10. Regularly Test and Monitor Performance

Speed optimization is an ongoing process. Here’s how to stay proactive:

• Use performance tools: Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Shopify’s Speed Report provide actionable insights to improve your store’s speed.

• Set performance benchmarks: Establish baseline performance metrics and track improvements over time.

• Stay updated: Keep an eye on Shopify updates and new tools that can help you optimize your store further.

Final Thoughts

A quicker Shopify store is not merely a matter of faster load times—it’s about designing a smooth shopping experience that draws customers back time and again. By adopting these tips, you can increase your store’s speed without compromising on functionality.

Ready to accelerate your Shopify store? Begin with one or two of these tips today and see your performance take off!