Improving the speed of your Shopify store is very important to increase user experience, conversion rate and SEO. But when it comes to Shopify speed optimization, one can easily get swayed by myths that lead them the wrong way.
This blog post is here to bust some of the common myths, and identify what actually does work in boosting your Shopify Store performance.
Myth 1: All Apps Slow Down Your Store
A common myth in Shopify merchants is related to apps slowing down your store. This might be true in the case of poorly optimized apps, but every application is different so this statement does not always apply. Most apps that have high quality should be able to touch performance being fast in order to integrate with full functions without much delay.
Not installing just any app can help ensure that you will have a relatively speedy, responsive store. Merchants should rely on apps by developers with a good reputation, read reviews and check their store performance frequently. You also want to cut down on the number of apps you have for your store – each one adds load and another source request, which can bog things down cumulatively.
Ensuring that a store is not bogged down with deadbeat apps can also be resolved through regular audits, to make sure under performing or redundant applications are removed and the shop keeps running as smoothly as possible.
Myth 2: High-Resolution Images Always Slow Down Your Store
One of the myths in eCommerce optimization is that high-resolution images make your store slower on entry. Although large image file sizes are known to influence how slow a site may load, there are current tools out that combat this to great success.
However, advancements being made like image compression technologies (webP), lazy loading as well as the ability from CDNs to deliver images responsively means that instead of sacrificing website speed with high quality visuals can be maintained. Thus, making sure the images are lazy loaded (images should only be requested as necessary), and responsive / optimal for all kinds of devices so that it can ensure frictionless user experience.
Debunking this myth will enable businesses to use high-resolution images without hesitation, as long as the best design and product presentation are optimized for a fast loading website in order for clients not to run off before they begin.
Myth 3: Custom Themes are Always Faster Than Pre-Made Themes
Many store owners still have the misconception that custom themes are always faster than premade themes While custom themes do provide the flexibility of tailored design and functionality – that may be optimizable for speed – it cannot simply be assumed they will outperform a pre-built theme.
But a Shopify store speed actually entails an intricate series of several more elements than just the roots of your theme. Most of the time, the Pre designed theme is optimized well by Premium developers and providers so that it follows industry standards for loading speed. All of these themes are regularly updated to include new speed optimization tricks, responsive design techniques that look great on all types of devices and SEO enhancements.
On the other hand, custom themes can be very fast provided they are developed by competent developers who have followed best coding practices and also feature a simplified design. Badly optimized custom themes can be code bloated, include large image files, or use inefficient scripts that will actually slow things down rather than speed them up.
Choosing a high-performing theme (whether off-the-shelf or bespoke) and integrating performance-enhancing practices are both needed for making your Shopify store lightning-fast. Regular monitoring, updates, and fine-tuning are crucial regardless of the theme’s origin to ensure a smooth and speedy shopping experience for customers.
Boost Your Shopify Store Speed
Myth 4: Speed Optimization is a One-Time Task
The myth that speed optimization can be a one-time task in which you take overly action on, failing to account for performance variability or user expectations. The truth, however, is that keeping a website up to speed is an ongoing job rather than simply a once-off event.
As technology advances, user behaviors change and content on the website becomes too large to keep loading times the same as when it was first built. The things that can slow us down include both the performance of our site as well as many other functions such as changes in content volume, amounts and types of updates to standard technologies and increases in the number of users or requests hitting our website.
This requires monitoring, analysis and continuous maintenance in order to keep your website running with speed as great as possible. This is to include identifying and removing bottlenecks, compressing images & code, implementing caching strategies as well as adopting new performance best practices. On the other hand, since faster sites are ranking better in search engines (as a rule of thumb) ongoing optimization is very important to keep or improve SEO performance.
This is why treating site speed optimization as an ongoing process rather than a one-time band aid solution is critical to businesses looking to deliver an exceptional user experience, improve conversion rates and remain competitive in the digital ecosystem.
Myth 5: Desktop Speed is All That Matters
The myth that desktop speed is all that matters in website performance is outdated and misleading in today’s digital landscape. While desktop optimization is still very important, you can’t remain blind to the fact that mobile browsing takes over. Mobile makes up a huge amount of online traffic today – even more so in eCommerce, and thus optimizing mobile performance is just as important.
In the mobile-first reality, as a rule of thumb users want pages to load quickly and move from A-Z or more bluntly speaking – make their purchase quickly. Neglecting to mobile optimize can result in more bounce rates, fewer conversions and a terrible user experience.
In addition, Google earlier announced a focus on mobile-first indexing making it more clear that fast and efficient mobile experience is paramount for SEO as well as search rankings. Responsive websites have the added benefit of ranking higher in search results – both on desktop and mobile devices, leading to more organic traffic and visibility.
Therefore, businesses should implement speed optimization strategies that cater to the on-the-go experience for users across all devices at a comprehensive level. Only by demystifying the power of desktop speed advantage and then focusing on real, all-around faster sites webmasters can deliver what modern digital consumers expect. Only with this can they absolutely guarantee success in online business for years to come.
Conclusion
Whether you are just starting out with a small store or well on your way to an enterprise-level business, one thing is for sure — optimizing the speed of your Shopify Store (and maintaining this) ensures better user experience, SEO as well as conversions.
Once you know about them and dispel the myths, you can instead concentrate on strategies that work to actually help drive more sales for your store. Speed optimization is continuous work – always requiring a bit of fine-tuning here and there in the process to keep your store lightning-fast.
