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Shopify Speed Optimisation Checklist

A 1-second delay in page load can reduce conversions by 7%. Use this 69-point checklist to make your Shopify store lightning fast.

69 items8 sections

Why Speed Matters

A 1-second delay can reduce conversions by 7%. Google uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor. This checklist covers the highest-impact optimisations to help you build a faster, more profitable store.

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Image Optimisation

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App Audit

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Theme Optimisation

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Third-Party Scripts

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Core Web Vitals

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Video & Media

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Homepage Specific

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Testing & Monitoring

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The True Cost of a Slow Shopify Store

Speed directly impacts your revenue. Google uses Core Web Vitals as ranking factors, meaning slow stores face a double penalty: lower conversions and worse search rankings.

Revenue Impact Example

Consider a store with:

  • •50,000 monthly visitors
  • •2% conversion rate
  • •£60 average order value
  • •= £60,000 monthly revenue

Improving load time from 5s to 2s typically increases conversions by 20-40%. A conservative 25% lift takes you to 2.5% conversion = £15,000 extra monthly revenue.

What Slow Speed Costs You

  • ×Higher bounce rates as visitors leave before seeing your products
  • ×Lower Google rankings due to poor Core Web Vitals scores
  • ×Wasted ad spend when paid traffic bounces immediately
  • ×Lost mobile customers who are especially speed-sensitive

Target Metrics

<2.5s
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
<100ms
FID (First Input Delay)
<0.1
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)

Quick Wins for Immediate Impact

Focus on these high-impact, low-effort optimisations first:

1. Remove unused apps

Each app adds 50-200KB of code. Removing 5-10 unused apps can improve load times by 1-2 seconds.

2. Compress your hero image

Your hero image is often the LCP element. Compress it, serve it as WebP, and preload it for the biggest single speed gain.

3. Defer chat widgets

Load live chat and support widgets only after the page is interactive, not on initial load.

4. Limit fonts to 2 families

Each font family adds 100-300KB. Use system fonts where possible, or preload critical fonts.

Related Checklists

Speed optimisation works best alongside other improvements:

SEO Checklist →

Ensure speed work aligns with your broader SEO strategy

Mobile Optimisation →

Comprehensive mobile UX beyond just speed

Launch Checklist →

Everything to verify before going live

Conversion Optimisation →

Turn more visitors into customers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aim for Google PageSpeed Insights scores of 50+ on mobile and 80+ on desktop. However, scores aren't everything—focus on Core Web Vitals metrics: LCP under 2.5s, FID under 100ms, and CLS under 0.1. Real-world load time (time until page is usable) should be under 3 seconds on 4G mobile connections.
Absolutely. Each app typically adds 50-200KB of code and makes additional server requests. We regularly see stores improve load times by 1-2 seconds just by removing 5-10 unused apps. Even apps you rarely use can load code on every page. Audit ruthlessly—if you don't use it weekly, remove it.
Ideally both. Optimise images before upload using tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or ImageOptim to reduce file size by 60-80% without visible quality loss. Then use an app for lazy loading and responsive delivery. Pre-optimising prevents apps from doing heavy processing on every page load, which can actually slow things down.
Enormously. Poorly coded themes can be 2-3 times slower than optimised ones. Legacy themes often load unnecessary CSS, include outdated JavaScript libraries, or lack modern optimisations like lazy loading. Choose themes known for performance, regularly updated, and built with speed in mind. Dawn, Shopify's reference theme, is an excellent speed-focused starting point.
For LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), optimise your hero image—compress it, preload it, and ensure it's properly sized. For FID (First Input Delay), defer or remove unnecessary JavaScript, particularly from apps. For CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift), set explicit dimensions on images and ads, avoid inserting content above existing content, and use font-display: swap for web fonts.
Yes, but it requires thoughtful design choices. Use CSS for animations instead of heavy JavaScript. Choose system fonts or limit custom fonts to 1-2 families. Optimise images aggressively. Avoid autoplay videos and excessive sliders. The fastest stores prove beautiful design and excellent performance aren't mutually exclusive—they just require more careful execution.

Need Speed Help?

Our team can audit your store and implement optimisations that make a real difference to your page speed.

Speed Up My StoreOur Speed Services