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Page speed is an important aspect when running a successful eCommerce store. The speed of your Shopify store can make or break your business. However, when an online store takes too much time to load, it can be frustrating for customers thus it directly impacts your website’s ability to convert users. In this post, we'll break down why page loading time matters for Shopify stores and how improving it can boost your online business.
The Importance of Page Loading Time
As online consumers, we've all experienced the frustration of a slow-loading website. If a potential customer is landing on your site to make a purchase, and they face sluggish load times, they get frustrated and leave the website. Google reports that the chances of a visitor bouncing off from your website increases 32% as a page’s load time increases from one second to three seconds.
For Shopify merchants, a fast website means lower bounce rates and higher conversions. Shopify's core functionality offers the basic foundation for speed, but customisations, apps, and large images can significantly slow down the performance of your store.
Why Shopify Page Speed Affects Sales?
Page speed is no longer optional, it’s a must. Page speed does not directly affect your store's sales, but it impedes areas that affect your sales. The faster your site, the better you’ll be at attracting customers thus improving your sales. Google recommends a good page load speed of two seconds for an eCommerce site.
For mobile-first customers, where the bulk of eCommerce traffic comes from, page speed optimisation is essential. A smooth, fast browsing experience means a higher likelihood of them adding to cart and completing their purchase.
Additionally, slow page speeds can negatively affect your search engine rankings, reducing organic traffic to your website. Slower speed can cause you to lose potential customers, impacting the overall sales revenue of your business.
How to Speed Up Your Shopify Store?
Optimising your Shopify store's speed can have a significant impact on your customers' shopping experience and can improve your store's conversion rate. Here are some of the ways to speed up your Shopify store:
- Use a Fast and Reliable Hosting Service: A fast and reliable hosting service is crucial to ensuring your Shopify store loads quickly. Always choose a hosting provider that has a good reputation for fast load times.
- Optimise Images: Large images are one of the main culprit behind slow page speeds. Use image compression tools to compress images and lazy loading to only load images when they're needed.
- Optimise Theme Code: A poorly coded or overly complex theme can slow down your site. Optimise your code by removing any unnecessary code and using minification to reduce file size.
- Use Fast, Lightweight Themes: Not all Shopify themes are created equal. Choose a Shopify theme optimised for speed. Avoid themes with unnecessary features that slow down the load time.
- Minimise the Use of Apps: Using too many apps can significantly slow down your site. Audit your apps regularly and remove any that you don't need.
- Minimise Redirects: Too many redirects can affect load times to your site. Make sure your site’s structure is smooth, reduce the number of redirects and use 301 redirect when necessary.
Final Thoughts
Providing customers with an exceptional shopping experience is a crucial goal for every eCommerce business. Improving website speed is not just about technical enhancements but also about making strategic choices that align with your business goals and user needs. By using a variety of optimisation tools and focusing on both technical and content related strategies, you can significantly improve your eCommerce website's effectiveness and conversion rates. Achieving and maintaining high performance requires specialist knowledge and expertise. At Fluency, we’re committed to ensuring your Shopify store meets these high standards, so you can deliver the best experience possible.
