Shopify store speed isn’t just a user experience issue. It directly affects your revenue.
Google uses page speed as a ranking factor. Research shows every additional second of mobile load time reduces conversions by up to 20%. For a store doing $10,000/month, a 2-second improvement in load time could mean an additional $2,000+ in monthly revenue.
Here’s a practical, step-by-step guide based on optimising 600+ Shopify stores.
Step 1: Measure First
Before making any changes, get your baseline score.
Tool: Google PageSpeed Insights — pagespeed.web.dev
Enter your store URL and record both the Mobile and Desktop scores. Mobile is the priority, as the majority of Shopify traffic comes from mobile devices.
- 90+ = Excellent
- 70–89 = Good
- 50–69 = Needs improvement
- Below 50 = Urgent action required
Most unoptimised Shopify stores score between 30–55 on mobile.
The Top 5 Speed Killers
1. Unoptimised Images (Most Common)
Product images uploaded at original camera resolution (3–10MB each) are the single most common cause of slow Shopify stores.
The fix:
- Convert all images to WebP format
- Compress to under 1MB per image (aim for under 500KB for non-hero images)
- Resize to maximum 2048 x 2048px
- Use TinyPNG.com (free) for bulk compression
2. Unused Apps
Every Shopify app you install injects code into your store — even after you uninstall it. That residual code keeps loading on every page visit.
The fix:
- Go to Apps in Shopify Admin and audit every installed app
- Remove any app you’re not actively using
- After removing apps, check your theme code for leftover scripts (this requires developer help)
3. Homepage Video Background
Autoplay video backgrounds look impressive but can add 5–30MB to your homepage load. That’s a significant drag on mobile speeds.
Alternative: Use a high-quality static image — it loads instantly and still creates visual impact. If video is essential, embed via YouTube or Vimeo (external hosting) rather than uploading directly to Shopify.
4. Too Many Font Variants
Each font weight and style is a separate file download. Brands using 4+ custom fonts with multiple weights are loading unnecessary data on every page.
Fix: Limit to 2–3 fonts, maximum. Consider system fonts (no download required) for body text.
5. Render-Blocking Scripts
Some JavaScript and CSS files load before the page can display, causing a blank or partial screen while users wait.
Fix: Add defer or async attributes to non-critical scripts. This is a developer task but often yields significant speed gains.
What You Can Do Right Now (No Developer Needed)
- Compress all product images via TinyPNG
- Remove all unused apps from Shopify Admin
- Remove homepage video background — replace with image
- Reduce font variants to 2–3
These four changes alone typically move a store from the 30–40 range to 50–65 on mobile PageSpeed.
Developer-Level Optimisations (For 70+ Score)
- Remove render-blocking resources
- Implement lazy loading for below-fold images
- Clean up residual app code from theme files
- Optimise Liquid template rendering
- Configure CDN settings
Target: 70+ on Mobile
Reaching 70+ on mobile PageSpeed has measurable impact on both Google rankings and conversion rates. It’s achievable for most Shopify stores with a combination of the DIY steps above and targeted developer work.
HHP Design offers Shopify speed audits and optimisation as a standalone service. Contact us for a free initial assessment.