Is there a noticeable slowdown in your Shopify store? Well, you’re not alone! Every second matters in today’s fast-paced online world. Potential buyers can get annoyed and click away from your store before they can view your incredible products if they load slowly.
Not only is speed important for visitor satisfaction, but it also plays a major role in your store’s search engine rating. The good news is that you can speed up your store without spending a lot of money. You can put many free tactics into practice to get your store operating like a well-oiled machine.
Ready to learn how to speed up your Shopify store for free? Let’s get started!
How To Improve The Speed Of My Shopify Store For Free
I have compiled a list of 8 essential tips that will help you to improve the speed of your Shopify store. You can randomly jump any one of them or go chronologically, it totally depends on you. Let’s dive in!
- Optimize Your Images
Compress Before Uploading:
Images are often the biggest culprits behind the slow-loading pages. Before you upload those beautiful product shots, take a moment to compress them. Tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim can reduce the file size significantly without sacrificing quality.
TinyPNG in working
ImageOptim Online Image Compression Tool
This simple step can make a marginal difference and help you improve the speed of your Shopify store for free. Think of it like packing for a trip—you wouldn’t bring your entire wardrobe, just the essentials in a compact form.
Leverage Shopify’s Image Settings:
Use Shopify’s built-in tools for resizing images and serving them in WebP format, which is an efficient way to handle images. Make sure your uploaded photographs aren’t larger than necessary. There’s no need to upload a 4000-pixel-wide image, for instance, if your website only allows photos to be shown at a maximum width of 800 pixels. It’s inefficient, like attempting to fit a truck into a small vehicle space.
Use Lazy Loading:
When using lazy loading, off-screen images don’t load until the user scrolls down to them. This indicates that your first page load time is faster because it only loads the images that are instantly visible to the visitor. While many Shopify themes come with built-in support for lazy loading, you can get help from free plugins if yours don’t.
- Reduce the App Usage
Assess Your Apps:
With so many apps claiming to improve your store, getting carried away is simple. However, the loading time of your page may increase with each app you install. After a few minutes, go through the installed apps and ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Eliminate the ones that are idle and just sitting there.
Seek for Lightweight Substitutes:
Applications are more complex than others. For instance, look for a lighter, more straightforward program that accomplishes the same task as your massive, feature-rich one. It’s similar to swapping out a heavy Swiss Army knife for a stylish, one-purpose tool that performs the same task.
Turn Off Functions You Don’t Use in Apps:
If an app has several functions, turn off the ones you don’t use. Numerous applications provide settings that let you disable unused features, which might expedite processes. It’s similar to saving electricity by shutting down the lights in rooms that aren’t in use.
- Clean Up Your Shopify Theme
Get Rid Of The Unused Code:
Occasionally, when you uninstall an app, snippets of its code may remain behind and appear in your theme as virtual dust bunnies. This unused code may cause your website to load more slowly. Search the theme files for any scripts or code snippets that mention uninstalled programs, then remove them carefully. Not sure where to begin? Asking questions via Shopify’s forums and online community is a wonderful idea.
Simplify Theme Settings:
Though visually appealing, complex animations and modifications might load your website slowly. Check your theme’s settings and consider reducing the use of some of the more resource-intensive features. In addition to being quicker, a simple, clean design frequently offers a better user experience.
Suggested read: Top Shopify Themes that Boost Conversion
- Optimize the Built-In Features of Shopify
Use Shopify’s Free CDN:
Shopify uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN) by default to serve your content from servers closest to your visitors, which speeds up content delivery. This lowers load times and guarantees a quick experience for all of your clients, wherever they may be. Make sure you activate this free and built-in option and let Shopify’s network handle the hard lifting.
Turn on Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP):
AMP speeds up mobile page loading by simplifying the page to the bare minimum. Shopify allows AMP for product pages, which can significantly improve speed, particularly for customers who buy on mobile devices. For a quicker mobile experience, check out Shopify’s AMP configuration in your store settings and enable it.
Make Use of Browser Caching:
By saving some portions of your website in the visitor’s browser, you can save them from having to refresh the entire page every time they visit. Shopify takes care of part of this automatically, but you can improve even more by giving your content the proper cache lengths.
- Employ a Quick and dependable theme
Select Themes Quickly: Not every theme is made equally. The selection of a theme should be based mostly on speed. Examine reviews and sample websites to gauge loading times. Seek out themes that receive accolades for their execution.
Make Use of Shopify’s Free Themes: Shopify offers several free themes designed with performance optimization in mind. Not only are themes like “Debut” or “Minimal” affordable, but they’re also efficient and speedy. Additionally, they look fantastic on all devices, which will help you stay organized and fashionable.
- Lessen Broken Links and Redirects
Audit for Redirects: Although too many redirects can cause your website to lag, they are occasionally required. To check for and, if at all possible, reduce redirects on your website, use Google Search Console or the built-in Shopify tools. Try to resolve broken links directly instead of depending on redirects.
Fix Broken Links: Broken links can annoy visitors and slow down your website. Frequently use free resources like Google Search Console or online link checkers to look for and repair broken links. This enhances the overall user experience on your site and speeds it up as well.
- Make The Most Of Other Resources And Fonts
Keep Custom Fonts to a Minimum: While fonts give your website personality, using too many or too complicated fonts can make it load slowly. Limit your use to a select few custom fonts and weights, or stick to the standard web fonts. For instance, select one adaptable font family and utilize it regularly rather than three distinct font families with various weights.
Minimize External Scripts: Your website may become slower when it contains external scripts, such as those from tracking programs or social networking widgets. After reviewing these scripts, eliminate any that are not necessary. Check whether there is a method to load the ones you require asynchronously so they don’t impede the loading of the primary content.
- Update Your Shopify Store
Updates are essential: Keeping your Shopify store, themes, and apps up to date is critical. Updates frequently come with essential bug fixes and performance enhancements to keep your website operating quickly and efficiently. Consider upgrades as routine maintenance for your website.
How to Check for Updates: You should always keep an eye open(at least passively) for update notifications regularly in your Shopify admin panel. Check the update logs for apps on the Shopify App Store and look for the newer versions. Maintaining everything up-to-date guarantees you’re benefiting from the most recent performance improvements.
Conclusion: How To Improve The Speed Of My Shopify Store For Free
Improving the speed of your Shopify store doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. By optimizing images, leveraging free apps, streamlining your theme, and utilizing built-in Shopify features, you can significantly enhance your store’s performance at no cost.
A faster Shopify store improves user experience and boosts SEO rankings and conversion rates. Regularly monitor and tweak these elements to maintain optimal speed as your store grows. I hope this simple guide asnwer your question “How To Improve The Speed Of My Shopify Store For Free?”
Comment below any doubts regarding the same and I will surely reply.
FAQs: How To Improve The Speed Of My Shopify Store For Free
What free apps can help improve the speed of my Shopify store?
Several free apps are available that can help enhance your store’s performance. For example, Page Speed Optimizer by Booster Apps simplifies and defers loading scripts that aren’t immediately needed. Another useful tool is the Plug in Speed app, which identifies and suggests improvements for site speed. Remember, while apps can help, limiting the number of apps installed is crucial to avoid unnecessary bloat.
How do I know if my Shopify store is running slow?
You can determine if your Shopify store is running slow using performance analysis tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Shopify’s speed reports. These tools provide insights into your store’s loading times, highlight areas that need improvement, and offer actionable suggestions. Customer feedback and high bounce rates can also indicate a slow-loading store. Regular monitoring helps identify and address speed issues promptly.
