Optimizing Store Performance After Migrating to Shopify Plus

The migration to Shopify Plus brings new potential for speed, functionality, and user experience. However, many businesses find that post-migration performance improvements are essential to fully harness Shopify Plus’s capabilities. In a competitive online market, studies show that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load, emphasizing the importance of fast, optimized storefronts.

For businesses migrating to Shopify Plus, it’s vital to understand how to set up their Shopify store for optimal performance. If your team lacks the technical expertise to refine Shopify Plus, you must hire Shopify Plus developers to manage the transition and keep your store operating at peak efficiency.

Understanding Key Performance Metrics on Shopify Plus

Knowing which metrics to track can guide you in maintaining strong store performance. It’s crucial to monitor these data points regularly, as they reveal potential areas for improvement in load times, user engagement, and overall experience.

Page Load Speed: Page load speed directly impacts both user experience and conversion rates. Each second of delay in page load time could reduce conversions by as much as 7%. Monitoring load times through tools like Google PageSpeed Insights is essential for maintaining an efficient store.
Bounce Rate and Conversion Rate: High bounce rates often indicate that visitors aren’t finding what they need or that the page is loading too slowly. Similarly, low conversion rates can sometimes be attributed to a slow-loading site or unoptimized checkout flow.
Core Web Vitals: Google’s Core Web Vitals assess a website’s load speed, interactivity, and visual stability, directly affecting search engine rankings. Optimizing these elements can improve SEO rankings and overall store performance.

Improving Page Load Speed

Slow page loads can drive customers away. Shopify Plus offers various tools to improve load speeds, but knowing the right techniques is essential for maximizing effectiveness.

Optimizing Images: Large images are one of the most common culprits of slow page speeds. Compress images without losing quality to keep load times short. Shopify offers built-in image compression, and you can further improve speed by using the WebP format for images, which offers smaller file sizes compared to JPEG or PNG.
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): CDNs distribute your site’s assets across multiple servers globally, ensuring quicker access for users. Shopify Plus uses a CDN by default, but it’s essential to regularly audit and update CDN content to reflect your store’s latest assets.
Minimize JavaScript and CSS Files: Minimizing these files reduces the amount of data browsers must download and render, improving load speeds. Tools like Minify and Shopify’s Liquid Code Optimizer can be used to remove unnecessary code or combine files.

Enhancing Mobile Performance

With more consumers shopping on mobile than ever before, optimizing for mobile devices is crucial. A mobile-friendly design is not only about aesthetics; it’s about delivering a faster, more intuitive experience.

Implementing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): AMP is a framework that strips down unnecessary elements, creating lightweight pages that load almost instantly on mobile devices. Many apps on Shopify Plus simplify AMP implementation, making it easy to adapt your site to mobile user needs.
Mobile-Friendly Themes: Not all themes are optimized for mobile performance. Choose themes specifically built for mobile devices, focusing on touch input responsiveness and fast loading. The right theme can significantly improve the mobile shopping experience without complex coding adjustments.

Choosing a High-Performance Shopify Theme

Selecting a well-designed theme is critical for maintaining high performance on Shopify Plus. Themes with lightweight coding and efficient structures improve loading times and user experience.

Factors to Consider in a Theme: Themes optimized for speed typically have clean, minimalist designs without heavy animation or complex scripts. Before selecting a theme, preview it on various devices and test its load times using online tools to ensure it meets your needs.
Customizing Without Compromising Performance: Customizations can be necessary for branding, but excessive modifications may slow your store. When customizing, focus on changes that add value without excessive scripting or visual effects, and avoid any alterations that could bloat the theme’s core structure.
Minimizing Theme Code Bloat: If your theme includes features you don’t use, consider removing them. Redundant elements in theme code can slow down loading times and complicate future updates. Clean out any unnecessary widgets or third-party scripts that may have been added over time.

Also Read: How To Improve Your Shopify Plus Search Functionality?

Using Shopify Plus Apps Wisely

Shopify’s app ecosystem is vast, and many apps can add significant value to your store. However, excessive app usage can negatively impact performance, making it crucial to choose and use apps selectively.

Selecting Performance-Friendly Apps: Look for apps specifically noted for their lightweight nature. Many app developers provide transparency regarding an app’s impact on store performance, allowing you to make informed choices.
Regular App Audits: It’s easy to accumulate apps that are no longer in use. Conduct regular audits to remove outdated or unused apps that may slow down your site. By keeping only essential apps, you reduce the load on your store’s resources, which can improve overall speed.
Using Shopify’s Built-In Features: Shopify Plus offers numerous built-in tools and features that can replicate app functionality. By relying on Shopify’s native capabilities, you can often reduce the need for third-party apps, improving your site’s performance.

Optimizing for SEO and Core Web Vitals

Optimizing your Shopify Plus store for SEO and Google’s Core Web Vitals can increase visibility and improve user experience. Core Web Vitals metrics include loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, all of which are closely linked to search rankings.

Supporting Core Web Vitals on Shopify Plus: Shopify offers multiple ways to keep Core Web Vitals in check, from built-in CDNs to advanced caching options. Make sure your page’s Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) scores meet Google’s requirements for a high-performing site.
Meta Tags, Titles, and Descriptions: Effective SEO requires optimized meta tags, titles, and descriptions for every page. Use Shopify’s SEO features to add keywords naturally and provide clear, concise descriptions that improve your search ranking.
Lazy Loading for Faster Loading Times: Lazy loading delays the loading of images or videos until they’re needed. This approach reduces the initial load time of a page, enhancing user experience and reducing bounce rates.

Enhancing Checkout Speed and User Experience

The checkout process is a critical stage in the sales funnel, and a smooth checkout experience can drastically impact conversion rates. Shopify Plus’s native checkout is fast, but there are ways to make it even faster and more efficient.

Customizing the Checkout Process: Shopify Plus offers a fully customizable checkout, allowing you to remove unnecessary steps. Streamline your checkout to reduce the number of fields and steps required, which can speed up the process and prevent cart abandonment.
Using Shopify Payments: Shopify Payments is a built-in payment gateway that processes transactions faster than third-party gateways. By using Shopify Payments, you reduce the steps involved in payment processing, speeding up the checkout experience and improving conversion rates.

Testing and Monitoring Store Performance Regularly

Regular monitoring and testing are crucial for maintaining high store performance. Shopify Plus provides access to analytics and data tracking, allowing you to assess performance continuously and make adjustments when necessary.

Tools for Monitoring Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics, GTMetrix, and Shopify Analytics to track essential performance metrics. These tools can alert you to performance drops, helping you resolve issues before they affect the customer experience.
A/B Testing for Continuous Improvement: A/B testing lets you experiment with different page elements to see what performs best. Test load times, layout changes, or checkout modifications and review the results to understand what works for your audience.
Setting Up Alerts for Performance Drops: Set up alerts to notify you when specific metrics, like page load time or bounce rate, exceed a certain threshold. This proactive approach can help you address performance issues before they impact sales.

Also Read: How to Customize Your Shopify Plus Store for Both B2B and D2C Success

Conclusion

Optimizing store performance after migrating to Shopify Plus requires a balanced approach, focusing on speed, mobile readiness, and overall user experience. By understanding key metrics, maintaining clean code, and carefully managing apps, you can achieve a fast, reliable Shopify Plus store that delights users and drives conversions.

If you're ready to transform your Shopify Plus store into a high-performing eCommerce site that stands out, CartCoders is here to assist you. Our team understands the complexities involved in maintaining speed, user experience, and functionality after migrating to Shopify Plus.

When you hire Shopify Plus developers from CartCoders, you're gaining access to experts dedicated to fine-tuning every aspect of your store. Let us help you increase conversions and build a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back. Contact CartCoders today to take your online store to the next level.