Why did my online store speed score drop suddenly?

[HolmenDesign]

Hello,

Withing only a few days, my speed score has dropped from 71 to 57. I have not made any changes during this time. I have a translation app installed, but I am not sure if this is what is causing it to run slower. I also have fairly large images, as I am selling my own art and the pictures need to be perfect. So my questions are: Does translation apps normally slow down your store? And is 57 an acceptable score anyway? I am a newbie to this...

My online store is www.holmendesign.com

[ZestardTech · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your response. It's good to know that it's worked for you. Kindly feel free to get back to me if you need any further assistance.

[eStoreSpeed · Accepted solution]

Hi @HolmenDesign,

I wouldn't pay so much attention to a single PSI score. The score depends on lots of variables. You could try doing the test 9 times and selecting the median result, that would give you a more accurate indicator of your page speed.

Your website already loads pretty fast. However I did notice a two minor improvements that will help you optimise your site:

On the waterfall chart of your site below you can seethe weglot.min.js and lazysizes.js files are requested before theme.js (which is a critical JS file). Ideally you should load critical JS/CSS first. Probably a good idea to make weglot load async since it's non-critical (will help reduce render blocking)

Do not need to lazyload the fawn image because it is in the users viewport (above the fold) when customers load the page

Also because it's a store to sell illustrations consider using png instead of jpg image format. PNG won't lose image quality when they are compressed whilst jpeg do.

Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out and great store by the way! I really like the animal illustrations.

Best,

eStoreSpeedOptimization

[ZestardTech]

Hello @HolmenDesign 
your store speed is Good!
Screenshot :- https://prnt.sc/14hgvhp

[HolmenDesign]

I wasn't sure if this was an ok speed score, as it had dropped from 71 already. But your reply makes me feel happier, so thank you!

[ZestardTech · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your response. It's good to know that it's worked for you. Kindly feel free to get back to me if you need any further assistance.

[eStoreSpeed · Accepted solution]

Hi @HolmenDesign,

I wouldn't pay so much attention to a single PSI score. The score depends on lots of variables. You could try doing the test 9 times and selecting the median result, that would give you a more accurate indicator of your page speed.

Your website already loads pretty fast. However I did notice a two minor improvements that will help you optimise your site:

On the waterfall chart of your site below you can seethe weglot.min.js and lazysizes.js files are requested before theme.js (which is a critical JS file). Ideally you should load critical JS/CSS first. Probably a good idea to make weglot load async since it's non-critical (will help reduce render blocking)

Do not need to lazyload the fawn image because it is in the users viewport (above the fold) when customers load the page

Also because it's a store to sell illustrations consider using png instead of jpg image format. PNG won't lose image quality when they are compressed whilst jpeg do.

Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out and great store by the way! I really like the animal illustrations.

Best,

eStoreSpeedOptimization

[HolmenDesign]

Thank you so much for your kind comments:-) I always use .PNG files, but I see from what you've sent me I can see that I have at least one sneaky .JPG that I will change. I would like to try to do the changes you suggest too. I am not quite sure when it comes to altering code etc. but I want to learn, and this is a good opportunity.

Thank you again for taking time to reply and explain this to me 🙂

[JohnCodes · Accepted solution]

Hi @HolmenDesign 

It looks like you've received some good feedback on your post, but I just wanted to chime in as well.

Depending on the translation app, installing it can definitely impact your store's performance/scores, depending on how the app functions. However, you have a pretty lightweight website, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. A speed score of 57 is above average based on all the Shopify websites we work on. We typically see mobile scores range between 15-25 and desktop scores range between 30-45. So you're doing great there!

I also ran your homepage through the Shopify Analyzer (free tool our team built for the Shopify community). It looks like you could benefit from applying image compression and reducing some hidden images. Here's a full breakdown of your homepage: https://analyze.speedboostr.com/result/fzcbtb1ze6

Image Compression

I'd utilize apps like TinyPNG and Crush Pics to optimize your theme & product images. By compressing them you're reducing their overall file sizes which can help speed up their loading times.

Hidden Images

It looks like your hidden image warnings are coming from your homepage slideshow. This is pretty common to see.

We typically recommend against using slideshows and instead recommend having a single static image banner. This is usually the best route to go if you're looking for performance improvements.

Beyond what I've mentioned above, your site performs very well and your art looks awesome! If I could give one more recommendation, it would be to run your Collection and Product pages through the Shopify Analyzer to see if any improvements could be made on those pages as well.

If you need any assistance, feel free to reach out to our optimization team at speedboostr.com/contact. Best of luck! 

[HolmenDesign]

Thank you so much for all your kind and helpful comments! 😊 And all of this is very good advice. I will certainly try the TinyPNG suggestion, as I will be adding more artwork to my shop over time, and I don't want to slow everything down. I did a little more "housekeeping" too and now my speed is up to 63 again.

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer your help and comments, I really appreciate it! 😊

[roundabout]

Hi, thanks for your insight. It is quite interesting to read, thanks!

According to your statement, an average mobile is between 15 - 20, and desktop is 50 up to 60.

You are referring to the score from lighthouse ? My speed is rated at 5 on shopify and it seems this bad score comes  from mobile speed decrease.

https://googlechrome.github.io/lighthouse/viewer/ 

However our score was 28 at the beginning of December. We're even working with alot of DNS serves to ensure page speed, and we haven't done any rough changes that might can influence the performance. 

I do not understand how a score of around 15 is a good score, when shopify stats show me a decrease  to 5 in page speed. 

[MS_WEB_DESIGNER]

Hi @HolmenDesign 

I am Alex From MS Web Designer (Top Rated Shopify Certified Experts and eCommerce Consultant from Singapore ) I helped 1000+ Shopify Store owners to Optimize their website loading speed for both mobile and desktop and increase their conversion rate.

Here are some proven steps that will improve your website speed dramatically for both mobile and desktop.

• Select a light Weight Shopify Theme ( OS 2.0 Compatible ) 
• Remove all Unwanted Shopify App ( That you have installed, but not using)
• Minify Javascript, CSS 
• Reduce the Large Image Size
• Eliminating the halting problem in Javascript
• Apply Lazy loading per section wherever required
• Replace Gifs with the Static Images
• Resize Products images using Shopify App ( for Bulk )
• Check Page Speed by Google page Insight and GTmetrix.

By fixing these issues, your website speed score can definitely improve
If you want a Free complete Website Optimization Audit Report ( All the Actionable steps for your store ), let me know 

If you have any concerns feel free to ask me!

Good Luck!

Regards,
Alex 

[SEOAnt-Zoey]

Hi, I'm glad to participate in this discussion.
The best way to improve website speed is to have professionals help you optimize your site or to use a Shopify app with acceleration features.

Google is now very strict about monitoring website speed. Some experts might use cheating methods to significantly improve your website's speed, but if Google detects this, your site could face penalties, such as having your products removed from Google Merchant Center. Using legitimate methods to speed up your site is a highly technical and time-consuming process, and it can be quite costly.

That's why choosing a Shopify app with acceleration features can be a better option—you won't have to worry about violating Google's rules, and it’s more cost-effective.
I recommend SEOAnt ‑ AI SEO Optimizer.

Here’s why:
1.All acceleration features comply with Google’s guidelines. If the app doesn't follow the rules, Shopify will remove it from the app store.
2.SEOAnt ‑ AI SEO Optimizer offers a comprehensive set of acceleration features:
      -Image optimization: For most websites, images are typically the last to load. Losslessly compressing page images can shorten your page load times.
      -Site Speed Up: When users visit the website, this feature limits the loading of third-party resources and the execution of unnecessary programs. It               prioritizes loading your own website resources, saving the time spent on loading third-party resources.
      -Lazy-loading: Preload and render potential target pages before the user's anticipated actions, significantly reducing page switch delays and                         perceived wait times.
      -Instant Page: Before a user clicks on a link, they hover their mouse over it. When a user hovers for 65ms, there’s a 50% chance they’ll click on the link.         At this moment, instant.page starts preloading, giving an average of over 300ms for the page to preload.
      -AMP: AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is an open-source framework launched by Google, designed to help web content load quickly, especially on                mobile devices.

Google has repeatedly emphasized that fast-loading websites not only provide a better user experience but are also more likely to achieve higher rankings in search results.

A study by Google and SOASTA found that increasing page load time from 1 second to 5 seconds increases the likelihood of users leaving by 90%. For every additional second of load time, conversion rates drop by an average of 20%. Another finding is that pages that take more than 3 seconds to load may see a 32% increase in bounce rates.

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Wish you a prosperous business！