Why is my site performance slow and how can I increase the score?

Technical Q&A

Topic summary

Main issue: A Shopify store (smartserveretail.com) has a very low performance score (19), and the owner seeks ways to improve it.

Recommendations and diagnostics:

  • Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify specific issues; follow its guides to fix each item.
  • If not a developer, consider hiring a Shopify Expert due to technical complexity, especially around JavaScript optimization.

Potential causes highlighted:

  • Theme selection can impact speed.
  • Third‑party embeds (YouTube, Instagram) via iframes may slow the homepage.
  • One view flags large image sizes as a factor; another argues image size shouldn’t slow a properly optimized Shopify site and advises keeping high‑quality images since Shopify can handle image optimization, warning that lowering quality harms visuals.

Key terms:

  • PageSpeed Insights: Google’s tool that audits web performance and offers fixes.
  • Iframe: An embedded window that loads external content, which can add load time.
  • JavaScript optimization: Techniques to reduce script overhead and improve loading.

Status/outcomes:

  • No concrete fix reported yet. Broad agreement to use PSI and possibly hire an expert; disagreement remains on the role of image size. Further diagnosis required.
Summarized with AI on February 8. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Can anybody help me with this?

I have tried everything out there.

This site score is only 19 - how to increase that?

This is the site: https://smartserveretail.com/

2

You can check with google pagespeed insights, and check each problem. If you are a developer you can fix this as there are guides per problem, if you are not you would need a Shopify Expert as this will need a lot of technicalities, especially understanding how javascript works and how to make their flow optimized.

3

Hello,

Theme selection, the size of the images are just a few of the biggest factors.

Youtube, Instagram etc. iframe codes can also slow down the homepage.

4

The size of the images shouldn’t slow a website down as long as the website is optimized. Images should be even uploaded at their highest quality because Shopify provided many ways to handle images properly. Changing the quality of the images or uploading low-quality images would just make your website less attractive as they are the main attractions of any website.