Adobe Commerce is an excellent platform for running an e-commerce website. However, to get the most out of the platform, you need to optimise it.
This is part 1 in a series of blogs discussing the best practices for optimising Adobe Commerce websites. During the series, we’ll be delving into both the front end and back end of the website and covering topics such as hosting, database optimisation, and SEO.
Fast website speed is essential for successful e-commerce businesses. In this article, we’ll look at ways you can optimise your site speed to help drive increased sales and improved customer experience.
- Optimising the site speed of an Adobe Commerce website
- What is considered a good site speed benchmark?
- Eight ways to optimise site speed on an Adobe Commerce website
- Summary
Optimising the site speed of an Adobe Commerce website
When it comes to optimising the front end of an Adobe Commerce website, one of the most critical factors to consider is site speed. A slow-loading site can lead to high bounce rates and negatively impact the user experience, which is why it’s essential to measure and benchmark site speed. If you’re not measuring site speed, you won’t know if it’s improved or not.
Measuring site speed can be done using various tools, and one of the most popular is Lighthouse, a Google tool that provides a range of stats on the front end. It also offers SEO hints and tips, making it an excellent tool for optimising both site speed and search engine rankings.
What is considered a good site speed benchmark?
According to Google, the probability of bounce increases by 32% as page load time goes from 1 second to 3 seconds. Ideally, you want to aim for a load time of under two seconds, but be ambitious and aim to make it faster.
The optimum site speed varies depending on the site. For example, a simple blog site may load faster than an e-commerce site with lots of images, videos, and complex functionality. Therefore, it’s important to consider the specific requirements of your website and aim for a speed that meets those needs.
Once you’ve established your site speed benchmark, the next step is to identify the specific actions you can take to make it faster.
Eight ways to optimise site speed on an Adobe Commerce website
- Merge CSS and JavaScript
Combining CSS and JavaScript files can help them load faster in the browser, leading to a faster site speed.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN)
A CDN is optimised to deliver all images and assets quickly, making it an excellent option for speeding up site load times. Two popular CDNs are Fastly (which comes with Adobe Commerce) and Cloudflare.
- Enable full-page cache
Full page cache can significantly speed up page load times, making it a necessary optimisation step.
- Check for caching process validation
Third-party modules can often invalidate the caching process, which can negatively impact site speed. Ensure that your caching process is working correctly and test it regularly.
- Minimise HTTP requests
Minimising HTTP requests can be a part of the JavaScript optimisation process, and it’s an excellent way to improve site speed.
- Optimise images
Large images can slow down site load times. Compressing images can improve site speed, without compromising on image quality.
- Use browser caching
Browser caching enables browsers to store frequently used resources, such as images and CSS files, for faster access in the future.
- Be careful with third-party modules
The marketplace is flooded with poorly built and unstable modules, which can negatively impact site speed and stability. Seek guidance from an experienced partner or agency to identify the right modules for your site.
Summary
To summarise, optimising site speed is a critical part of ensuring a seamless and enjoyable user experience for your visitors. By following these steps and working with a trusted agency, you can achieve a faster site speed and reap the benefits of improved site performance including increased conversion rates and enhanced customer trust and loyalty.
Ready to turn your e-commerce dreams into reality? We’re here to help! Our expert team can guide you every step of the way. Contact us today to get started.
Continue reading – part 2: How to optimise the front end of an Adobe Commerce website for SEO.
