5 Easy Steps To Improve The Speed of a Magento 2 Store

Did you know? The attention span of humans is even less than that of a goldfish. This simply means that you have only a couple of seconds to hold the attention of users if you are running an eCommerce business. Today, nobody would like to shop from a website that runs slow. A slow loading website not only infuriates the customers but also hampers the search rankings. Furthermore, slow speed is one of the prime factors behind the shopping cart abandonment.

Here are some stats on how a slow website can impact the shopping behavior of a customer

• • 47% of consumers expect a website to load in 2 seconds or less
  • 40% of shoppers leave a website if it takes over 3 seconds to load completely
  • Even a few seconds delay in website loading can reduce customer satisfaction by about 16%
  • 79% of online shoppers who are not content with the website performance are less likely to visit the same site again in future
  • 44% of online consumers will share a bad experience online with their friends
  • 73% of mobile internet users admit they've come across a website that was too slow to load

Above mentioned reasons clearly, indicate the importance of optimizing the speed of your eCommerce website. Furthermore, even a robust eCommerce store development platform like Magento 2 can also encounter the slow loading issue, if it is not well-optimized by an experienced developer.

Now, the question is, how one can improve the speed of a Magento 2 website?

Listed below are some proven ways that can help you in optimizing not only the speed of your store but also your website’s search rankings and conversions.

1. Ensure all your third-party extensions are up-to-date

The first thing that you need to do when optimizing the speed of your eCommerce website is to carefully check all third-party extensions that you’ve installed on your Magento 2 store. Since there are many extensions available for free that are not meant for optimization, and when they get installed, they may hamper the speed of your website. To avoid such a case, it is considered wise to inspect the speed of your Magento 2 website whenever you install any third-party extension. If your website load time gets increased after installing any third-party extension, you must seek assistance from the extension provider. However, if the problem still persists, it’s wise to hire Magento 2 developer from an experienced eCommerce store development company.

2. Optimize The Heavy Images

An eCommerce website is loaded with hundreds of thousands of high-quality images and banners to attract the attention of a user within a couple of seconds. High-quality images, which are heavier in size can also slow down the speed of your website. That's why it becomes important to optimize all the heavy images used in your eCommerce store. To optimize them for faster loading, you can perform the following tasks:

• • Compress the heavy images before you upload them on your Magento 2 store. For product images, you can use JPEG format and for logos, you can use either PNG or SVG format.
  • Use an image optimization tool like GTMatrix for Magento 2 to reduce the file size without compromising on the picture quality.

3. Enable JS and CSS Optimization

JavaScript and CSS files may help your eCommerce store front-end look better but they are also one of the key reasons behind the slow speed of your website. Luckily, in Magento 2, you can enable JS & CSS optimization.

To enable JS optimization, you can refer to this path: Stores> Configuration> Developer> JavaScript Settings (Merge JavaScript Files, Enable Javascript Bundling, and Minify JavaScript Files - all the three fields should be changed to Yes)

To enable CSS optimization, you can refer to this path: Stores> Configuration> Developer> CSS Settings (Fields "Merge CSS Files", "Minify CSS Files" should be changed to "Yes"). Sounds too complex? Don’t fret anymore. Simply hire Magento programmers from a reputed agency and get the work done with ease.

4. Enable Flat Catalog

One of the most common problems with the Magento platform is the slow read speed of the database. If you have listed thousands of products on your store, you may face the issue of slow loading website. The best possible solution to overcome this problem is enabling flat categories and products to improve your database's read speed.

Wondering how to enable flat options? Here's the solution

• • Go to stores and select ‘configuration’ in setting section
  • Click on ‘catalog’ in general tab
  • In the storefront page that appears, select "Yes" in "Use flat catalog category field"
  • Select "Yes" in "use flat catalog product"

5. Always go for a fast hosting server

The hosting server you choose for your Magento 2 store will have a direct impact on the speed of your website. It is strongly advisable not to fall for cheap hosting plans or shared hosting in an attempt to save a few hundred bucks. Instead, you should always go for a dedicated hosting server, which is powerful enough to easily handle a good amount of traffic that you are likely to expect during the peak hours and the upcoming holiday season. Cheap hosting plans may seem alluring but can seriously impact the speed and performance of your Magento 2 store. So, it’s wise to steer clear of them. When you have spent thousands of dollars in the development of your store, why not spend a few more bucks and get a fast hosting plan. When choosing a hosting service provider for your eCommerce website, you should check the customers’ reviews and ratings of that service provider. Besides this, you should also carefully read their renewal and cancellation policy.

Final Words

There are several reasons why a Magento website runs slow. As a store merchant, it's your responsibility to find out all the reasons and check the factors responsible for the slow speed of your eCommerce store. If you are a newbie in the eCommerce space and don't know how to check all the aforementioned points, you can hire Magento programmers from a reliable Magento store development company, like Magnomates. Connect with the certified professionals by dropping an email to info@magnomates.com

Vachel Ladd is an experienced Sr. Magento developer, associated with Magnomates. He loves to share his in-depth knowledge on Magento through writing articles, blogs, case studies.