Shopify Performance Optimisation for Australian Stores
For founders and marketing leads watching mobile shoppers bounce before the page loads. We tune theme code, apps, images and scripts to pass Core Web Vitals and lift conversion, no rebuild required.
When speed is quietly costing you sales
Slow stores lose shoppers before the first product loads. Here is where the weight usually hides.
Mobile shoppers bounce
Most of your traffic is on a phone on a patchy connection. A slow first load means they leave before they see a product.
App creep has bloated the theme
Every review, upsell and popup app added another script. Now the store carries render-blocking weight it does not need.
Core Web Vitals are failing
LCP, INP or CLS sit in the red in Search Console, dragging both rankings and the on-page experience.
Images are heavier than the content
Unsized, uncompressed hero and product images push page weight into megabytes and shift the layout as they load.
You cannot see what is slowing it down
Lighthouse gives a score but not a plan. You need to know which fix moves revenue and which is noise.
A rebuild feels like the only option
You suspect the theme is the problem but cannot justify a full replatform just to claw back speed.
What's in scope
A clear split of what we handle, what we need from you, and what sits outside a speed engagement.
| Included | Your side | Out of scope | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit & benchmarking | Lighthouse, WebPageTest and CrUX field data | Analytics and Search Console access | New analytics platform build |
| Theme & code work | Liquid, CSS and JavaScript optimisation | Sign-off on visual changes | Full theme redesign |
| Apps & scripts | Audit, defer, lazy-load or remove | Decisions on which apps to drop | Building custom replacement apps |
| Images & media | Sizing, compression, formats and lazy-load | Source art for hero banners | Product photography or retouching |
| Handover | Before-and-after report and guidance | Team availability for a walkthrough | Ongoing content production |
Who this is for
A good fit if
- You run a Shopify or Shopify Plus store doing real revenue and speed is costing you conversions.
- Your Core Web Vitals are failing in Search Console and you want them fixed properly.
- App and theme bloat has crept in over years of edits.
- You want measurable gains without a full replatform.
Not the right fit if
- You are on BigCommerce, WooCommerce or Magento, we are Shopify-only.
- You want a brand-new theme built from scratch, that is a design and build engagement.
- You expect a single app install to fix deep theme issues; real gains need code work.
- You are chasing a perfect 100 Lighthouse score for its own sake rather than revenue.
What performance optimisation includes
A structured pass over everything that determines how fast your store feels, measured, prioritised and safe.
What's included
- Full performance audit, Lighthouse, WebPageTest and real-user Core Web Vitals
- Theme code optimisation, Liquid, CSS and JavaScript clean-up
- App load audit, defer, lazy-load or remove render-blocking scripts
- Image pipeline, responsive sizing, modern formats and lazy-loading
- Third-party script and tag governance
- Before-and-after benchmark report
Technical deliverables
- Critical CSS and above-the-fold prioritisation
- Deferred and async loading for non-critical JavaScript
- Preload, preconnect and resource hints for key assets
- Font loading strategy to cut layout shift
- Reduced main-thread work and long tasks for better INP
- Section and template-level fixes across the theme
Technology & integrations
- Shopify Online Store 2.0 and Liquid
- Hydrogen and headless storefronts where speed is critical
- Shopify CDN and image transformation
- GA4, Search Console and Core Web Vitals monitoring
- Tag managers, review, upsell and subscription apps
- Structured data kept intact through changes
How the engagement runs
A typical optimisation takes 2–4 weeks, scoped after the audit.
Audit & benchmark
We measure lab and field performance, then map every issue to its impact. Week 1.
Prioritise by revenue
We rank fixes by conversion impact versus effort, so the biggest wins go first. Week 1.
Theme & code work
Liquid, CSS and JavaScript optimisation on a safe duplicate of your theme. Weeks 2–3.
Apps, scripts & images
Defer or remove render-blocking apps and rebuild the image pipeline. Weeks 2–3.
Test & validate
Re-run Lighthouse and WebPageTest, then check every template on real devices. Week 3.
Launch & verify
Publish during a quiet window and confirm Core Web Vitals in the field. Week 4.
Report & handover
Before-and-after benchmarks, plus guidance to keep the store fast. Week 4.
How we protect your store
Speed work should never break the storefront. Every change is checked before it goes live.
- All work done on a duplicate theme, never the live store
- Every template and section tested on real mobile devices
- Add-to-cart, checkout and search verified after each change
- Structured data and SEO tags preserved through optimisation
- WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility maintained, not traded for speed
- Field Core Web Vitals confirmed green post-launch, not just lab scores
Investment
Every engagement is scoped after a short discovery. These are typical AUD bands, final price depends on theme complexity, app count and whether you are on a standard theme or Hydrogen.
Focused speed sprint
Targeted fixes on a standard theme, images, scripts and top templates.
Full performance overhaul
Deep theme, app and Core Web Vitals work across the store.
Hydrogen / headless tuning
Edge rendering, sub-100ms TTFB and advanced optimisation.
Performance optimisation FAQs
Related services
Find out what's slowing your store down
Book a call and we will run a quick performance review, then scope the fixes that will move your conversion rate.
Book a call
