Google Page Speed Insights is more than just a diagnostic tool - it is a critical factor in how well your ecommerce site performs, ranks, and scales. For a £2m+ DTC brand, having a fast, accessible, and structurally sound website is just as important as having a great aesthetic. A beautiful website that is slow or built on poor foundations will always struggle to convert visitors into loyal customers.
At Tribe Studio, we work with brands that understand a website is not just a digital storefront - it is a performance-driven asset. This means optimising site speed, accessibility, best practices, and SEO from the ground up.
Post-Launch Improvements
Following the launch of the Tribe website, our development team is now working on refining performance scores, particularly in accessibility and page speed. While the site is already live, we recognise that there is always room for further optimisation within the limitations of our setup. This is a key part of how we approach post-launch site improvements, ensuring we continuously refine technical performance.
For brands that rely on Shopify or other ecommerce platforms, this process is slightly different. Unlike self-hosted sites (Tribe included) where every element can be tweaked, Shopify’s infrastructure means certain platform-wide limitations exist. However, focusing on strategic improvements in theme optimisation, third-party app management, and structured content ensures your Shopify store is as fast and accessible as possible.
Why Shopify stores are different
Unlike WordPress or custom-built sites where hosting impacts site speed, Shopify handles hosting for you. This means:
- Faster content delivery via Shopify’s global infrastructure
- No need to optimise server configurations
- Built-in security and reliability
Performance is tied to Shopify’s limitations
Shopify sites are subject to platform-wide restrictions, meaning:
- You cannot edit the core Shopify infrastructure
- Custom development is required to improve site speed beyond a certain threshold
- Third-party apps can slow down performance if not used carefully
The difference between optimising an existing site vs. building for performance
Many brands look to improve site speed after launch, but this can be costly and limiting. When a site is built using a pre-made theme or poor code structure:
- There are hard limits on what can be improved
- Fixing performance issues requires workarounds rather than clean solutions
- A new build is often the smarter long-term investment
If your brand is scaling, investing in a custom site built for speed, SEO, and accessibility will always outperform retrofitting a theme.
Why Google Page Speed Insights are important
How do Google Page Speed Insights impact my search rankings?
Google considers core web vitals when ranking websites. If your site is slow, your SEO suffers, leading to fewer visitors and lower conversions.
What is a Good Page Speed Score?
A score of 90+ is considered excellent, but brands should aim for at least 80 to ensure speed does not compromise functionality or design.
Why is accessibility important to site performance?
Accessibility is not just about compliance - it improves user experience and SEO rankings. Google prioritises accessible sites, and brands that meet these standards appeal to a wider audience.
Will my Shopify Store ever be as fast as a headless or custom-built site?
Shopify is optimised for scalability and ease of use, but a headless store or Shopify Plus store will always provide greater flexibility for performance tuning vs. a regular Shopify basic plan.
If my current site is slow, should I rebuild or optimise?
If your site is built on a limiting theme or outdated framework, a new build is the better long-term investment. Optimising a flawed structure only gets you so far and accusatively will take longer to gain similar results.
Looking to improve your brand structurally (and visually)?
At Tribe Studio, we create high-performance, scalable ecommerce sites that look stunning and deliver exceptional speed, accessibility, and SEO. If you are ready to invest in a site built for growth, let’s start planning your new build.