In the fast-paced world of ecommerce, website performance can make or break customer satisfaction and sales. Recently, Bannockburn had the opportunity to assist an ecommerce company grappling with performance issues that were negatively impacting their business. The main culprits? Weak Core Web Vitals and other crucial web performance metrics. Here’s how we assessed the situation, implemented solutions, and educated our client on improving their website’s performance.

The Challenge

Our client, an ecommerce company specializing in a wide range of products, was experiencing significant performance issues. Customers reported slow page loads, unresponsive interactions, and an overall frustrating browsing experience. These problems were traced back to poor Core Web Vitals scores, which are crucial for both user experience and search engine rankings.

Core Web Vitals are a set of performance metrics defined by Google to assess the quality of a user’s experience on a webpage. They focus on three key aspects:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures the loading performance of the largest content element visible in the viewport. Ideally, LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
• First Input Delay (FID): Assesses the responsiveness of a page by measuring the time between a user’s first interaction (like clicking a button) and the browser’s response. A good FID score is less than 100 milliseconds.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Evaluates visual stability by measuring unexpected layout shifts during the page load. A CLS score of less than 0.1 is considered optimal.

Our client's performance issues included slow LCP times, high FID, and significant CLS, all of which were contributing to a subpar user experience and lower search engine rankings.

Our Approach

To address these issues, we conducted a thorough performance assessment of the ecommerce website. Here’s how we tackled the problem:

1. Performance Audit: We used tools like Google Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights to analyze the website’s Core Web Vitals and other performance metrics. This audit identified key areas for improvement, such as render-blocking resources, large image files, and inefficient JavaScript execution.
2. Optimizing LCP: We focused on improving the Largest Contentful Paint by optimizing the loading of critical resources. This involved compressing and resizing images, leveraging browser caching, and implementing lazy loading for offscreen images.
3. Enhancing FID: To improve First Input Delay, we streamlined the website’s JavaScript code. We reduced the impact of third-party scripts, deferred non-critical JavaScript, and optimized the code to ensure quicker responsiveness to user interactions.
4. Reducing CLS: We tackled Cumulative Layout Shift by ensuring that all elements had reserved space during the page load. This included specifying size attributes for images and videos and avoiding layout shifts caused by dynamic content.
5. Continuous Monitoring: After implementing these changes, we set up monitoring tools to track performance improvements and identify any new issues that might arise. Regular performance checks were scheduled to maintain optimal Core Web Vitals scores.

The Solution

Our targeted approach led to significant improvements in the ecommerce website’s performance:

• Faster Loading Times: The LCP improved, with the largest content elements loading more quickly, leading to a better user experience.
• Enhanced Responsiveness: The FID was reduced, making the website more responsive to user interactions.
• Stable Layouts: The CLS score decreased, minimizing unexpected layout shifts and providing a more stable visual experience.

Results and Feedback

The enhancements led to noticeable benefits:

• Improved User Experience: Customers enjoyed faster page loads and smoother interactions, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement.
• Better Search Rankings: With improved Core Web Vitals, the website saw a boost in search engine rankings, driving more organic traffic.
• Increased Sales: Enhanced performance contributed to higher conversion rates and increased revenue for the ecommerce company.

Addressing Core Web Vitals and other performance metrics is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in the ecommerce space. At Bannockburn, we specialize in identifying performance issues and implementing effective solutions to enhance user experience and optimize website performance. If your website is struggling with similar issues, contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve better performance and improved results.

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