Conquer Page Speed: Lazy Loading Images in Shopify

In today’s fast-paced online world, website speed is king. Every millisecond saved translates to happier visitors, improved conversions, and higher search engine rankings. One powerful weapon in your optimization arsenal? Lazy loading images.

What is Lazy Loading?

Think of it as a strategic image pre-loader. Instead of bombarding your visitors with all your visuals upfront, lazy loading delays the rendering of images outside the user’s immediate view. As they scroll down the page, images gracefully reveal themselves, ensuring a smooth, uninterrupted browsing experience.

Identifying Images for Lazy Loading(Defer Offscreen Images)

Lazyload identification tools include GT Matrix, Lighthouse, and Page Speed Insights.

Ready to Implement Lazy Loading in Shopify?

Our expert developers have made it easy! Follow these simple steps:

• Download the Lazysizes JavaScript Library: Head to here and grab the library, placing it in your theme’s /assets folder.
• Patch Your theme.liquid: Just before the closing tag, insert this code:

  <script src="{{ 'lazysizes.min.js' | asset_url }}" async="async"></script>

• Transform Your Image Tags: Locate your image tags and sprinkle some magic. Add the class “lazyload” and swap the src attribute with data-src. That’s it!

Example

<!-- Before -->

<img data-src="{{ image | img_url: '800x' }}"

     data-sizes="auto"

     data-aspectratio="{{ image.width }}/{{ image.height }}"

     data-srcset="{{ image | img_url: '2500x' }} 2500w"

     height="{{ image.height }}"

     width="{{ image.width }}" />

<!-- After -->

<img class="lazyload"

     data-src="{{ image | img_url: '800x' }}"

     data-sizes="auto"

     data-aspectratio="{{ image.width }}/{{ image.height }}"

     data-srcset="{{ image | img_url: '2500x' }} 2500w"

     height="{{ image.height }}"

     width="{{ image.width }}" />

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Why Implement Lazy Loading on Shopify?

The benefits are undeniable

• Faster Page Load Times: By prioritizing visible content, lazy loading dramatically reduces initial page load, keeping your visitors engaged from the get-go. Studies show improvements of up to 30% with responsive images!
• Boosted SEO: Google loves fast websites, and lazy loading sends all the right signals. Climb the search engine ladder and reach a wider audience.
• Improved User Experience: No more waiting for walls of images to load. Lazy loading keeps the focus on your content, creating a seamless and enjoyable journey for your users.
• Reduced Bandwidth Consumption: By only loading necessary images, you save precious bandwidth, optimizing costs and server performance.

Bonus Tips

• Leverage Placeholder Images: While images wait to load, replace them with lightweight placeholders to maintain visual flow.
• Fine-tune Loading Thresholds: Control how far ahead images pre-load for optimal performance.
• Combine with Responsive Images: Serve the right image size for each device, further amplifying speed and efficiency.

Conclusion

By embracing lazy loading, you give your Shopify store a powerful performance boost, delighting your customers and dominating search results. So, why wait? Unleash the magic of delayed gratification images and watch your website soar!