Optimizing Performance: A Few (and Good!) Tips for Speeding Up Your Magento 2 Store

On By Tiago SampaioIn Magento 2, Magento Cloud

In the competitive world of e-commerce, a fast and responsive website is essential for retaining customers and driving sales. Slow loading times can lead to higher bounce rates and abandoned carts. Fortunately, Magento 2 offers a range of optimization techniques to enhance the performance of your online store.

In this blog post, I will list effective strategies to speed up your Magento 2 store, without digging too much into any of them.

Caching Mechanisms

Caching is a fundamental technique to reduce server load and speed up page loading times. Magento 2 provides basically two types of caching mechanisms natively:

  1. Full Page Cache (FPC): FPC stores fully rendered HTML pages, eliminating the need to process PHP scripts for every request. Enable FPC in Admin Panel: Stores > Configuration > Advanced > System > Full Page Cache.
  2. Varnish Cache: Varnish is a powerful HTTP accelerator that caches content on the server side. Configure Varnish in Admin Panel: Stores > Configuration > Advanced > System > Full Page Cache.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN refers to a geographically distributed group of servers to reduce the time between a user’s request for data and its delivery. The idea is to allow users to access the data from the server that is geographically closest to them.

How Does a CDN Work?

As stated above, a CDN is a group of servers placed at different locations also known as Points of Presence (PoPs). Each PoP contains a number of caching servers responsible for content delivery to visitors within its proximity. So instead of fetching data from a US-hosted website, a CDN will do it through a UK server or any server that is closest to a UK-based visitor. This greatly minimizes the distance the data has to travel hence reducing the delivery time.

The use of CDNs continues to grow as they make it possible for content to be delivered quickly and securely. This is the reason websites such as Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon are impressively fast despite storing thousands of terabytes of data on their servers.

Implementing a CDN can significantly reduce page load times by distributing your store’s static assets (images, CSS, JS) across a network of servers closer to your users. Magento 2 has built-in support for CDN integration.

Right below is a list of some interesting CDNs for your Magento 2 store.

Image Optimization

Large image files can slow down your store’s loading speed. Optimize images by compressing them without compromising quality. Additionally, use modern image formats like WebP. Extensions like Magento 2 WebP can automate this process.

Minification and Bundling

Minifying CSS and JS files by removing whitespace and comments, and bundling multiple files into a single request, can improve loading times. Enable these options in Admin Panel: Stores > Configuration > Advanced > Developer > JavaScript Settings and CSS Settings.

Lazy Loading

Lazy loading defers the loading of non-critical assets (e.g., images below the fold) until the user scrolls down. This reduces the initial page load time. Various third-party modules and extensions are available for implementing lazy loading.

Database Optimization

A well-optimized database enhances performance. Magento 2 provides database indexing and flat catalog options:

  1. Indexing: Indexes speed up database queries. Reindex using CLI command: php bin/magento indexer:reindex.
  2. Flat Catalog: Enable flat categories and products for faster queries. Configure in Admin Panel: Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog > Storefront.

Server Configuration

Proper server configuration is crucial for optimal performance. Ensure that your server’s PHP, MySQL, and web server settings are tuned for Magento 2. Refer to Magento’s official documentation for recommended configurations.

Gzip Compression

Enable Gzip compression to reduce the size of transmitted data between the server and the user’s browser. You can enable Gzip compression in your server’s configuration or through .htaccess.

<ifmodule mod_deflate.c>
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/xml text/plain text/css text/javascript application/javascript application/x-javascript
</ifmodule>

Minimize Extensions and Third-Party Scripts

While extensions add functionality, too many can slow down your store. Regularly assess and disable or replace extensions that are not critical. Limit the use of third-party scripts that load external resources.

Monitor and Analyze Performance

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and New Relic to monitor your store’s performance. Regularly analyze reports and take necessary actions based on the insights.

Wrapping up…

Optimizing the performance of your Magento 2 store is essential for delivering an exceptional user experience and maximizing conversions. By implementing caching, utilizing a CDN, optimizing images, minimizing files, and following best practices for server configuration, you can significantly speed up your store’s loading times. Remember that optimization is an ongoing process; regularly monitor your store’s performance and adapt as needed to ensure fast and seamless shopping experiences for your customers.

See you in the next blog post!

Leave a comment