Speed Optimization

Improving your website’s speed not only boosts user experience but also helps with SEO, conversions, and overall performance. The Materia theme includes built-in optimization tools designed to make your store load faster with minimal effort.

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Enable Smooth Fast Speed Optimization

This option enables several behind-the-scenes optimizations:

• Lazy loading for images: Images below the fold are loaded only when the user scrolls to them, which reduces initial page load size.

• Defers non-essential JavaScript: Scripts that are not immediately required are loaded later, allowing the visible content to render faster.

This setting is highly recommended for all stores and can significantly improve your page speed scores on tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.

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Preload Critical Resources

When this is enabled, the theme will preload essential assets like:

• Fonts

• Stylesheets

• Key images (e.g., your hero banner)

By telling the browser to prioritize these files early, it speeds up the first contentful paint (FCP) and improves perceived performance.

This is especially useful for stores with large header images or custom fonts that affect layout rendering.

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Notes

• These features are automatically integrated and do not require coding.

• Preloading should be used thoughtfully — too many preload requests can lead to reduced impact.

• You can combine these settings with Shopify's built-in image compression and app optimization practices for even better results.