Does page speed affect conversions? (yes — here's the data)
Short answer: yes, a lot. Page speed is one of the most direct levers on revenue — and one most stores ignore because it’s invisible until you measure it.
What the research shows
Studies from Deloitte, Google, Akamai and Portent all point the same way: as load time rises, conversions fall. A commonly cited figure is roughly a 7% drop in conversions for each additional second of load time. The steepest losses happen between 1 and 4 seconds — exactly where many stores sit on mobile.
Why slow stores lose twice
- Fewer conversions. People abandon before the page even renders. The longer the wait, the fewer buyers.
- Less traffic. Site speed (Core Web Vitals) is a Google ranking signal. Slow stores rank lower, so they get fewer visitors to begin with — then convert fewer of them. The leak compounds.
That second effect is why speed isn’t “just a tech detail.” It quietly shrinks both the top and bottom of your funnel.
Put a number on it
Generic stats are motivating but vague. The useful number is yours. The free page speed test measures your real load time and estimates the revenue you’d recover by getting faster.
The fix is usually simple
Most slowness traces to big images, too many apps, and a heavy theme — see how to speed up your Shopify store. And because slow speed drags down conversion rate too, it’s worth seeing it alongside your other leaks: Revyfix measures them all in one score.