SFCC Performance Optimization: The Essential Checklist

Slow page loads kill conversions. Here's my battle-tested checklist for optimizing SFCC performance.

Frontend Optimizations

Images

Use WebP format with JPEG fallback

Implement lazy loading for below-the-fold images

Serve responsive images (srcset)

Use CDN for image delivery

JavaScript

Minimize third-party scripts

Defer non-critical JavaScript

Remove unused JavaScript

Enable compression (Brotli/Gzip)

CSS

Inline critical CSS

Minimize CSS file size

Remove unused CSS rules

Backend Optimizations

Caching

Enable page cache for static content

Use Redis for session storage

Cache API responses appropriately

Set proper cache headers

Code Quality

Optimize ISML templates

Minimize custom cartridge complexity

Use includes sparingly

Profile slow database queries

API Calls

Batch API calls where possible

Implement request deduplication

Use parallel requests for independent data

Add request timeouts

Monitoring

Set up monitoring for:

Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS)

Time to First Byte (TTFB)

Page load time by device type

Conversion rates by performance bucket

Real-World Results

After implementing these optimizations for an enterprise client:

60% reduction in page load time

40% improvement in mobile performance

15% increase in conversion rate

Next Steps

Start with the quick wins (images, caching) before tackling more complex optimizations. Always measure before and after.

Questions about your SFCC performance? [Let's talk](/#contact).