Case Study: Smith Migration
A Speed-First CMS Migration: 52-Point Mobile CLS Gain, 21-Point TTFB Gain
Challenge
Smith Optics was constrained by an outdated CMS that couldn’t meet modern performance expectations. Page speed lagged, Core Web Vitals underperformed, and meaningful optimizations were difficult to implement on the platform.
Server-side limitations compounded the issue, leading to slow load times and a diminished user experience—especially on mobile, where speed and performance matter most.
Strategy
To unlock performance gains, the Intrepid team supported a migration from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify while making page speed a primary focus throughout the process.
Rather than relying on platform improvements alone, we worked closely with Smith’s internal and third-party developers to prioritize speed-related updates at every stage. Performance tickets were prioritized over lower-impact work to drive immediate gains and maintain momentum after launch.
This ensured that:
- Critical performance bottlenecks were fixed during migration.
- Shopify’s infrastructure delivered maximum impact.
- Post-launch optimizations continued to improve results.
Results
Using Chrome UX Report (CrUX) data to benchmark performance before and after migration, the impact was clearly positive.
- The main standout result was Cumulative Layout Shift on mobile, which jumped from 40% Good to 92% Good—a 52-point improvement and the most dramatic single gain in the dataset. This translated into a far more visually stable experience for shoppers, with elements settling into place reliably as pages loaded.
- Time to First Byte (TTFB), previously limited by server constraints, also improved sharply once Smith moved to Shopify, climbing from 64% to 85% Good on mobile and unlocking faster load times across the site.
Mobile performance saw the strongest gains across Core Web Vitals:
Mobile Results
| Metric | Before Migration | After Migration |
|---|---|---|
| Time To First Byte | 64% Good | 85% Good |
| First Contentful Paint | 80% Good | 92% Good |
| Largest Contentful Paint | 84% Good | 88% Good |
| Interaction to Next Paint | 71% Good | 79% Good |
| Cumulative Layout Shift | 40% Good | 92% Good |
Desktop Results
| Metric | Before Migration | After Migration |
|---|---|---|
| Time To First Byte | 75% Good | 91% Good |
| First Contentful Paint | 88% Good | 95% Good |
| Largest Contentful Paint | 88% Good | 88% Good |
| Interaction to Next Paint | 87% Good | 88% Good |
| Cumulative Layout Shift | 62% Good | 86% Good |
By pairing the platform migration with a performance-first approach, Smith Optics significantly improved page speed and Core Web Vitals, delivering a faster, more seamless experience where it matters most.
More Case Studies
32% increase in New Clients, 21% decrease in NC CPB
360 SEO tests. 10 markets. 8 languages. 16 templates. 60% wins.
Triple-Digit Growth in Global Discovery
Sign up for the Intrepid newsletter for the latest digital marketing news, tips, and more
"*" indicates required fields