A speed-first CMS migration: 52-point mobile CLS gain, 21-point TTFB gain. Smith Optics was constrained by an outdated CMS that couldn't meet modern performance expectations.
Smith Optics was constrained by an outdated CMS that couldn't meet modern performance expectations.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.
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 — ensuring critical performance bottlenecks were fixed during migration, Shopify's infrastructure delivered maximum impact, and post-launch optimizations continued to improve 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 |
| 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 |
We build speed-first migrations that transform Core Web Vitals. Let's talk.
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