Web Vitals
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Theme Liquid
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JavaScript
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Shopify Apps
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Github & DevOps
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HTML 5 + CSS3
Shopify Plus optimization for a faster pet health commerce experience
Overview -
Vetevo Webshop
Vetevo is a digital pet health company offering diagnostic tests, health products and app-based services for pet owners. The brand already had strong products and a clear mission, but the Shopify Plus storefront had become difficult to maintain and too slow for the level of performance the business needed.
Especial supported Vetevo with Shopify Plus optimization, theme refactoring, Core Web Vitals improvements, UX/UI enhancements and conversion-focused development. Instead of rebuilding the entire shop from scratch, we improved the existing setup, reduced dependency on heavy apps and page builders and created a more flexible design system for landing pages, campaigns and ongoing optimization.
Client
Vetevo GmbH
Services
Web development
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Speed & SEO Optimization
Duration
7 Months
The team
1 Project Manager
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2 Front-end
Engineers
Challenges & goals
Vetevo’s Shopify Plus shop had two central challenges. First, the theme was not performing well enough for modern Core Web Vitals and SEO expectations. Second, the heavy use of Shopify apps and page builders had made the storefront harder to maintain, slower to load and less consistent visually.
The goal was to improve performance and conversion without interrupting the business. Vetevo needed a faster, cleaner and more maintainable Shopify Plus setup that would still give the marketing team enough flexibility to create landing pages, test new ideas and launch campaigns independently.
Our approach
We started with a technical audit of the existing Shopify theme and app setup. The key question was whether Vetevo needed a full theme rebuild or whether the current setup could be optimized in a more pragmatic way. After reviewing performance, marketing requirements, design needs and technical constraints, we recommended improving the existing theme instead of replacing it completely.
The focus was on theme refactoring, performance improvements, reusable Shopify Online Store 2.0 sections and a more consistent design system. This gave Vetevo a faster storefront and a better foundation for conversion optimization, while avoiding unnecessary migration risk and project overhead.
67
Speed movements
2-6x
Faster loading time
50+
Deployments
3
Especial dream team employees
Roadmap - Fast optimization sprints for a live Shopify Plus shop
The project was organized around fast, focused optimization sprints. In weekly meetings, our developers worked closely with Vetevo’s marketing and design teams to prioritize improvements, review performance data and decide which changes should be implemented next.
We created a reusable design system for important storefront elements such as buttons, typography, content sections, product cards and landing page components. These elements were built with performance and conversion in mind, then used for A/B tests and fast rollout of improved page layouts.
Design system development
A/B testing
Implementation
Optimization
What is a design system?
A design system is a set of reusable components, patterns and rules for building consistent digital experiences. For Vetevo, it helped the team standardize important Shopify elements, improve visual consistency, validate high-conversion components through A/B tests and implement new pages faster without rebuilding every layout from scratch.
A design system is a set of reusable components, patterns and rules for building consistent digital experiences. For Vetevo, it helped the team standardize important Shopify elements, improve visual consistency, validate high-conversion components through A/B tests and implement new pages faster without rebuilding every layout from scratch.
Concept & UX UI Design - Standardize, Develop, Optimize
01 Develop a flexible design system
We created a flexible design system based on Vetevo’s existing brand and Shopify theme. The goal was not to reinvent the shop, but to make the strongest elements easier to reuse and improve the parts that were slowing the business down.
Recurring components made it easier to build new pages, maintain visual consistency and ship improvements faster. This was especially important for a growing DTC brand that needed to test campaigns and content quickly.
02 Create the basis for content
We updated the Shopify theme and introduced reusable Online Store 2.0 sections for dynamic content and landing pages. This gave Vetevo’s marketing team more control over campaign pages, product storytelling and content changes without relying on developers for every update.
The result was a more flexible Shopify setup that supports marketing work instead of slowing it down. New pages and content modules can be assembled faster, while the technical foundation remains cleaner than a page-builder-heavy setup.
03 Find the optimal solution
A/B testing was a central part of the optimization process. Instead of assuming which layout, section or component would perform best, we tested important changes and used the results to decide what should become part of the theme.
This helped Vetevo improve conversion-relevant areas of the shop in a more reliable way. The value was not only in individual winning variants, but in building a process where design, development and marketing could work together around measurable improvements.
04 Performance optimization
Performance was one of the most important technical priorities. We optimized Shopify Liquid, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, app usage and theme structure to improve loading times and Core Web Vitals.
The goal was not only to make the shop feel faster. Better performance also supports SEO, paid traffic efficiency and conversion, because customers reach product pages more quickly and experience fewer interruptions during the buying journey.
Marketing benefits - More independence for Vetevo’s marketing team
The optimized Shopify Plus setup gave Vetevo’s marketing team much more flexibility. Content can be changed more easily, landing pages can be created faster and new campaign ideas can be tested without depending on technical support for every small change.
This matters because performance and marketing speed are connected. A fast shop helps paid traffic convert more efficiently, while reusable sections and a clean design system help the team launch and improve campaigns faster. Together, this creates a stronger foundation for conversion optimization and return on ad spend.
Technical specifications -
Improved performance
The performance improvements came from many focused changes rather than one single fix. We optimized Shopify Liquid, reduced unnecessary app and page builder weight, improved JavaScript behavior, cleaned up frontend code and strengthened the theme’s technical foundation.
The optimized storefront achieved strong values across important Core Web Vitals such as Largest Contentful Paint, Cumulative Layout Shift and First Input Delay. Pages usually loaded in under two seconds, while interactions became available almost immediately. This created a noticeably faster experience for customers and a stronger technical base for SEO and conversion.
Areas of optimization
Outcome & outlook
The Shopify Plus optimization gave Vetevo a faster, cleaner and more maintainable storefront. Loading times improved by 2-6x, more than 50 deployments were shipped and 67 speed improvements helped create a stronger customer experience across the shop.
Beyond performance, the project gave Vetevo’s team a better operational foundation. The new design system and reusable Shopify sections make it easier to create landing pages, test campaigns and keep the storefront visually consistent. Instead of relying on heavy page builders and fragmented app logic, Vetevo now has a Shopify Plus setup that is easier to maintain and better suited for ongoing CRO and marketing work.
67
Speed movements
2-6x
Faster loading time
50+
Deployments
3
Especial dream team employees
Client reference -
First class experts
“We knew that we needed first-class experts and developers as partners to further develop our Shopify shop. In Especial we have found an agency that has not only implemented our specific wishes but has also contributed to our company's success with their expert advice.”
- Dr. Daniel Ringbeck, Head of Product
Vetevo placed #31
at ‘Jung von Matt's StartUp Brand Ranking’ – putting it ahead of greats such as Flaconi, Flixbus or Hello Fresh. All thanks to their improved online brand presence.
