Founder of Goodspeed
Website speed is no longer just a technical concern—it’s a critical factor influencing user engagement, SEO rankings, and conversion rates. Research shows that sites on Google's first page load in 1.65 seconds on average, making speed a benchmark for success.
If you’re using Framer, you already have access to a powerful, design-first platform with built-in hosting and performance enhancements. However, slow-loading pages can still be an issue if images, animations, or third-party scripts aren’t optimised correctly.
This guide will walk you through proven strategies for speed optimisation for Framer websites, from reducing unnecessary load times to enhancing interactivity without sacrificing performance.
Whether you’re a marketer, startup founder, or non-technical site owner, this playbook will help you improve speed, reduce bounce rates, and boost search rankings—without needing advanced coding skills.
(If you are looking for expert guidance and support, learn more about our Framer Speed Optimisation Services.)
1. Why Speed Matters for Framer Websites
A stunning, interactive website means little if visitors leave before it fully loads. Page speed directly influences user retention, search rankings, and business performance.
1.1 User Experience & Conversions
Users expect near-instant access to content. If a page takes longer than three seconds to load, 53% of mobile users will abandon it. For Framer sites that rely heavily on animations and dynamic elements, optimising speed is essential to keep visitors engaged.
Take Formula Bot, for example. After Goospeed refined its Framer-based site with speed enhancements, load times improved by 75%, creating a faster, more seamless experience. The result? Higher engagement and improved search rankings.
1.2 Framer’s Native Speed Advantages
Unlike other website builders, Framer provides automatic performance enhancements, such as pre-rendering and built-in caching. This ensures smoother navigation and improved Core Web Vitals.
Additionally, Framer’s hosting infrastructure is optimised for global delivery, meaning sites benefit from faster load times without additional configurations. However, to truly maximise performance, careful asset management, animation control, and mobile-first design principles are still essential.
To unlock Framer’s peak performance, consider our expert Framer Agency Services.
1.3 SEO & Search Rankings
Google considers page speed a ranking factor, particularly for mobile searches. Faster sites achieve better Core Web Vitals scores, increasing their chances of ranking higher in search results.
This was the case for Formula Bot, which saw a jump from 6th to 2nd position on Google after implementing performance optimisations. Similarly, the Financial Services Site experienced higher search visibility after refining its Framer website.
For those looking to optimise both speed and search rankings, check out our guide on best practices for on-page SEO that also enhance site speed on Framer.
2. Benchmarking Your Framer Site’s Current Performance
Before making optimisations, you need to measure where your site currently stands. Benchmarking performance ensures that you’re making the right changes and tracking improvements effectively.
2.1 Framer’s Built-In Preview & Publish
Framer offers a preview mode to identify glaring site optimisation issues, such as oversized images or complex animations slowing down load times. However, preview mode doesn’t fully replicate real-world performance.
To get accurate results:
Publish your site on a test subdomain. This allows you to see actual loading behaviour.
Assess Framer’s analytics dashboard. Check if any pages are flagged for slow load speeds.
By setting a baseline now, you’ll be able to measure improvements after implementing speed optimisations.
2.2 External Tools for Speed Testing
While Framer’s built-in tools provide an overview, external tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and GTmetrix offer valuable page speed insights into what’s slowing your site down.
One crucial metric to watch is Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)—the time it takes for the most significant element on a page to load. The faster this happens, the better the user experience.
A 1-second load time can yield 2.5-3x higher conversion rates than slower pages, according to Shopify.
3. Image & Asset Optimisation
Framer websites often rely heavily on high-quality visuals to create engaging, interactive experiences. However, unoptimised images and assets can significantly slow down your site. By compressing images, enabling lazy loading, and handling background videos carefully, you can maintain a visually stunning website without sacrificing speed.
3.1 Choosing the Right Formats
Not all image formats are created equal. JPEG and WebP are typically better suited for large hero images compared to PNG, which has a higher file size. WebP is particularly effective because it maintains high visual quality while being up to 34% smaller than JPEG.
For effective speed optimisation for Framer websites, always compress images before uploading using tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh. This reduces file size while keeping the final design crisp. If you’re working with icons or illustrations, SVG files are a better alternative to PNGs, as they scale without increasing file weight.
For an in-depth guide on optimising images, check out How to Optimise Images and Assets on Your Framer Website for Faster Loading.
3.2 Lazy Loading & Image Settings in Framer
One of the easiest ways to cut down initial page load time is by enabling lazy loading—a technique that defers loading images until they appear in the user’s viewport.
In Framer, you can:
Use scroll-based triggers to load images only when they are visible.
Prioritise above-the-fold images while deferring non-essential ones.
This method can dramatically improve First Contentful Paint (FCP), helping your site load faster. Given that a 1-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% drop in conversions, lazy loading is an easy win.
For more on this method and its benefits, learn about using lazy loading to improve load times without sacrificing quality.
3.3 Handling Background Videos Carefully
Auto-play videos can enhance your website, but large video files can slow it down significantly. If you need to use background videos, keep them:
Short and looped to avoid excessive loading.
Optimised in MP4 format with compression tools like HandBrake.
Replaced with a static image fallback for mobile users with limited bandwidth.
After optimising their image assets and background elements, The Nations' Framer website achieved near-instant load times, resulting in a smoother user experience and improved performance metrics.
4. Optimising Framer’s Layout & Interactions
Framer’s powerful animations and interactive components can create immersive user experiences, but excessive animations and unnecessary elements can slow down performance. By keeping transitions efficient and testing layouts across different devices, you can strike the right balance between aesthetics and speed.
4.1 Avoiding Overcomplicated Animations
Framer’s motion and transition features are impressive, but excessive animation layers can increase CPU and GPU usage, leading to higher render times and sluggish performance.
To keep interactions efficient:
Reduce the number of simultaneous animations.
Use simple transitions instead of complex layered effects.
Limit high-resource animations like large-scale parallax scrolling.
4.2 Streamlining Interactive Components
Hover effects, dropdowns, and complex interactions can add unnecessary weight to your website. Ask yourself:
Do I need hover animations on mobile?
Can I replace multi-step interactions with simpler alternatives?
A leaner design makes for a faster, more responsive user experience.
4.3 Testing on Multiple Device Sizes
Framer is inherently responsive, but a design-heavy desktop version can load slowly on mobile if not optimised. Always:
Preview on multiple breakpoints (iPhone, Android, tablet) within Framer.
Reduce oversized elements on smaller screens.
Ensure that mobile users aren’t forced to load heavy desktop elements.
With mobile pages loading 70.9% slower than desktop on average, a mobile-first design is key for fast load times.
5. Minimising External Scripts & Integrations
Framer allows custom scripts and third-party integrations, but each additional script can slow your site down. By carefully selecting which scripts to use and optimising their placement, you can maintain site performance without sacrificing functionality.
5.1 Using Only Essential Add-Ons
Before adding third-party tools like chatbots, analytics, or tracking pixels, ask:
Does this script add real value to my users?
Can I use a lightweight or asynchronous version instead?
Some services offer “lite” versions or async loading, reducing their impact on load speed.
5.2 Code Injection Best Practices
In Framer’s settings, scripts should be placed strategically:
Use the head section for async scripts.
Minimise render-blocking JavaScript.
Test the impact of each script using Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights after adding them.
For more details on best practices, explore Code Optimisation Techniques for Enhanced Performance in Framer.
6. Ongoing Testing & Maintenance
Speed optimisation for Framer websites isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing process. Regular testing ensures that new content, design changes, or added scripts don’t slow down performance. By proactively monitoring page speed and maintaining a checklist of best practices, you can keep your website fast, responsive, and optimised for search rankings.
6.1 Regular PageSpeed & Framer Previews
Each time you update your website—whether it’s a new hero image, an additional animation, or embedded third-party content—it’s crucial to test its impact on performance.
Here’s how to stay on top of performance checks:
Use Framer’s preview and test mode to detect slow-loading elements before publishing.
Run PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse tests after every major update to track performance.
Compare performance scores to your previous benchmarks and address any drops in speed.
Even small adjustments, like adding oversized fonts or a high-resolution video, can impact loading times. By continuously monitoring page speed, you ensure your Framer website remains optimised.
6.2 Creating a Performance Checklist
To maintain speed optimisation for Framer websites over time, use a simple performance checklist before publishing changes.
Your checklist should include:
✅ Image compression – Are all images optimised in WebP or JPEG?
✅ Lazy loading enabled – Are off-screen images and videos deferred?
✅ Minimal external scripts – Are unnecessary integrations removed?
✅ Mobile responsiveness – Have all changes been tested on mobile devices?
For an in-depth guide on maintaining site speed, check out Creating a Maintenance Checklist for Ongoing Speed Optimisation in Framer.
7. Common Mistakes That Slow Down Framer Sites
Even with Framer’s built-in optimisations, some design choices can negatively impact performance. Below are common mistakes that slow down Framer websites and how to avoid them.
7.1 Oversized Visuals & Fonts
Large, high-resolution images and excessive font styles can cause longer load times and increase page weight. This is particularly problematic for mobile users, where slower connections magnify performance issues.
Fix:
Resize and compress images before uploading.
Use only necessary fonts instead of loading multiple font families.
Limit the use of custom typography for better efficiency.
7.2 Overlapping Animations
Framer allows powerful motion effects, but too many overlapping animations can cause layout shifts and slow down rendering.
Fix:
Reduce complex motion sequences—avoid unnecessary entrance and exit animations.
Use fade-in effects sparingly instead of applying them to every section.
Minimise parallax effects that require continuous rendering.
This ensures that animations enhance the experience without sacrificing speed.
7.3 Neglecting Mobile Optimisation
A desktop-first design can lead to sluggish mobile performance. Given that mobile users account for the majority of website traffic, failing to optimise for smaller screens can significantly impact engagement.
Fix:
Test all elements on mobile breakpoints before publishing.
Replace large background videos with static alternatives on mobile.
Use mobile-specific navigation menus to avoid excessive load times.
Want to ensure your Framer site is fully optimised? Check out How to Conduct a Comprehensive Performance Audit on Your Framer Website.
Keep Your Framer Site Fast & User-Friendly
A well-optimised website isn’t just about speed—it’s about delivering the best possible user experience. By following the best practices outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your Framer website remains fast, engaging, and search-engine friendly.
Framer’s built-in hosting and rendering capabilities provide a strong foundation for Framer performance. However, ongoing testing, optimised assets, and efficient animations are essential to maintaining a smooth user experience.
Book a free consultation to optimize your Framer website speed.
Written By
Founder of Goodspeed
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