When Speed Actually Matters

Most apps look fine until they don't. Performance breakdowns happen quietly, then suddenly users are gone. We look at what actually separates apps that retain users from those that frustrate them off the platform.

Not everything needs optimisation. Some things absolutely do. The trick is knowing which battles matter for your specific situation and user base.

The Reality Behind Response Times

Back in early 2024, we worked with an e-commerce app that was losing checkouts. Their analytics showed decent traffic, good cart additions, but conversions were dropping month over month.

The issue wasn't their payment system or pricing. It was a 3.2 second delay between tapping "checkout" and seeing the payment screen. That's it. Three seconds that cost them roughly 23% of potential sales.

Users don't complain about slow apps. They just leave and try something else. By the time you notice the pattern, you've already lost momentum in your market.

After optimisation, that delay dropped to 0.8 seconds. Conversions didn't skyrocket overnight, but they stabilised and started climbing again. Sometimes the fix isn't revolutionary, it's just removing friction that shouldn't exist.

Mobile app performance analysis dashboard showing real-time metrics
0.8s Target response time

People Who Actually Do This Work

Portrait of Henrik Lindqvist, senior performance engineer

Henrik Lindqvist

Performance Engineer

Spent seven years fixing apps that companies thought were fine. Most performance issues hide in assumptions about how users actually interact with features under real network conditions.

Portrait of Roisin Gallagher, mobile optimisation specialist

Roisin Gallagher

Optimisation Specialist

Works primarily with content-heavy apps where media loading can make or break user experience. Her focus is finding the balance between quality and practical load times across device types.

Portrait of Tadeas Novotny, backend efficiency consultant

Tadeas Novotny

Backend Consultant

Believes most app slowdowns originate server-side, not in the app itself. His diagnostic approach starts with API response patterns before looking at front-end code optimisation.

How We Actually Approach This

We don't start with optimisation. We start with measurement. You can't fix what you haven't properly identified, and not everything that feels slow actually is slow from a technical standpoint.

Our process focuses on finding the specific bottlenecks that affect your users most frequently, then addressing those systematically rather than guessing or applying generic solutions.

Team reviewing performance metrics on multiple devices
1

Real User Monitoring

We track actual device performance across your user base. Not synthetic tests in perfect conditions, but real interactions on varying networks, older devices, and different usage patterns that reveal genuine pain points.

2

Bottleneck Identification

Once we know where slowdowns occur, we identify root causes. Often it's not what clients expect. Sometimes it's unnecessary data fetching, sometimes inefficient rendering, occasionally server configuration.

3

Targeted Optimisation

We fix the issues that matter most first. No point optimising rarely-used features while core functionality struggles. This phase is about measurable improvement in areas users actually encounter regularly.

4

Validation & Monitoring

Changes get tested against real usage data. We verify improvements actually translate to better user experience, not just better benchmark scores. Then we monitor for regression as your app evolves.

What Separates Functional From Frustrating

Side-by-side comparison of optimised versus unoptimised app performance

Initial Load Experience

Unoptimised apps often load everything upfront. That means users stare at loading screens for 5-8 seconds on first launch. Optimised apps prioritise critical content, defer non-essential elements, and get users interacting within 1-2 seconds even on slower connections.

Scroll Performance

Choppy scrolling is one of those things users notice immediately but rarely articulate. It just feels wrong. The difference comes down to how efficiently the app handles rendering as content moves. Proper optimisation keeps frame rates smooth across device capabilities.

Memory Management

Apps that leak memory gradually degrade. They start fine but get sluggish after extended use. Users might not understand why, they just know the app "feels slow" after a while. Good memory management maintains consistent performance regardless of session length.

Network Efficiency

How apps handle data transfer makes a massive difference on mobile networks. Optimised apps use compression, cache intelligently, and avoid redundant requests. The result is functionality that works reliably even when connectivity isn't perfect.

Want To Know Where Your App Stands?

We can run a diagnostic analysis on your mobile app to identify specific performance issues affecting your users. No commitments, just clear information about where improvements would make actual difference.

Request Performance Analysis