Why is (LCP) important

By optimizing LCP, companies can enhance user experience, improve search engine rankings, increase conversion rates, drive more revenue, and maintain a positive brand reputation in the highly competitive online landscape. Here is some important information that sheds light on the topic.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the time it takes for the largest content element on a web page, such as a heading text or hero image, to render and become visible within the user's viewport. To provide a good user experience, sites should strive to have an LCP of 2.5 seconds or less for at least 75% of page visits. Here are some strategies to improve LCP, along with examples and code snippets:

1. Optimize Images and Media

Compress and resize images, leverage modern image formats like WebP, and implement lazy loading to prioritize the loading of critical content.

html
<!-- Lazy load non-critical images -->
<img src="placeholder.jpg" data-src="large-image.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="...">

<!-- Use WebP format for better compression -->
<picture>
  <source type="image/webp" srcset="image.webp">
  <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="image.jpg">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="...">
</picture>        

Lazy Loading Images

2. Minimize Render-Blocking Resources

Identify and eliminate render-blocking JavaScript and CSS files that delay the rendering of the main content.

html<!-- Inline critical CSS --> <style> /* Critical CSS goes here */ </style> <!-- Defer non-critical CSS --> <link rel="stylesheet" href="non-critical.css" media="print" onload="this.media='all'"        

3. Implement Code Splitting

Split your code into smaller chunks and load them on-demand, reducing the initial payload size and improving LCP.

js
// Import critical code import('./critical-code').then(module => { // ... }); // Lazy load non-critical code const nonCriticalPromise = import('./non-critical-code');        

4. Leverage Caching and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

Cache static assets and leverage CDNs to serve content from servers closer to the user, reducing latency and improving load times.

# Cache static assets for 1 year
/static/*
  Cache-Control: max-age=31536000
  Immutable

# Enable Brotli compression
<IfModule mod_brotli.c>
  AddOutputFilterByType BROTLI_COMPRESS application/javascript text/css
</IfModule>
        

5. Optimize Server Response Times

Optimize server-side code, database queries, and infrastructure to minimize response times and deliver content faster .

LCP is a critical factor in user experience (UX) as it directly impacts page loading speed and responsiveness. A fast LCP reassures users that the page is useful and meets their expectations promptly. Conversely, a slow LCP can lead to frustration and abandonment, as users may seek alternative solutions to complete their desired actions.