Struggling to Improve Largest Contentful Paint Performance
I’ve been working on optimizing my photography website’s performance—a task I hadn’t considered before. However, I’ve noticed that it seems to be underperforming on mobile devices. I’ve run several tests, tried reducing image sizes, and even sought out advice from ChatGPT for code adjustments (my site is on Squarespace), but nothing seems to make a difference. I’ve attached images of the various tests conducted on two different websites. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Am I overthinking the significance of this issue? I doubt it.
2 responses to “I cannot resolve this Largest Contentful Paint performance issue.”
Improving the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) performance, especially on a photography website, can be challenging but is definitely worth the effort for a better user experience. Here are some suggestions that may help you optimize your website further:
Image Optimization: Since your site is image-heavy, ensure that all images are optimized. Use formats like WebP or JPEG 2000, which usually offer better compression. Make sure that images are not only resized but also appropriately compressed without losing quality.
Lazy Loading: Implement lazy loading for images that are not in the viewport. This will defer loading images that the user has not yet scrolled to, improving initial load times.
Critical CSS: Minimize the amount of CSS that is loaded on the initial render. You can inline critical CSS for the above-the-fold content. This approach reduces render-blocking resources and speeds up LCP.
Reduce Server Response Time: If your server takes too long to respond, it can significantly impact LCP. Consider using a reliable hosting service with good performance, or look into using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to speed up image delivery.
Minimize Render-Blocking Resources: Examine any external scripts or CSS files that may be causing delays in rendering. Load non-critical CSS or JS asynchronously or defer their loading.
Responsive Design: Ensure your website is fully responsive. Sometimes, mobile views can be affected by issues with the way content scales. Make sure all images and elements adjust properly for different screen sizes.
Performance Testing Tools: Continue using performance testing tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or GTmetrix. They can give you specific suggestions that are tailored to your site.
Caching: Implement browser and server-side caching. This allows repeat visitors to load your site more quickly, which can enhance overall performance.
Reduce Third-Party Scripts: If you’re using any third-party widgets or scripts (like those for social sharing), they can sometimes slow down your site. Evaluate whether each script is necessary.
Build a Custom Template: If Squarespace’s options are limiting, consider building a custom template or working with someone who can help optimize your website’s code more specifically.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to a web performance expert if you’re still having trouble — they can provide insights tailored to your specific situation. Keep an eye on your metrics, and remember that smaller improvements can add up over time. Good luck!
It’s great that you’re taking the initiative to optimize your photography website’s performance! Addressing Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) issues, especially on mobile, can significantly enhance user experience. Here are a few targeted suggestions that might help:
1. **Optimize Image Delivery**: While you’ve already reduced image sizes, consider using formats like WebP or AVIF, which provide better compression rates without sacrificing quality. Also, ensure you’re employing responsive images (using `srcset` attributes) to serve appropriately sized images based on the user’s device.
2. **Leverage Lazy Loading**: Implementing lazy loading ensures that images are only loaded when they enter the viewport. This can greatly reduce the initial load time and improve LCP on mobile.
3. **Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)**: If you haven’t already, a CDN can help serve your content more quickly by distributing it across various geographic locations. This minimizes latency, especially for mobile users who might be accessing your site from different regions.
4. **Evaluate Third-Party Scripts**: Heavy third-party scripts can delay the rendering of critical content. Evaluate any external libraries or plugins you’re using, and consider deferring them or finding lightweight alternatives.
5. **Mobile-Specific Optimization**: Since your LCP issues are particularly pronounced on mobile, ensure that your mobile optimization settings (like viewport configurations and scaling) are correctly configured in your site settings.
It’s definitely worth prioritizing LCP, as it’s a key performance metric impacting SEO and