Reducing LCP load time on mobile

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is a core web vital metric that measures loading performance. An LCP value of 5 seconds is considered high, and it can negatively impact user experience, particularly on mobile devices. Here are some steps you can take to reduce LCP load time on mobile without necessarily switching to Gutenberg:

1. Optimize Images: Large images can significantly slow down your website. Use image optimization tools or plugins to compress images without sacrificing quality. Ensure that images are in the appropriate format (JPEG for photographs, PNG for graphics with transparency) and are not larger than they need to be.
2. Lazy Loading: Implement lazy loading for images and videos. Lazy loading ensures that images and videos are loaded only when they are visible to the user, reducing initial load times.
3. Minimize and Combine CSS/JS Files: Minimize your CSS and JavaScript files to reduce their file size. Additionally, consider combining multiple CSS and JavaScript files into single files. This reduces the number of requests the browser needs to make, improving loading times.
4. Optimize Web Fonts: If you’re using custom web fonts, optimize them to reduce their file size. Consider using font-display: swap; in your CSS to ensure text remains visible while custom fonts are loading.
5. Content Delivery Network (CDN): Use a CDN to distribute your website’s static assets across multiple servers worldwide. This reduces server response times and ensures faster content delivery to users, regardless of their location.
6. Minimize Server Response Time: Optimize your server and website configuration to minimize server response times. This might involve using a faster web hosting service, optimizing server settings, and utilizing server-side caching mechanisms.
7. Caching: Implement browser caching and server-side caching to store static assets on users’ devices and reduce the need to download them on subsequent visits.
8. Update Elementor: Ensure you are using the latest version of Elementor, as updates often include performance improvements. Additionally, review your Elementor settings and disable any unnecessary features that you’re not using.
9. Server and Hosting Performance: Ensure your hosting environment is optimized for WordPress. Some hosting providers offer managed WordPress hosting optimized for performance. Consider upgrading your hosting plan if your current plan is limiting your website’s speed.
10. Regular Performance Audits: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools to regularly audit your website’s performance. These tools provide recommendations specific to your site, helping you identify and fix performance bottlenecks.

Switching to Gutenberg is not a direct solution to LCP issues. Both Elementor and Gutenberg can be optimized to achieve good performance.

More info:

• Prioritizing Your Website’s Performance
• How Elementor Prioritizes and Improves Websites Performance
• How to speed up a slow site with Elementor
• How to Speed up WordPress: In-Depth Guide

By implementing the above techniques and regularly monitoring your website’s performance, you can significantly reduce LCP and provide a better user experience for your visitors.