What are the best practices for progressive loading in web development?

What are the best practices for progressive loading in web development?

Progressive loading is a technique that improves user experience by loading content incrementally. Best practices include prioritizing above-the-fold content, using lazy loading for images and videos, and optimizing resource loading.

Can you explain lazy loading and how it works?

Lazy loading defers the loading of non-essential resources until they are needed. For example, images below the fold are only loaded when the user scrolls down to them, which speeds up initial page load times.

What tools can I use to implement progressive loading?

You can use libraries like Intersection Observer for lazy loading, and tools like Webpack for optimizing resource loading. Additionally, frameworks like React and Vue have built-in support for progressive loading.

Are there any performance metrics I should monitor?

Yes, you should monitor metrics like Time to First Byte (TTFB), First Contentful Paint (FCP), and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) to gauge the effectiveness of your progressive loading strategy.