In the case of CSS, there are two factors that affect the loading of CSS on your website. First is the size of the CSS file working on your web page and second is the number of CSS files actively working on your web page.
Hence, if your website is taking longer to open then CSS could be one reason. To resolve the issue you should choose your WordPress theme wisely. You may stick to the default WordPress theme or select one from the popular WordPress theme by clicking the ‘Most Popular’ filter on Themes -> Add New section because popular themes become popular when they perform better.
Now if you have a good WordPress theme and your website is working fine. Still, you can reduce its loading time by lazy loading necessary CSS files on your website.
How To Lazy Load CSS On Your Website?
Simply install-activate the new WordPress plugin called Lazy Load CSS. Upon activation, visit the plugin’s settings page on your dashboard and specify the CSS stylesheet files that you want to lazy load, and the plugin will do the rest.
What CSS Should Be Avoided?
Lazy-loading important CSS files of your theme or CSS files used on the viewport or above the fold may result in issues with the design of your website.
You should only lazy load the CSS that is below the first fold of your website. That means lazy load only those sections that appear when a user scrolls down on your website. In other words, lazy loads only the content that is not visible without scrolling otherwise the first view of your website could be blank for some seconds, and that is something nobody wants.
The plugin works well in reducing the time your website takes to load and improving FCP i.e. First Contentful Paint as well as LCP i.e. Largest Contentful Paint scores, and the overall performance of your website.
If you yet don’t have a website you can easily have one by registering your domain name and subscribing to a Managed WordPress plan with or without the eCommerce option and the system will guide you in bringing your website online in less than an hour.