Most image editing tools like Adobe Photoshop, ON1 Photo, GIMP, Affinity Photo, and others come with built-in image compression features. The settings for each will vary depending on the image compression tool you use. There are different types and levels of image compression available. The next thing is image compression which plays a huge role in image optimization. On WPBeginner, we use all three image formats based on the type of image. Whereas GIF only uses 256 colors along with lossless compression which makes it the best choice for animated images. On the other hand, JPEG is a compressed file format that slightly reduces image quality in order to provide a significantly smaller file size. The downside is that file sizes are much larger. To keep things simple, you want to use JPEGs for photos or images with lots of colors, PNGs for simple images or when you need transparent images, and GIFs for animated images only.įor those who don’t know the difference between each file type, the PNG image format is uncompressed which means it is a higher-quality image. Choosing the right file type plays an important role in image optimization. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.įor most website owners, the only three image file formats that really matter are JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Compression (higher compression = smaller file size)īy choosing the right combination of the three, you can reduce your image size by up to 80%.The three things that play a huge role in image optimization are: The key to successful image optimization for web performance is to find the perfect balance between the lowest file size and acceptable image quality. How to Save and Optimize Images for Web Performance If you’d prefer written instructions, then just keep reading. This means that by optimizing your images for the web, you can both improve website speed and boost WordPress SEO rankings. If these aren’t enough reasons to speed up your website, then you should know that search engines like Google also give preferential SEO treatment to faster-loading websites. Now you might be wondering how big a difference image optimization can really make.Īccording to a Strangeloop study, a one-second delay in website load time can cost you 7% of sales, 11% fewer pageviews, and a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction. Since we know fast websites rank higher in search engines (SEO) and have better conversions, image optimization is something that every business website must do if they want to succeed online. According to the HTTP archive, images make up 21% of an average webpage’s total weight. Images are the second heaviest item on a web page after video. Faster website backups (which can reduce the cost of backup storage).Less storage and bandwidth (which can reduce hosting and CDN costs).Higher overall conversion rate for sales and leads.While there are many benefits to optimizing your images, here are the top ones that you should know: What Are the Benefits of Image Optimization? We’ll show you how to do that step-by-step. You will need to reduce the file size of your images by optimizing them for the web. You may have received a recommendation to optimize images from your WordPress hosting support or a speed test tool and wonder what you need to do. With lossy compression, there may be a minor loss in quality, but ideally, it won’t be noticeable to your visitors. Lossless compression reduces the overall file size with absolutely no loss of image quality. In simple terms, image optimization works by using compression technology.Ĭompression can be ‘lossy’ or ‘lossless’. In this example, the image is 52% smaller. Here’s an example of an optimized vs unoptimized image:Īs you can see, when optimized properly the same image can be up to 80% smaller than the original without any loss in quality. You can use one of the many image optimization plugins and tools to automatically compress images by up to 80% without any visible loss in image quality. While the process sounds complex, it’s actually quite easy these days. Image optimization is a process of saving and delivering images in the smallest possible file size without reducing the overall image quality. Final Thoughts and Best Practices for Image Optimization.Best Image Optimization Plugins for WordPress.Best Image Optimization Tools and Programs.How to Save and Optimize Images for Web Performance.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |