Today’s web users expect pages to load quickly; otherwise, they’ll be gone in a flash. Achieving that goal requires the optimization of images – and it makes a huge difference. By comparison, an optimized image (165 KB) will load three times faster than an unoptimized one (4 MB). Just imagine the impact on the speed of loading each page when multiplied by the number of pictures, and then again by your entire website. It’s particularly impactful on slower connections or when using mobile devices.
Struggling to make sure the images for your blog will look great? Don’t worry, we got you covered. Our blog post will bring you up-to-date with how to successfully optimize the jpegs on your site. As a starting point, let’s examine the essentials.
Getting Started with Image Optimization
To get the most from your blog posts, it’s crucial to pay attention to the type of image file, dimension and size, as well as how to compress images appropriately and make sure they reach your viewers without a hitch. Images can make or break a great piece of content, so understanding all their nuances is essential.
Let’s dig deeper into each of these aspects.
File Category
When it comes to images on the web, two of the most common file formats are PNG and JPEG. Logos, graphics, texts, and screenshots usually use PNG whereas if you want to use photographs or designs of people, places, or things, JPEG would be ideal. GIFs are usually used for animations but PNG is a better choice if you don’t need live motion.
Knowing the difference between graphic formats like PNG and JPEG is essential if you want to ensure the highest quality output for graphics and photos. PNGs are ideal for logos and graphics as they maintain image clarity, while JPEGs are typically applied to photos due to their impressive capacity to compress file size without any compromising of quality.
Picture quality is essential, so it’s important to understand the two main image formats: JPEG for photos and PNG for text/graphics. Let’s delve into the specifics of compression later on.
Photo Dimension
All too often, bloggers overlook an important step in the process – resizing and compressing pictures prior to uploading. Think about it: if multiple images were uploaded without proper dimensions, it would most certainly lead to a decrease in loading speed on the website.
To ensure images don’t take up too much space, make sure to resize them in accordance with the size of their area of display. For example, if you have a sidebar of 300 pixels width, don’t use an image of 900×900 pixels: shrink it to match the size of the sidebar, in this case 300×300 pixels.
When adding graphics to your blog site, make sure these visuals are compatible with the space allotted. Most templates are designed with a width of approximately 600-720 pixels. To prevent delayed loading time, ensure that your images always match up with these specified dimensions.
Image Compression
Shrinking your image size doesn’t have to be a challenge. Lossy and lossless methods are available to reduce your photo file size. Utilizing an image compressor is just one of the numerous ways to get it done.
Online image compressors are available and you can check out My Compress Image for an effortless solution. Instead of installing or setting anything up, you only need to upload your image, let the service compress it for you, then just download the new file. Or if you prefer, there are plenty of options such as plugins for websites and Photoshop, APIs, and CDNs that can be used to compress images.
When choosing a photo compression system, essential elements must be taken into account. These elements include:
- Speed
- Uptime
- Data handling
- Batch processing
- Integration capabilities
- Maximum upload size
It’s important to note that each provider employs its unique compression algorithm, resulting in variations in compression methods, quality, and compression rates.
Additional Things to Look For
Following the basic guidelines outlined earlier, there are some additional ways to enhance the loading time of your images.
Here’s a list of strategies for achieving this:
- Use images purposefully: Make sure each image has a purpose that ties back to the core content.
- Utilize thumbnails: Give visitors the choice to view larger images by including thumbnails in galleries or grid settings.
- Opt for JPEGs: Whenever feasible, employ JPEG format for all your pictures to get the most out of them.
- Test image loading on mobile devices: Check loading speeds across multiple mobile systems for the best user experience.
- Utilize image display options: To ensure visuals consistently appear in the style you desire, consider incorporating plugin or image display options, like selecting ‘Medium’ instead of ‘Full Size’.
- Minimize unnecessary images on key pages: Your customer’s checkout and user registration page experiences should be swift and efficient.
By following these tips you can further boost your site’s speed. Plus, they will help you optimize the overall efficiency of your website.
