Boost Website Speed By Optimising Your Images

May 25, 2019 | Website Performance, WordPress

Estimated Reading Time:

Are Your Website Images Slowing You Down?

One of the things you need to consider when attempting to optimise your website speed and boosting your SEO is how heavy your website is.

When it comes to website speed, every little bit counts. That’s why it’s important to take a look at your images and make sure they aren’t slowing you down.

By optimising your images, you can shave valuable seconds off of your load time and improve the overall user experience of your website.

In this post, we’ll explain how to optimise your images to increase your website speed. We’ll also share some tips for choosing the right file format and size for your needs. Let’s get started!

How can I tell if my website images are slowing me down?

You can generally tell if images are slowing a website down by simply browing the website. If the page is taking a long time to load, it’s likely that the images are the culprit.

You can also use online tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to get a more detailed analysis of your website speed and how you can improve it.

Another option is a tool such as GTMetrix, which measures your website’s page loading time and gives you a detailed report on what is causing delays. This report will show you how long it takes for each element on your page to load, as well as the size of each element.

Why should I optimise my website images?

One of the main reasons to optimise your website images is because they can slow down your page load time. This is especially important if you’re looking to improve your website’s SEO, as slow page load times can negatively affect your ranking.

Optimising your website images is also important for the user experience. When a page takes too long to load, most users will assume that the website is broken and leave.

We selected a random website from the internet and picked out a banner image that weighed in at 324KB. Not too bad, but after running it through an image optimisation tool, we were able to bring that size down 116KB. We generally see improvements between 60% and 80%.

Imagine if you had multiple unoptimised images on the same page? You could be looking at saving up to multiple MB! This could be a deciding factor between a visitor waiting on your page to load and pressing the back button.

Remember, not everyone is on a super fast internet connection and it takes time to load a page full of image rich content.

Is image format important?

When it comes to choosing the right file format for your website images, there are a few things to consider. The most important factor is the type of image you’re working with.

For example, if you have a JPEG image that contains text, you should save it as a PNG file. This is because JPEGs are designed for photos, which typically don’t contain text. PNGs are a good option for images with text or other sharp details, as they have a higher quality than JPEGs.

If you’re looking to retain a transparent background in your image, you should save it as a PNG file. However, if you don’t need a transparent background, you can save your image as a JPEG.

How do I optimise my images?

Some image optimisation tools integrate directly into your WordPress dashboard to assist with optimising existing images as well as newly uploaded ones.

Our recommendation is Short Pixel as we’ve experienced amazing results with it.

Here is an image size comparison from Short Pixel showing the amazing file size reduction without a noticeable decrease in image quality:

Increase website speed by optimising website images

There are also other options such as TinyPNG. They also offer free and paid plans, as well as integrate into WordPress as well!

Can you do it for me?

We sure can!

Feel free to check out our range of WordPress Care plans that include website tasks to cover things such as image optimisation.

Optimising your images for faster loading times is a quick and easy way to improve the user experience of your website. By using tools such as Short Pixel, you can shave valuable seconds off of your load time without compromising quality or image size. The key takeaway from this post is that every little bit counts–so make sure to optimise those images!

Dec 29 2023

Understanding DMARC, SPF, and DKIM: Enhancing Email Security for Your Business

In today's digital era, emails have emerged as a fundamental aspect of our everyday communication. Whether for personal exchanges or professional engagements, emails...
WordPress Security Audits
Jun 27 2023

10 Essential SEO Tips for your WordPress Website

In today's digital landscape, having a well-optimised website is crucial for attracting organic traffic and boosting your online visibility. Search Engine Optimisation...
Jun 13 2023

The Importance of Regular WordPress Security Audits for Your Website

In today's digital landscape, website security is of paramount importance. Cyber threats are evolving rapidly, making it essential for businesses to prioritise the...
May 30 2023

Why Website Backups in 2023 are Critical

In 2023, websites have become an essential component of modern businesses. They serve as the face of the company, the hub of information, and the gateway to online...
Apr 27 2023

The Top 6 Benefits of a WordPress Care Plan

As more and more businesses move online, having a website has become essential. WordPress is one of the most popular website builders out there, and for good reason....
Dec 05 2022

Dedicated Email Hosting, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?

Email is a crucial part of business communication. It’s fast, efficient, and can be accessed from anywhere. However, relying on a free email service like Gmail or...
Sep 07 2022

Launch of .au direct domain names

The .au Domain Administration (auDA) officially announced the launch of direct .au registration – a new namespace for all Australians on 24 March 2022. The...
wordpress security issues
Mar 23 2022

5 Sneaky WordPress Security Issues Business Owners Miss

Globally, 30,000 websites are hacked daily. All types of businesses and websites are vulnerable to attack. So, how can you protect your WordPress site from cyber...
wordpress care plan
Jan 18 2022

How to Choose the Right WordPress Care Plan For Your Business

Do you have a self-hosted WordPress blog, website, or online eCommerce store? If so, you must understand different technical support and site maintenance options. ...
6 Website Design Tips to Increase Traffic
Dec 29 2021

6 Website Design Tips to Increase Traffic

A website is a very powerful tool, but if it's not built correctly, it can be useless. This post will discuss six important website design tips to increase your site...

Go to Web Hosting

Simple web hosting solutions, free managed migration service and honest advice. We don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Let’s supercharge your website!

Go to WordPress Care

Isn’t it about time you take the stress out of managing your WordPress website? Leave your WordPress updates, security and maintenance to us for peace of mind.