Are your website images web-ready?

Images are a crucial element of any website: without them, your website simply wouldn’t be able to do its job effectively.

And yet as crucial as they are, it’s unfortunately not just a case of choosing an image and loading it onto your site: there’s a bit of work that needs to be done in the backend of the process to ensure the imagery you use is web-ready. Unoptimised images can harm your site’s performance, leading to slower load times and frustrated users. Studies show that most users will exit a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load: what a shame to lose your audience after all that hard work and money you’ve put into developing your website! To ensure your site is visually stunning and performs efficiently, it’s important to understand the concept of web-ready images and how to optimise them, so you can keep your bounce rate looking healthy (and low!).

WHAT ARE WEB-READY IMAGES?
Web-ready images are images prepared specifically for use on websites. They are optimised to balance quality and file size, ensuring quick loading without sacrificing visual clarity. These images adhere to specific formats, dimensions, and resolutions to meet web standards and enhance user experience. Key characteristics of web-ready images include:  

  • Appropriate file formats: Commonly used formats like JPEG, PNG, WebP, and SVG are optimized for the web.  

  • Optimal resolution: Images are often compressed to 72 DPI (dots per inch), which is sufficient for on-screen display.  

  • Proper dimensions: Images are resized to fit the specific requirements of your website’s layout and design.

  • Efficient file size: File sizes are kept small (we recommend less that 1MB, with 700kb to 900kb being the ideal range) to improve loading times.

WHY DOES OPTIMISING IMAGES MATTER?
There are so many reasons why you’d want to optimise your website images, not least of which because it leads to:

  • Faster loading times: Large image files can slow down your website, leading to higher bounce rates (the percentage of users who enter a website and then leave it rather than continuing to view other pages on the site - you want to keep your bounce rate as low as possible).

  • Improved SEO: Search engines prioritise fast-loading sites, so image optimisation can boost your rankings.  

  • Enhanced user experience: Visitors are more likely to stay on a site that loads quickly and displays sharp, clear visuals.  

  • Reduced bandwidth usage: Smaller file sizes mean less strain on your server and faster delivery to users.  

HOW DO I OPTIMISE IMAGES FOR MY WEBSITE?

1. Choose the right file format - each image format has its strengths:  

  • JPEG: Ideal for photographs and images with gradients. It offers good quality at smaller file sizes.  

  • PNG: Best for images requiring transparency, like logos or icons. Keep in mind that PNGs tend to have larger file sizes than JPEGs.  

  • WebP: A modern format that provides excellent compression without quality loss.  

  • SVG: Perfect for vector graphics like logos and icons, as they are resolution-independent.  

2. Resize Images
Resize images to the exact dimensions required for your website. For example, if your site displays an image at 800px wide, there’s no need to upload a 3000px-wide version.

3. Compress File Size
Compression reduces the file size while maintaining acceptable quality. Tools like Tiny PNG, Image Optim, or Photoshop's "Save for Web" feature can help achieve this.  

4. Leverage Lazy Loading
Lazy loading ensures images are only loaded when they appear in the user’s viewport. This improves initial page load times.

5. Optimise Alt Text and File Names
Descriptive file names (e.g., red-apple.jpg) and alt text help with accessibility and SEO. Search engines index this information, improving your site’s visibility.

6. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)  
CDNs cache your images across multiple servers worldwide, delivering them to users more quickly based on their location.  

Optimising images for the web is a first step in creating a high-performing website. By balancing quality with file size, you can prioritise your site’s speed, improve SEO, and provide a seamless user experience. With so many (free) tools available online, there’s really no reason why your images can’t be optimised quickly and easily. So if you’re experiencing a high bounce rate, take a stab at optimising the images on your website and see if that helps make a difference.

And of course, if you need help with your website imagery or your website in general, book your FREE 30 minute discovery call and let’s see how we can help.

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