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How to Optimize Imagesfor High Performance on the Internet without Losing Quality

Did you have the knowledge that optimizing your images prior to uploading to WordPress can have a major impact on speed of your website?

When starting a new blog, many new bloggers upload images without optimizing them for web. These large image files make your website slow.

You can address this issue by applying the image optimizationbest techniques in your daily blogging routine.

In this article in this article, we will teach you how to optimize your photos for better website performance, without sacrificing quality. We will also provide automatic photo optimization plugins for WordPress which can simplify your life.

As this is a comprehensive guide to image optimization for web We've designed an easy-to-follow table of content:

• What is image optimization? (optimized vs unoptimized images)
• What makes image optimization important? What are the benefits?
• How to save and optimize images for web performance?
• The best image optimization tools and software
• Best image optimization software for WordPress

What is Image Optimization? (Optimized vs Unoptimized Images)

Image optimization is the technique of saving and sharing images in the smallest possible file size , without compromising the overall quality of images.

While it may sound like a complex process the process is actually fairly easy today. You can use one of the numerous image optimization programs and tools to instantly compress images up to 80% with any noticeable loss in image quality.

Here's an example of optimized as compared to unoptimized.

As you can see, when properly optimized, the same image may be 75 percent smaller than the original , without any degradation in quality.

What is Image Optimization function?

In simple words, image optimization works by using compression technology , such as "Lossy" and "Lossless" which helps reduce the overall size of the file without causing any loss in quality.

What is it to Optimize Images?

If you've ever received an advice to optimize your images from your WordPress hosting team or the speed test tool the only thing it suggests is that you have to cut down the file size of your images by optimizing them to be used on the web.

Why is Image Optimization Important? What are the Benefits of Image Optimization?

There are many advantages from optimizing your images here are the most important ones you need to know:

• Speedier website loading
• Enhanced SEO rankings
• More efficient overall conversion rate for sales and leads
• Lower storage and bandwidth (which could reduce hosting costs and CDN cost)
• Faster website backups (also reduces the cost for backup storage)

Beyond video, pictures are the second-heaviest items on a page. As per HTTP archive images make up about 21% on average of the total weight of a website's.

We know that websites with fast speeds rank higher on search engines (SEO) and are able to achieve better conversions images optimization is a requirement for each business website has to take care of should they wish to make a mark online.

Now , you might be wondering how much difference could image optimization really create?

According to an Strangeloop study, one-second delay in the speed of loading your website could result in a loss of 7% or sales. Additionally, it can result in 11 percent fewer pageviewsand a 16 percent drop in satisfaction among customers.

If you don't have enough reason to speed up your website then you should know that search engines such as Google also provide SEO preferential treatment to sites that load faster.

By optimizing your web-friendly images this can improve speed of your site as well as increase WordPress SEO positions.

Video Tutorial

If you'd prefer written instructions, just keep reading.

How to Save and Optimize Images for Web Performance?

The most important factor in an effective picture optimization to improve web speed is to find the optimal ratio between the smallest size of the file and acceptable image quality.

The three things which play an integral impact on images optimization are:

• Image file format (JPEG vs PNG vs GIF vs tiff )
• Compression (Higher compression = smaller file size)
• Image Dimensions (height and width)

By selecting the most suitable combination of these three, you could reduce your image's size by as much as 80%.

Let's look at each one in more specifics.

1. Image File Format

Most website owners will agree that the only three images formats that really have any significance to consider are JPEG, PNG, and GIF. The choice of the correct file format is essential to image optimization.

To keep things simple For simplicity, it is recommended to use JPEGs for photos and images filled with colors. PNGs for straightforward images or when you require transparent images, and GIF for animated images only.

For those who aren't aware of the difference between each type, the PNG image format is not compressed which means it is a higher quality image. The drawback is that the file sizes are considerably larger.

On the other hand, JPEG is a compressed file format which slightly reduces the image quality to provide a significantly smaller size file.

And GIF has 256 colors, GIF uses only 256 and lossless compression. This is why it is the ideal choice of animated graphics.

On WPBeginner we employ three different image formats based on the type of image.

2. Compression

The second thing to consider is image compression, which plays an enormous part when it comes to image optimization.

There are different types and levels of image compression available. These settings will differ based on the compression software you are using.

The majority of image-editing tools like Adobe Photoshop, On1 Photo, GIMP, Affinity Photo and many more have built-in image compression capabilities.

You can also save images as normal and then utilize a web tool such as TinyPNG or JPEG Mini for easier image compression.

While it's not the most user-friendly the two methods will allow users to compress images before uploading images to WordPress, and this is the method we use on WPBeginner.

There are also several popular WordPress plugins, such as Optimole, EWWW Image Optimizer and others that automatically compress images once you upload them. A lot of newbies and large companies choose to utilize these image optimization plugins because they are simple to use and is convenient.

We will share more about these WordPress plugins later in the article.

3. Image Dimensions

Normally, when you import a photo from your smartphone or digital camera, the image has an extremely high resolution and enormous file dimensions (height as well as width).

The majority of these photos have typically a resolution of around 300 DPI and dimensions starting from 2000 pixels and more. These high-quality photos are well-suited to print or desktop publishing. They're not suitable for use on websites.

A reduction in file dimensions to something more acceptable can dramatically decrease the size of images. Simply resize images with the image editing software installed on your computer.

As an example, we have optimized a photo with 1.8 megabytes of original file size, 300 DPI resolution, and dimensions of 4900x3200 pixels.

The format we chose was jpeg for more compression. We changed the dimensions to 1200x795 pixel, and it reduced the file size to 103KB. This is 94% smaller than the size of the original file.

Now that you've learned the three important factors in image optimization we can take a look at various images optimization software for webmasters.

Best ImageOptimization Tools and Programs

As we mentioned earlier, the majority of image editing software comes featuring image optimization or compression setting.

Outside of the editing software for images, there are also several powerful free image optimization tools that you can use to optimize images for web usage (with just few clicks).

We recommend making use of these tools to improve images prior to uploading them to WordPress especially if you are an obsessive.

This method helps you save disc space from your WordPress hosting account, and will guarantee the fastest image and the top quality, as you manually review each image.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a premium software that comes with the option of saving images that are optimized for web use. Just open the image in Photoshop and select the "File >> Save for Web" option.

This will open a new dialog box. On the rightside, you will be able to set various image formats. If you select JPEG format, you'll be able to select different quality options. If you choose your preferred options, it will also reveal the file's size on the bottom left.

GIMP

GIMP is a no-cost and open-source alternative to the popular Adobe Photoshop. It can be used to optimize your images for use on the web. The disadvantage is that it's not as simple to utilize as other alternatives on this list.

To begin, open the image within GIMP before you can select the File >> Export As option. This will display the dialog box for saving your file. Create a new name, and then click"Export.

This will bring up image export options. In the case of JPEG files you can select the compression level to decrease the size of the file. In the end, you can click on"Export" button in order to save optimized images.

TinyPNG

TinyPNG is a no-cost web app that uses a smart lossy compression method to reduce the size of your PNG files. All you have to do is go to their site and upload your images (simple drag & drop).

They compress the image, and then provide you with the download link. You can use their sister websitecalled TinyJPG, for JPEG picture compression.

There is also Extensions for Adobe Photoshop that we use as part of our image editing process since it combines the best qualities of TinyPNG and TinyJPG in Photoshop.

For developers, they have an API to convert images for them automatically. And for beginners , they provide a WordPress plugin that can automatically perform the conversion for you (more on this in the future).

JPEG Mini

JPEGmini utilizes lossless compression technology which significantly reduces the size of images , without any impact on their perceived quality. You can also test the quality of your original image and the compressed image.

You can use their web version for no cost or purchase the application to run on your personal computer. They also have a paid API to automate processes that your server uses.

ImageOptim

ImageOptim is a Mac utility that permits you in compressing images and without losing any quality. It works by identifying the best compression parameters and removing unnecessary color profiles.

Windows an alternative is Trimage.

Best Image Optimization Plugins for WordPress

We believe that the most efficient method of optimizing your images is by doing it before uploading them to WordPress. If, however, you operate an author-based site or require an automation solution then you may want to consider the WordPress plugin for image compression.

Below is our selection of the best WordPress compressors for images:

1. Optimole is a popular plugin developed by The people behind ThemeIsle.
2. EWWW Image Optimizer
3. Compress JPEG and PNG images using the plugin developed by the TinyPNG team as mentioned above in the article.
4. Imagify is a plugin developed by the well-known WP Rocket plugin team.
5. ShortPixel Image Optimizer
6. WP Smush
7. reSmush.it

Utilizing any of these WordPress image optimization plugins will help accelerate your website.

Final Thoughts and Best Practices for Image Optimization

If you're not saving images optimized for the web, you must begin doing so immediately. It'll make an enormous impact on the speed of your website and your visitors will thank you for it.

Furthermore, speedier websites are great for SEO and you'll likely see an increase in your ranking on search engines.

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