Slow pages lose visitors, and on most small websites the biggest cause is not code. It is photos straight from a phone camera, uploaded at full size.
Match the image to its slot
If a picture is shown 800 pixels wide, uploading it at 4000 pixels wastes bandwidth. Resize it first with the Image Resizer to about the largest size it will ever be displayed.
Choose a lighter format
Photos belong in JPG or WebP, and flat graphics in PNG. Compress each one and check that it still looks clean on a phone screen.
Name and describe them
Use a clear file name like red-leather-wallet.jpg instead of IMG_2041.jpg, and add a short alt text. It helps search engines understand the picture and helps visitors who use screen readers.
Find the heavy images first
You do not need to fix every picture. Run your page through a free speed test and look at the list of the biggest files. In most small sites, two or three pictures are responsible for most of the weight. Fix those first and you will often see a big improvement within minutes.
A simple three-step routine
- Resize. Use the Image Resizer to bring the picture to the size it will actually be shown at.
- Compress. Run it through the Image Compressor and compare it with the original on a phone screen.
- Upload. Use a clear file name and add alt text.
Following the same order each time keeps your whole site consistent, and it takes only a minute per picture.
Do not forget the width and height
When the browser does not know how big a picture will be, the page jumps around as images load. That is annoying for visitors. Set the width and height on each image so that the space is reserved in advance. Also load pictures that sit below the fold lazily, so they appear only when a visitor scrolls close to them.
Be careful with the top image
The large picture at the top of a page is often the first thing a visitor sees, so it matters most for speed. Keep it modest in size, avoid making it a full-width 4000-pixel photo, and do not hide text inside it. A simple, light header image is better than a stunning but slow one.
Common mistakes
Uploading screenshots as PNG when a JPG would be far smaller, using a giant photo as a small background, putting twenty big pictures on one page, and forgetting that phones on slow mobile data load the page too. If your pictures arrive as WebP and a tool does not accept them, the WebP to JPG tool will help. Aim for speed on a phone first, and the computer version will take care of itself.
Free, no signup, and your files never leave your device.
Open Image CompressorCommon questions
How big should a website image be in KB?
Aim for under 200 KB for normal pictures and well under 100 KB for small ones, though it depends on the page.
Does image size affect Google ranking?
Indirectly. Faster pages give a better experience, and speed is one of many things Google looks at.
Also useful: WebP to JPG.
Topics
optimize images for websitecompress images for seowebsite speed imagespagespeed imagesreduce image size website