Images are a crucial element of any website. They add visual appeal to your site and convey your message and brand identity. However, images on your website can significantly impact its performance. If your images are not optimised, they can slow down your website, affecting user experience and hurting your search engine rankings.
Head45 LTD is a reputable online marketing company in Cardiff that offers a comprehensive range of digital marketing services to help businesses grow their online presence. This blog will discuss the top 15 image optimisation tips to ensure your website is fast, user-friendly, and search engine friendly.
1. Compress Your Images
Compressing your images is crucial to prevent your website from slowing down. It can help reduce their file size while maintaining their quality. You can utilise various tools, such as TinyPNG, Optimizilla, or Adobe Photoshop, to compress your images effectively.
Example: TinyPNG is a free online tool that can compress your PNG and JPEG images without losing quality.
2. Use the Right Image Format
Choosing the right image format can also affect your website’s performance. JPEG is the most commonly used format for photographs, while PNG is the best choice for graphics and images with transparent backgrounds. The WebP image format is a recently developed format that can effectively decrease the size of image files while preserving their quality.
Example: Google’s WebP is a modern image format with superior compression and quality compared to JPEG and PNG.
3. Optimise Image Size
The size of your image can also affect your website’s performance. It is essential to use the appropriate image size that fits the space on your website. Your website’s speed can be hindered, and valuable storage space can be consumed by the presence of large images.
Example: You can use online image resizers like PicResize or Adobe Photoshop to resize your images.
4. Use Descriptive File Names and Alt Text
Search engines and users rely on image file names and alt text to understand the content of your images. Therefore, using descriptive file names and alt text that accurately describe your images is essential.
Example: Instead of using generic file names like “image1.jpg,” use descriptive file names like “red-flower-bouquet.jpg.”
5. Host Images on a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN can distribute your images across multiple servers worldwide, making it easier for users to access them quickly. Hosting your images on a CDN can improve your website’s speed and performance.
Example: Cloudflare is a popular CDN that can help speed up your website and reduce server load.
6. Use Lazy Loading
Lazy loading is an effective method that loads images only when a user scrolls down the webpage. This technique can significantly enhance your website’s speed and performance, especially for web pages with long content and multiple images.
Example: You can use plugins like Lazy Load by WP Rocket to implement lazy loading on your WordPress site.
7. Minimise HTTP Requests
Each image on your website requires an HTTP request, affecting your website’s performance. Therefore, it is essential to minimise HTTP requests by reducing the number of images on your website.
Example: You can use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to identify the number of HTTP requests on your website.
8. Use Responsive Images
Responsive images can adjust to the user’s screen size, making them look good on any device. Using responsive images can improve your website’s user experience and search engine rankings.
Example: You can use the srcset and sizes attributes in HTML to create responsive images.
9. Use Structured Data for Images
Using structured data can assist search engines in comprehending the content of your images, which in turn can enhance your website’s visibility in search results. With schema markup, you can provide information about the image’s content, subject, and other relevant details.
Example: Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper can help you create structured data for your images.
10. Use a Relevant File Name Extension
The file name extension can affect how search engines and browsers interpret your image. Therefore, using a relevant file names extension, such as .jpg, .png, or .webp, for your images is essential.
Example: Instead of using a generic file extension like .img or .pic, use a relevant file extension like .jpg or .png.
11. Optimise Image Metadata
Image metadata includes the image’s author, date, and location. Including metadata in your images can aid search engines in comprehending the context and significance of your images.
Example: You can use tools like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to add metadata to your images.
12. Use Image Sitemaps
An image sitemap is a list of all the images on your website, along with additional information such as image location, file type, and subject. Image sitemaps can help search engines find and index your images more efficiently.
Example: Yoast SEO is a popular WordPress plugin that can generate image sitemaps for your website.
13. Avoid Using Stock Photos
While stock photos are convenient and readily available, your website may have better options. Using original images that reflect your brand and values can make your website stand out and improve user engagement.
Example: Instead of using stock photos, hire a professional photographer or use your images to create a unique and personalised website.
14. Test Your Images
Testing your images can help you identify and optimise performance issues for better results. Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can help test your images and identify any areas that need improvement.
Example: GTmetrix is a website speed testing tool that can help you analyse your website’s performance, including image optimisation.
15. Update Your Images Regularly
Finally, it is essential to update your images regularly to ensure that they remain relevant and up-to-date. Updating your images can improve user engagement, search engine rankings, and website performance.
Example: Review your website’s images regularly and replace outdated or low-quality images with new and improved ones.
Conclusion
As a leading web design agency in Cardiff, Head45 LTD understands the significance of image optimisation for enhancing website performance, improving search engine rankings, and enhancing user experience.
With our top 15 image optimisation tips, you can ensure your website is fast, user-friendly, and search engine friendly. Our team of experts can help you with image optimisation and other digital marketing strategies to increase your online visibility, as well as drive traffic to your website. By compressing your images, using the correct format, optimising image size, and utilising descriptive file names and alt text, we can help you achieve your business objectives.
Additionally, we offer CDN hosting, lazy loading, minimal HTTP requests, responsive images, structured data for images, and image metadata optimisation to ensure maximum results. Write to us today to learn more.
