Image Compression and WebP Conversion

We begin by auditing your images. Using page-speed tools and a crawl of the site, we list the largest images, the pages carrying the heaviest total image weight, images served larger than they are displayed, formats in use, and images that load above the fold. We record the total size of your media library and set a goal, such as bringing key pages under a chosen total weight on mobile. We back up the library before any bulk change; see website backups and restoration. Next, we deal with dimensions, because resizing often saves more than compression. We check the largest size each image is shown at across your layouts, including high-density screens, and set upload and display sizes accordingly. For new uploads, we set sensible maximum dimensions so editors are not caught out. We then compress. Photos usually use lossy compression at a quality that keeps detail while cutting size; graphics with flat colour, such as logos and icons, are better as SVG or optimised PNG; screenshots may need lossless handling to stay sharp. For format, WebP is supported by all modern browsers and is typically much smaller than JPEG or PNG at similar quality. AVIF can be smaller still but needs more processing and has narrower tool support, so we use it where the setup allows. We generate WebP versions and serve them in a way that is safe: through a plugin or server rule that checks browser support, or with the picture element and a fallback to the original format. On WordPress, tools such as ShortPixel, Imagify, EWWW, Smush or server-side processing can convert the existing library in bulk and process new uploads automatically; we choose one that suits your budget, volume and hosting, and avoid running several together. We configure responsive images using srcset so that mobile visitors receive smaller files. We turn on lazy loading for images below the fold, but exclude the main hero or banner image that determines the page’s visible loading time, and we preload it where helpful, because lazy-loading the largest visible image hurts performance. We set width and height attributes to prevent layout shifts, which affect page stability scores. We check background images set in CSS or by page builders, because they often escape automatic optimisation. We then test visually on desktop and mobile, comparing key pages before and after, and look for blurry images, missing images, or broken sliders. We confirm that the images are still indexable and have their alt text; see image alt text and image SEO. Using the same measurements as at the start, we report the savings in megabytes and load time. Caching and delivery are covered in caching configuration and content delivery network setup. For product imagery, see product image and description optimization. We cannot improve images that are too small or poor to begin with, and results depend on the original files, but most sites can cut image weight by a large share without visible loss.