As a web designer and photographer, I know how crucial image sizes are for a snazzy website. But, big images can slow things down big time! Let’s dive into why image size matters, the perfect sizes to use, how image optimisation can help your website, the top WordPress plugins to shrink those files, and how to check if your site’s dragging because of hefty images.
Why Image Size Matters
Images are, by far, the number one issue I see for slowing a website down. Sure, high-res pics look amazing (especially for us photographers) but they can make your site sloooow. A slow site means unhappy visitors, higher bounce rates, and lower search engine rankings. Google loves speedy sites, so optimising your images is a no-brainer.
Ideal Image Sizes for Your WordPress Site
Keep your site fast without sacrificing quality! Follow these general guidelines for optimal image sizes:
- Header Images: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Standard Content Images: 1200 x 800 pixels
- Thumbnails: 150 x 150 pixels
Aim to keep your images under 100KB whenever possible. Striking the right balance between size and quality is crucial for maintaining a zippy, high-performing website!
WordPress Plugins to Shrink Image Sizes
Thankfully, WordPress has several plugins that help compress those images for you. These plugins make it super easy to compress and optimise images:
- Smush: Compresses images automatically on upload and lets you bulk compress.
- EWWW Image Optimizer: Offers lossless and lossy compression, and converts images to the best format.
- Imagify: Optimises on upload and supports bulk optimisation with three levels of compression.
- ShortPixel: Compresses images and PDFs, supports WebP format, and bulk optimisation.
Check If Large Images Are Slowing Down Your Site
Regularly check your site’s performance with these tools:
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Analyses mobile and desktop performance and pinpoints issues ( I use this ALL the time!)
- GTmetrix: Gives a detailed speed and performance report with optimisation tips.
- Pingdom Website Speed Test: Offers a comprehensive load time and performance analysis.
- WP Performance Score Booster: Identifies potential issues, including large images, and helps optimise your site.
Optimising images on your WordPress site keeps it fast, efficient, and visually appealing. Understand the importance of image size, use the right dimensions, leverage helpful plugins, and regularly monitor your site’s performance.
Whether you’re showcasing your business’s services or building a gallery to brag about your client projects, these tips will keep your WordPress website running smoothly. Remember, a fast site is great for users and search engine rankings. Start optimising your images today and watch your site performance soar!
If you need help with your WordPress, get in touch and let’s see how we can help!
Trish