Make Your Pages Load Faster With Image Optimization
Despite the fact that more and more Internet users switch to broadband every day, a large portion of the web’s population is still browsing with dial up connections. It is wise, then, to keep these users in mind when you’re designing your website. One of the main factors you should consider for dial up users is the loading time of your website.
Generally, the text on your website will load in a very short time even on dial up. The two main culprits of slow-loading sites are large images and video on your website. It is very important to strike a delicate balance between using just enough images to attract your users but not to bog down the overall loading time of your site. Video should be used sparingly to convey a specific message that cannot be communicated effectively otherwise.
Take care to optimize every image on your site to make sure it will load in the least time possible. This can be accomplished using image editing software to remove unnecessary data from your images, thereby effectively reducing the file size of your image without noticeably affecting its appearance.
The first step you need to take is selecting the right file format to save your images. Generally speaking, photographs and complex images will be look better and have a smaller file size when saved in JPEG format. Clipart and simple line images (even those with color) will usually look better and have a smaller file size when saved as a GIF. If at all possible, you should use these two file formats on the web. Other image formats may not display in some browsers.
If you own Photoshop, you will find that when you save an image as a JPEG file, a dialog box appears and lets you choose the “quality” of the JPEG image — normally a setting of 8 to 10 is good enough as it will preserve the quality of your image while reducing the file size. If you do not have Photoshop, there are many free image compressors online that you can download and use to reduce your image’s file size.
You can also save your images in GIF format. In this format, the image editing software clips away all the color information not used in your image. However, saving photos or complex images in GIF format will often compromise the appearance of your image, so compare the formats in your image editing software and make your choice wisely!
You could also choose to save your images in PNG format. This produces the best quality image, but may not result in the smallest file size. PNG images contain all of the “layers” of an image so that it can be edited later. Generally it is best to archive these files, convert them to another format and use their JPEG or GIF counterparts in your web pages.
By paying careful attention to your image file sizes you can produce an attractive web site that will provide a positive experience for all your visitors, even those still on dial up.
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