free consultation
When creating a website or administering a current one, we usually don't think about what size images to add to a blog post or to individual subpages. This is a mistake because we are usually unaware of how easily we can worsen the loading time of subpages through large photos that are loaded in png or jpg formats completely unnecessarily. We are skipping the issues of file size here because this is another problem that should be automatically solved for us by the website, or rather by the Wordpress engine properly generating formats for responsive versions and adjusted to the size of the container provided for a particular image size. As a result of the lack of such a mechanism, we lose a lot in loading time by loading photos that are too large.
However, in addition to the technical problems, it is worth considering in what format to upload images to Wordpress media, and ultimately to our website whether png is a good idea ? Or maybe it is worth reaching for the proven solutions of jpg formats ?
The WebP format comes with a solution to the problems of image compression, weight and sharpness on websites.
WebP provides the best quality of applied files from the existing choice of GIF, JPG or PNG. It was created and is being developed by Google to speed up web pages. It has been implemented since 2010.
Table of Contents:
WebP uses lossless compression i.e.: it does not degrade the image quality like compressing jpg files. Images in this format are lighter ie: weigh less in KB than their JPG counterpart.
Optimizing images in Wordpress also means making sure that the image file formats are correct in terms of size. If you are adding an image to a container on a subpage with a size of 500x400px, there is no point in uploading a file above 100px willy-nilly to Wordpress media. It is worth keeping this in mind.
WebP format means better performance for your wordpress
The positive impact of saving on file weight is the main aspect that has contributed to the popularity of this format. The file quality ratio is also at a very high level compared to the lossy compression of the JPG format.
Webp is files up to 35% smaller
WebP, despite its clique of drawbacks, is gaining popularity and is increasingly used. Wordpress also has mechanisms to automatically convert jpg files to WebP. This will make websites run faster.
If you use a large number of images on your website, for example: galleries, portfolios, extended photo sections, it is worth considering converting JPG files to WebP format. Already with a few photos which, assuming they are properly embedded on the page, you will feel the difference on the subpage loading time. Better page performance means better results in Google Core Web Vitals. Which translates into user experience and indirectly into SEO. See how to SEO a site on Wordpress.
When analyzing websites with Google Page Speed programs, we often find as one of many comments :
Display images in next-generation formats.
Google Page Speed gives an estimate of what we can gain from doing image optimization and by how much our page load time will improve. See also wordpress page optimization.
With this format, we achieve the best ratio between file weight and quality.
WebP files weigh on average 20-30% less than PNG format files.
Which gives us, with a larger number of images, a big saving in subpage loading time.
For JPG files:
Webp files weigh on average 30-40% less than a JPG file
See also Wordpress themed articles
In case you don't use the format only for Wordpress, you can use the online conversion program https://convertio.co/pl/jpg-webp/
In the case of using Wordpress as the engine for the website, we have the opportunity to use an automatic solution using LiteSpeed on the server. Condition! The server must support LiteSpeed. Otherwise, we will have to additionally use online converters or use appropriate scripts.
Use LiteSpeed on your server
If we are optimizing a website and the issue is the weight and format of the images we usually use LiteSpeed and a plug-in that automatically converts JPG to WebP, in addition to changes in Wordpress' generation of the formats and matching them to the appropriate size containers on the site and for responsive versions.
The plug-in, once installed and enabled, does all the work in the background. All you need to do is configure it properly and enable the execution of conversions for current images and new ones.
You can find the plug-in at the following link : https://wordpress.org/plugins/webp-converter-for-media/
After navigating to the plugin settings, we will be presented with an input screen, showing the parameters and strategy for converting files in Wordpress
In the case if we want to convert the current images on the site, just select CTA : Run bulk optimization
In the advanced settings, we have a choice of which folders the plugin should convert images from and whether it should convert new images - here we turn the switcher on YES.
Digital Agency Hauerpower
Copyrights 2010-2022
