How to compress your images for your website
We've all done it – uploaded big, beautiful images to our websites without a second thought, only to later realise we’ve slowed everything to a crawl. So, if you’re tired of watching your ideal client click off because your site takes forever to load, here’s the lowdown: it’s time to stop uploading huge images and start optimising!
Why huge images are the worst (& why you need to compress)
Imagine you’re a visitor to your own website. You click a link, it’s loading… and loading… and loading. So, what do you do? You probably bounce! Massive images are often the culprit behind slow load times. Google doesn’t like it, and neither do your visitors.
Instead, compress those images down without losing quality. By doing this, you can reduce load times, improve SEO, and keep people engaged.
So, here is your quick guide to faster, SEO-friendly images using TinyPNG:
Let’s compress those images with TinyPNG!
Here’s a super simple, step-by-step guide to making your images web-ready. TinyPNG is our tool of choice – it’s free, intuitive, and does an amazing job of compressing images without sacrificing quality.
Step 1: Check Your Image Format
First things first, make sure your image is in JPEG or PNG format. These formats are the most web-friendly, and TinyPNG is a pro at handling them. Avoid TIFFs, BMPs, and other oversized formats—they’re better for print than web.
Step 2: Head Over to TinyPNG
Next, open up your browser and type in tinypng.com. It’s a quick and easy tool for image compression. Bonus: No registration or account is needed, so you can get straight to work!
Step 3: Upload Your Image
Simply drag and drop your image file into the big blue upload box on the TinyPNG homepage, or click to upload manually. The magic begins immediately – TinyPNG will analyze and compress your image in seconds.
Step 4: Wait & Download
Sit tight! TinyPNG will work on reducing your file size without messing up your image quality. Once it’s done, a download button will appear. Go ahead and save the compressed file to your device.
Step 5: Upload the Compressed Image to Your Website
This is the fun part. Replace the old, heavy version of your image with this lean, web-ready file. Your website should now load noticeably faster – watch that page speed improve!
Bonus Points: Name Your Image Like a Pro
For an extra SEO boost, rename your image file with a keyword-friendly title before you upload it to your site. Instead of something vague like “IMG_23456.jpg,” use descriptive terms, like “handmade-candles.jpg.” Search engines will appreciate this, and it can help improve your search ranking.
Optional pro tips for super speed
File Size Check: Aim to keep compressed images under 500KB. TinyPNG is amazing, but some large files may need additional tweaking to stay in this range.
Resize to Needed Dimensions: If you only need a 500x500 pixel image, don’t upload a 2000x2000 one. Cropping your images to the right dimensions before uploading to TinyPNG will help with load time even more.
Final thoughts
Optimising your images might seem like a small thing, but it can make a huge difference to your website’s performance. Faster load times mean happier visitors, better search rankings, and more engagement.
So, give TinyPNG a try today. Your future self (and your site visitors) will thank you.
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Anna xx
