Skip to main content Screen Reader Website Version

Understanding Image Optimization

Image optimization is complicated and a multi-tiered process that takes months of study and practice.

Just kidding. It’s easy.

First, make sure you’re images aren’t huge. Most digital devices take pictures in high resolutions and most stock photos come that way. Always size your images to the exact size they’re going to be online. If you’re using relative widths with a responsive design (eg 100%, 90%,) then size it to the max width you’re using and consider using media queries to  scale down the image if possible for mobile devices and tablets.

Second throw your images through an optimizer to reduce their overall “weight”. This won’t affect image quality most often and will reduce the KB of your image by up to 95%. So a 100KB image becomes more like 5KB. This is significant. The best image optimizer (free) on the market it RIOT. http://luci.criosweb.ro/riot/ RIOT is easy to use and does a great job on jpegs … not so much on transparent png’s. Still it is very useful and best of all, free.

Ultimately, that is it. Size your images and run them through an optimizer …. aaaaaand…. you’re done. Simple. Livewire.

More Web Design Blog Content

AJAX Store Locator ★★★★★

Just finished up a project using AJAX store locator from codecanyon. The client needed a lightweight solution to locate specialty stores all across the country. With some significant upgrades, we customized this script to suit their needs exactly. Customization took around six hours but was much more efficient

Review: Total Cache WordPress Plugin ★★★★

An easy plugin for WordPress that does all your caching for you automatically. What is caching? A cache essentially takes a screenshot of your page and keeps it in local memory. When that page is called (by a user visiting it) then it is called up from the

CSS Animation, The New Flash?

I’ve used it, so I am not immune to the pull of CSS animation, but what are we doing here folks? Used sparingly, CSS animation is at best a small way to augment conversions (button wiggle), but at worst it is a resource hog that destroys readability and

Digital Worlds

Just finished up a long term project with Digital Worlds at the University of Florida in Gainesville. This web design project intends to reach young audiences with compelling content. It is a place for them to upload videos, share, collaborate and get insights into problems and issues that

Come On Folks, It’s All About Site Structure, Still!

I like what Jeff Bezos said about your margin being his opportunity. In the same way, for other SEO companies out there, your inattention to site structure is our opportunity. We just wish your clients didn’t have to suffer through it before they come to us to get

You get 15 seconds! Web Design Trends for 2016

Mobile is in and users are becoming increasingly impatient. In 2014, 55% of users spent less than 15 seconds on a webpage according to data by Tony Haile of Chartbeat.  This means you only have 15 seconds to capture a users attention and convert a visitor to a customer.