How Image Optimisation Can Help Your Website

Let’s talk about a sneaky little culprit that’s quietly slowing down small business websites all over the internet: absolutely massive images.

Now don’t get me wrong – images are brilliant. They make your website look good, help tell your story, and can even boost your SEO if you’re clever about it. But when they’re not properly optimised, they’re like trying to run a marathon in wellies*. Heavy, slow, and really annoying.

So, let’s break down what image optimisation actually is, why it matters, and how you (yes, you) can make your site faster, slicker, and just generally more enjoyable to visit.

What Is Image Optimisation?

In plain English, image optimisation is the process of reducing the file size of your images without stuffing up their quality.

It’s about finding the sweet spot: you want your photos to look good on screen, but not be so bloated they take a century to load.

There are a few ways to do this, like:

• Resizing images to the actual dimensions they’ll appear on your site (not just dumping in the original from your phone/camera).

• Compressing images to reduce their file size (lossless or lossy – we’ll get to that).

• Choosing the right format – like JPEG, PNG, or newer ones like WebP.

• Lazy loading – so images only load when people scroll to them (instead of all at once, up front).

Basically: small but mighty. That’s the goal.

Why You Should Care (a Lot)

Here’s the harsh truth: oversized images can kill your website performance. And when your site is slow, bad things happen. No one’s hanging around waiting for your homepage to crawl out of bed and Google punishes you too. Yep – site speed is a ranking factor.

Mobile users suffer the most. And let’s be honest, they probably make up half (if not more) of your traffic so your credibility takes a hit. A sluggish site feels unprofessional, even if you’re bloody brilliant at what you do.

And, most importantly for our eco-conscious company is the cost of that huge amount of data space being taken up by website images. We’re passionate about decluttering digital data and images and videos are a HUGE part of this problem.

Optimised images = faster loading = happier humans (and search engines) = a happier planet.

Common Image Sins We See on Small Business Websites

Let’s name and shame some of the usual suspects:

1. Uploading Huge Photos Straight from Your Phone/Camera

That gorgeous photo you snapped on your iPhone is probably 4000+ pixels wide and 4MB+ in size. Your website only needs 1920 pixels max for a full-width banner. Anything above that is just wasted space and loading time.

2. Using the Wrong File Types

PNG is fab for logos and graphics with transparency, but it’s usually too bulky for photos. JPEG is your best mate for most photographic content. WebP is even better – smaller file sizes, still looks great, and supported on most modern browsers.

3. No Compression at All

You wouldn’t print a brochure without proofreading it. So why would you upload an image without shrinking it first? Tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh can take your images down to half the size or less – with no noticeable quality loss.

4. Same Image, Different Sizes, Everywhere

Don’t just reuse that full-sized header image as a thumbnail. Create separate versions for different placements. Your site builder (like Wix or WordPress) might help with this – or let you set responsive image sizes.

What’s the Fix?

Here’s your quick-start checklist for better image optimisation:

✓ Resize your images before uploading – aim for actual display size on your site

✓ Use JPEG for photos, PNG for transparent graphics, and WebP where you can

✓ Compress your images with a free tool (seriously – do it!)

✓ Use descriptive file names and alt text for accessibility and SEO

✓ Enable lazy loading if your platform supports it

✓ Consider an image CDN (content delivery network) if you’ve got loads of photos or high traffic

How Much Faster Are We Talking?

Just to give you a sense of the difference this can make: we’ve seen clients chop 5+ seconds off their homepage load time just by sorting out their images.

That’s the difference between someone bouncing away in frustration vs. sticking around to actually read your offer, click your contact button, or buy the thing.

Image Optimisation Is Important

It’s not just a “nice to have”. It’s a must-do if you want a professional, fast, and search-friendly website. And the good news? It’s not rocket science. A few smart tweaks can make a huge difference.

So next time you go to upload that gorgeous professional shot or team photo, stop and ask:

"Have I optimised this, or am I about to drag my whole site down with it?"

Need a hand with all this? Give us a shout – we're always happy to advise.

* Fun wellie-related fact: There was a guy back in 1983 who ran the Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon in gumboots (Aussie for wellies). Cliff Young was a 61-year-old potato farmer who turned up in his everyday attire and won the race, finishing nearly 10 hours ahead of the next runner! Look it up - it's quite a story!