The web is a visual space. Every day, billions of images are uploaded, shared and viewed online. But did you know that the size, weight and format of these images can have a significant impact on your website's performance and your SEO ranking? In this article, we'll explore why it's essential to resize, optimize and adjust the weight of your images for the web.
Why resize images for the web?
When you upload an image to your site, it takes up a certain amount of space. The larger and heavier the image, the longer it takes to load. This can significantly slow down your site's speed, which is detrimental to the user experience and can also affect your SEO ranking. By resizing your images and adjusting their weight, you can improve your site's performance and ensure a smooth experience for your visitors.
The impact of image weight on site speed
Image weight refers to file size in kilobytes (Kb) or megabytes (Mb). A heavy image can considerably slow down page loading time. For a fast website, we recommend keeping image weights as low as possible without compromising image quality. Ideally, a web image should weigh between 50KB and 500KB, depending on its size and use.
How to optimize images for SEO?
- Compress your images: Compression reduces file size without compromising quality. Tools like Tinypng can help you compress your images without loss of quality.
- Rename your files: The name of your image file can help search engines understand what it's about. Instead of "IMG1234.jpg", name it "pomme-rouge.jpg".
- Use the text alt tag: This tag describes the image to search engines and screen readers for web accessibility. Make sure every image has a relevant alt tag.
What are the no-code tools for resizing images?
There are a number of no-code tools that make it easy to resize images for the web. Figma, for example, is a design tool that also lets you resize and export images. Tinypng or Squoosh, as mentioned above, is excellent for compression.
Dimensions and weight ideal for the web
- Favicon: A favicon is the small icon that appears next to your site's title in a browser tab. The ideal size for a favicon is 32x32 or 256x256 pixels. You can use our Figma plugin to resize your design.
- Open Graph Image: When you share a blog post or page on social networks, an image is often displayed. The ideal size for an Open Graph image is 1200x630 pixels.
Web-friendly formats
The image format you choose can also affect the loading speed of your site. The WEBP format, for example, offers higher-quality compression than JPEG or PNG formats. If you're using Webflow for your site, there are ways to convert your images to WEBP format. Find out how to compress your webp images in Webflow
In conclusion
Properly sizing, optimizing and adjusting the weight of your images for the web isn't just a question of aesthetics. It's a crucial step in ensuring good site performance, improved accessibility and optimal SEO. By using the right practices and tools, you can ensure that your images are perfectly adapted to the modern web.
