Optimizing Website Images for Speed and Accessibility

It goes without saying but having a website is essential for any business. However, many businesses overlook the importance of optimizing their website for speed and accessibility.

One critical aspect of optimizing your website is optimizing your images. Images can make your website more visually appealing, but they can also slow down your website if they're not optimized properly. In this article, I will share three tips on how to optimize your images for speed and accessibility.

Tip 1: Use an image compressor tool

The first tip I have for you is to use an image compressor tool. These tools help to reduce the file size of your images without compromising quality. One excellent free tool for this purpose is TinyPNG: https://tinypng.com/, which compresses your images with just a few clicks.

For example, let's say you have an image that is 1 MB in size. After compressing it with TinyPNG, the file size is reduced to 250 KB. This is a significant reduction in file size, and it will make your website load much faster.

Tip 2: Optimize your image file names

The second tip is to optimize your image file names. The file name of your image can help search engines understand the content of the image and improve your SEO (I always say you want to make things as easy as possible for Google to notice your changes and rank your content). When naming your files, use descriptive names that are short and simple, so they are easy for search engines to read. A good rule of thumb is to keep the file name to five or six words or less. Additionally, use hyphens to separate words instead of underscores or spaces.

For example, let's say you have an image of a cat. You could name the file "cat-sitting-on-a-couch.jpg". This is a descriptive file name that is easy for search engines to read.

Tip 3: Use image alt tags

The third tip is to include image alt tags. Alt tags are a text description of an image that is displayed when the image cannot be loaded, and they are also used by search engines to understand what the image is about. Use descriptive language in your alt tags that accurately reflect the content of the image. This not only improves your website's accessibility but also helps your SEO efforts.

For example, let's say you have an image of a dog. You could include the following alt tag: "A golden retriever dog sitting in a park". This is a descriptive alt tag that accurately reflects the content of the image.

Conclusion

Optimizing your images for speed and accessibility is an essential aspect of improving your website's performance. By compressing your images, optimizing your file names, and including alt tags, you can significantly improve your website's loading time, which can lead to higher conversions and better search engine rankings. Take advantage of the tips shared above and give your website a competitive edge by avoiding some of the top SEO mistakes.