How to Optimize Product Images for Web Performance
Slow images kill conversions. Learn how to optimize your product photos for lightning-fast loading while maintaining quality.
What You'll Need
- Product images
- PixelPanda account
Step-by-Step Guide
Start with high-quality source images
Always work from the highest quality originals. You can compress down but can't add quality back. AI upscaling can help recover detail from lower-res images if needed.
Choose the right format
WebP offers the best compression with quality. Use it for web when possible. Fall back to JPG for compatibility. PNG only when you need transparency.
Resize to actual display size
Don't serve 4000px images that display at 500px. Resize images to 2x their display size for retina screens (1000px for 500px display).
Compress intelligently
Use quality settings of 80-85% for JPG/WebP. Most viewers can't see the difference, but file sizes drop dramatically.
Implement lazy loading
Only load images as users scroll to them. This dramatically improves initial page load. Modern browsers support native lazy loading with the loading='lazy' attribute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Main images: 1500-2000px on longest edge. Thumbnails: 300-500px. Always provide high-res originals for zoom functionality.
Yes! Page speed is a ranking factor. Fast-loading images improve Core Web Vitals, which affects search rankings. Also add alt text for image SEO.
WebP when possible - it's smaller and supports transparency. JPG for broader email/social compatibility. Most e-commerce platforms now support WebP.