• Technical SEO

Optimizing images on the site: so that they sell, not weigh

Optimizing images on the site is four different actions on one file: format, size for a real container, moment of loading and text description. We start with counting, because no one knows if there is anything to shoot. The detail that is missed most often: the delayed loading on the main picture of the first screen does not speed up the page, but slows it down. The garden tool store we measured took 66 of 69 images to load slowly, and at 252.6 KB, it's the lightest of the lot.

See how it works
Price
after a free audit
Guarantee
30 days after project sign-off
What are we counting?
number of images, formats, weight, delayed loading share and fullness of descriptions
after a free audit
Price
30
Guarantee

days after project sign-off

number of images, formats, weight, delayed loading share and fullness of descriptions
What are we counting?
66
Spread in own dimension

out of 69 delayed images (96%) and 154 out of 190 (81%) - measurement 07/31/2026

252.6
The easiest marking among the measured ones

KB in the garden tool store

502.3
The most difficult in this pair

KB at 190 images per page

5-15
Term of works

working days, depends on the proportion of what is processed in batch

free image and weight calculation, 1-3 working days
Before the estimate
sales growth: work removes bytes and technical loss, does not create demand
What we do not promise
What's included

Complete list of work and what you get as a result

  • Inventory of images: how many there are, in what formats, how much they weigh and on what templates they are displayed - all the rest of the work is counted from this list
  • Batch conversion to WebP with a rollback to the usual format - files are lighter and older browsers get what they understand without a separate version of the site
  • Compression with visual inspection, not just by numbers: we determine the quality limit on a trial batch, show you and then keep it as a rule
  • A set of sizes for different screens and the return of the desired one via srcset — the phone stops downloading the desktop file in favor of a half-screen image
  • Deferred loading to everything below the first screen and removing it from the main image so reception doesn't work against the page itself
  • Fixed image dimensions: the layout does not jump when loading, and a person does not miss a button that has just scrolled down
  • Text descriptions for catalog images according to a template you agree on - photos become visible to image searches and screen readers
  • Caching images on the server and Cloudflare - a repeat visit does not download the same files a second time
  • Measurements of the weight of key pages before and after using the same method: otherwise, "it became easier" to confirm with nothing
  • The rule for your team to follow: in what format and size to fill in new graphics so that the catalog does not move back in half a year
When this service isn't right

What's not included — so there are no surprises at delivery

  • Photography and processing of goods
  • Banner retouching and design
  • Writing product descriptions
  • Purchase of images and payment of processing services
Who it's for

Situations where this service delivers results

Scenario 1 of 4

The catalog was compiled over the years from various sources

Part of the photo came from the supplier, part was taken by ourselves, part was dragged from the old site. The formats are different, the weights are different, and so are the proportions. Such a catalog is not treated with one switch: first the inventory, then the processing rule, and only what does not fall under the rule, you have to touch with your hands. We separately name which part is batch and which is manual.

We'll review your situation in a free audit

Free calculation of images and their weight

Images are the most common cause of a heavy page and at the same time the cheapest to treat. But first you need to count: how many of them, in what formats, how many to load at once. We do this ourselves and for free.

What we measure

  • Number of images per pageSeparately for the main, category and product card. Measured contrast: 69 images on one page and 190 on the other.
  • Lazy loading shareHow many of them are not loaded before a person reaches them. In a pair of measured stores, it is 96% and 81%.
  • FormatsWhether using WebP or AVIF. We have come across pages where there is no image in the modern format.
  • Actual dimensions vs. shownClassic waste: a 2,000-pixel photo displayed in a block of 300. The difference in bytes is wasted.
  • Text descriptions of imagesAre they full? An empty description is a photo that neither a search engine nor a screen reader can see.
  • Image of the first screenIsn't the delayed loading on the main picture - an error that spoils exactly what it was supposed to speed up.

What you get

  • Numbers: how many images, how much they weigh, how many with delayed download, how many in modern formats.
  • An estimate of how many bytes can be removed from a page without any visible loss of quality.
  • List of edits divided into batch and manual.
  • A short conversation about the finds.

Timeline: 1-3 working days

Why is it free

Because the calculation is quick, and the conversation after it becomes objective: instead of "the picture needs to be compressed", you get specific numbers and you see for yourself how much it is worth.

What's next

Then there are works with evaluation. Some of them are packaged and cheap; what will have to be done by hand is called a separate line so that there are no surprises in the bill.

Short form: your contact and site URL

  • Contract, act and 30-day warranty

    Every project gets a written contract: scope, deadlines, amount, acceptance procedure. After delivery — act and invoice, then 30 calendar days of warranty.

  • Sole proprietor & bank transfer

    The contractor is a registered sole proprietor. Payment by invoice with closing documents.

  • Rights & access — yours

    Code, design and materials transfer to you after full payment. Domain, hosting, repository and analytics are registered to you.

  • Client portal instead of email chains

    During the project you get access to a portal: contracts, invoices, acts and project status in one place.

  • European clients

    Among our work — projects for Norway, Bulgaria, Moldova and Spain.

  • Verifiable numbers

    Every case in the portfolio comes with a link to a live site and a technical measurement.

  • Audit first, then pricing

    There is no price list on the site intentionally: the scope of the same work differs multiples between clients.

  • We say "no" when unsure

    If the task isn't ours or the deadline is unrealistic — we tell you upfront.

What affects the price

Why two seemingly identical tasks are priced differently

  • How many images and how many sourcesThe catalog, where photos are in one format and one size, is processed in batches according to the rule. The catalog, collected from ten sources over ten years, must first be divided into groups - and it is this, not the number of files, that eats up the days.
  • Are there originals?From the original, we will make WebP and three screen sizes. From a compressed copy - just another compressed copy. If there are no originals, part of the catalog remains as is, and we say this before the bill, not after.
  • Where the files are physically locatedStorage access means batch processing with a single command. If pictures are scattered among entries in the database, inserted directly into product descriptions or provided by someone else's service, a separate job is added to collect them.
  • Template statusThe template, which already knows how to give several sizes, just needs to be adjusted. A template that displays one picture on all screens must be edited - it is a layout, and it is counted separately from file processing.
  • Image descriptionsFill in the descriptions according to the template from the card data - several hours of work for the entire catalog. Writing descriptions manually for each photo is another task and another money, and we do not mix these two lines into one.
Cases

Tasks and results in numbers — all metrics measured by us

online store of garden tools for private buyers

Task
Check how ready your catalog images are for mobile traffic.
Solution
Counting image tags broken down by delayed loading, checking text descriptions, measuring markup weight and server response time.
Result
66 out of 69 images (96%) are delayed loading, the markup weighs 252.6 KB — the lightest document among the batch stores; first response 547.2ms, full load 676.7ms. The defect was found precisely in the images: the names of the carriers are presented only as pictures without a textual description, so neither the search engine nor the screen reader program can see them - the neighboring store has the same logos and descriptions. Measured on 07/31/2026.

a specialized online store of self-defense equipment

Task
Estimate how much page weight images give.
Solution
Calculation of images and shares with delayed loading, measurement of markup weight and response time, reconciliation with the volume of the catalog according to the site map.
Result
190 images on one page, 154 of them with delayed loading (81%). Markup 502.3KB, first response 494.7ms, full load 567.5ms. At the same time, the catalog is small - 48 products and 18 categories, 68 addresses in the site map. That is, delayed loading is configured, and the document is twice as heavy as the store from the previous case: the margin here is not in the number of images, but in their formats and sizes. Measured on 07/31/2026.

Did not find your case?

Describe how it works on your side — we will tell you whether “Image optimization” fits and what it means in your situation. No brief and no call: one question, one answer.

Process steps

Transparent stages with approval at every step

Total duration:5–15 days

  1. Counting and inventory

    1-3 working days

    We count the images on the main page, in the category and in the card, remove the formats, weights and share with delayed loading. The output is a table that shows where the bytes are located.

  2. Processing rule and test batch

    1-2 working days

    We take two or three dozen typical photos, run them through several levels of compression and see with our eyes where the quality begins to fall. As a rule, we fix the agreed limit for the entire catalog.

  3. Batch conversion and dimensions

    1-4 working days

    We run the catalog according to the rule: WebP with a rollback to the usual format, a set of sizes for the screens. We leave the originals intact — rollback should be possible at any time.

  4. Template and cache

    1-3 working days

    We adjust the dimensions, place the delayed download below the first screen and remove it from the main image, set the dimensions, configure the static cache.

  5. Descriptions, re-measurement, transfer

    1-3 working days

    We fill in the descriptions according to the agreed template, repeat the measurements using the same method and give a "before and after" comparison along with a rule for new graphics.

Technologies & integrations

What we build on and what it connects to

Stack

  • WebP is the basic conversion format: all current browsers understand it, the profit is stable
  • AVIF is easier than WebP, but it takes significantly longer to encode, so we put it selectively, not on the entire directory
  • picture with a fallback to JPEG and PNG — the old browser receives the usual file without a separate version of the site
  • loading="lazy" — everything below the first screen; never put on the main image
  • srcset and sizes - the browser itself takes the size for its screen, but it works only where the template gives them
  • batch processing through sharp or ImageMagick — thousands of files by rule, not by hand
  • Lighthouse and Chrome DevTools — before and after measurements; this is a laboratory, not the behavior of real visitors
  • static caching on nginx and Cloudflare - a repeat visit does not download the same files a second time

Integrations

  • Google Search Console
  • GA4
  • Cloudflare
  • Google Merchant Center
Processing according to the rule against the optimizer plugin

How this option differs from the alternative

Compression limitwe determine on a trial batch, show you and fix as a rule
Dimensions for the screenthe set of dimensions and the return of the desired are prescribed in the template
The main image of the first screenwe deliberately take it out of delayed loading
What about the originalswe work with copies, the originals remain untouched
Further expensesone-time work plus a rule for new graphics
What we need from you

We can't start without this — best to prepare in advance

  1. Access to the site files or to the storage where the images are located.
  2. Access to templates - without editing, their dimensions fit the screen and delayed loading cannot be installed.
  3. The originals are of acceptable quality: you can't do better than a compressed copy, and it's not a question of the tool.
  4. The rule for descriptions: what exactly should be in the description of the photo of the product - name, brand, article or their combination.
  5. One person on your side who will look at the test batch and tell if the compression limit is acceptable.

If something is missing — let us know, we'll help you gather it or do it as a separate task.

FAQ

Most frequently asked questions — with concrete answers

How much weight can you lose?

The honest answer is that you have to measure, because the starting conditions differ many times. Two stores from our measurement: one has a markup of 252.6 KB, the second has 502.3 KB, and the second has a catalog of only 68 addresses. Stock is the difference between what you have now and what gives the same look in a modern format and size. After counting, we call this difference in bytes, not a percentage of the ceiling.

Should all images be delayed loading?

No, and this is the most common mistake in this thread. The main image of the first screen is needed immediately, and the delay adds delay to it exactly where it is most noticeable. The rule is simple: everything below the first screen is delayed, the first screen is not. You have to check by patterns: mass settings usually cover all pictures indiscriminately.

Is WebP safe for older browsers?

Yes, if you give it with a rollback: a browser that understands the format receives WebP, the rest - the usual JPEG or PNG. This is a standard markup design, a separate version of the site is not required for this. AVIF is a different story: it is lighter, but the encoding is noticeably slower, so we put it selectively - on banners and heavy photos, and not on the whole catalog.

Do you need descriptions for product photos?

Needed, and not only for image search. In a garden tool store, we found a delivery page where carrier names are presented as pictures without any description: a person sees logos, and a search engine and a screen reader see nothing. The next store has the same logos and descriptions. For the catalog, the descriptions are filled in according to the template from the fields of the card, it is a few hours for the whole catalog, not manual work.

How many images is normal to have on a page?

The question is not the number, but how many of them the browser pulls at once. In our measurement, there is a page with 190 images where 154 are deferred and a page with 69 where 66 are deferred. Both behave acceptably. The problem begins where there is no delay at all: then even a hundred light pictures are loaded before a person has seen the first screen.

What to do with a catalog of tens of thousands of photos?

Process in batches, as a rule, and not by hand. Conversion, compression and slicing are automated; what is left by hand is what does not fall under the rule - usually banners, collages and non-standard layouts. We separately name which part of the work is batch and which is manual, so that the estimate is not one big number without explanation.

And the quality will not deteriorate?

That is why there is a test batch stage in the works. We take two or three dozen typical photos, run them through several levels of compression and see with our eyes where the texture begins to fall out - it is visible first on fabric, metal and small text. As a rule, we fix the agreed limit. The originals remain intact, so you can roll back at any time.

Will there be more orders after this work?

We don't promise and we don't count like that. Lighter images remove technical churn—the fraction of people who leave without waiting for a product image—but don't create demand. If the price is higher than the market or the product is out of stock, the quick page will simply show the reason to leave faster. We measure weight, formats and descriptions; sales are measured in your analytics, and you need to consciously reconcile one with the other.

Submit the site address and access to the files or image repository.

The answer is how many images you have, how much they weigh, how many of them are in modern formats, and how many bytes can be removed without a visible loss of quality. If there is nothing to remove, let's say so in the first email and name where the weight actually sits.

From measured cases66 out of 69 images (96%) are delayed loading, the markup weighs 252.6 KB

View cases
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  • We work under a contract

There is no price list on the site on purpose: the same work differs several times over between two clients, and a “from” figure explains nothing in that case. First a free audit — we count your pages, duplicates and speed — then we name the sum and the deadline and fix both in the contract.