QTAG Logo
Back to guides list

Website Speed: Image Compression and Modern Formats (WebP)

Website loading speed is one of the most important factors affecting user experience, Google ranking, and business effectiveness. The biggest culprit of slow sites? Images! In this guide, you will learn how to compress graphics, which formats to choose, and why WebP is the future of the web.

1

Why is website speed so important?

  • Users don't wait – 53% of people leave a site if it loads longer than 3 seconds.
  • SEO – Google ranks fast sites higher in search results.
  • Conversions – Every second of delay can mean up to 20% fewer orders or inquiries.
"A fast website means happy users and higher profits."
2

Images – the biggest performance problem

Statistically, over 60% of an average website's weight is graphics. They are often uploaded in too high resolution or without compression.

  • Unoptimized photos can weigh several MB each!
  • Every extra kilobyte means longer loading, especially on mobile devices.
"The simplest way to speed up your site? Optimize your images!"
3

Image compression – how does it work?

Compression means reducing the file size of a graphic without visible quality loss. There are two types of compression:

  • Lossless – keeps 100% quality (e.g. PNG, WebP lossless)
  • Lossy – slightly reduces quality but gives huge savings (e.g. JPG, WebP lossy)

Our Image Compressor lets you choose the compression level and instantly see the result.

4

Image formats – which to choose?

  • JPG/JPEG – good for photos, small size, but lossy compression.
  • PNG – ideal for graphics with transparency, larger files.
  • GIF – animations, small color palette, outdated.
  • SVG – vector graphics, great for icons and logos.
  • WebP – modern, combines JPG and PNG advantages, up to 30-50% smaller files at the same quality!
"WebP is the future of web graphics – faster, lighter, no quality loss."
5

How to implement WebP on your website?

  • Use <picture> with fallback to JPG/PNG for older browsers.
  • Convert images to WebP before uploading – use the QTAG Image Compressor.
  • Test your site's loading on different devices.

Example HTML code: 

<picture>
  <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Image description">
</picture>

Summary

  • Compress and optimize all images before publishing.
  • Use modern formats – WebP gives the biggest benefits.
  • Test your site's speed, e.g. with Google PageSpeed Insights.

Start today – optimize your images and speed up your website with QTAG!

About the Author

Author: Michał
IT enthusiast, lover of fast websites and automation. For years, he has helped companies and creators achieve better results through optimization. He believes that a faster web is a better web for everyone. Creator of the QTAG platform.