At Bold Digital, we pride ourselves on delivering real results through creative thinking, fresh perspectives, and practical business insight. Our passion is to break down complex technologies into clear, actionable strategies that ignite interest in our clients’ offerings, build brand awareness, and generate real, measurable inquiries. One of the key ways we help clients achieve digital marketing success is by optimizing their websites for top-notch performance and user experience.
In this article, we’ll explore one of the most impactful optimisations you can make to your website: serving images in next-gen formats. We’ll explain what these formats are, why they matter for page speed and user engagement, and how to implement them effectively.
1. Why Image Optimisation Matters
Images are essential to building a compelling online brand presence. They convey brand identity, showcase products or services, and help tell your story. However, images also take up a significant portion of webpage weight and can drastically affect loading times if not optimized properly.
- User Experience: Slow-loading websites frustrate users and increase bounce rates.
- SEO Performance: Page speed is a ranking factor on Google. Faster websites often rank higher, improving visibility and driving more qualified traffic.
- Mobile & Global Considerations: Users on mobile connections or in regions with slower internet speeds may abandon websites that load slowly.
By serving images in next-gen formats, you can significantly reduce file sizes while maintaining high visual quality—leading to faster load times, better user experiences, and improved search engine rankings.
2. Introduction to Next-Gen Image Formats
Traditional image formats like JPEG, PNG, and GIF have been the backbone of the web for years. While these formats are widely supported, they aren’t always the most efficient in terms of compression and quality.
Key Next-Gen Formats
- WebP: Developed by Google, WebP offers both lossy and lossless compression. It can reduce file sizes by around 25–35% compared to JPEG without a noticeable loss in quality.
- AVIF: An even newer format that promises superior compression and image quality. AVIF can achieve significantly lower file sizes compared to JPEG and WebP, though support is still growing.
- JPEG 2000 / JPEG XR: Older “next-gen” formats that offer better compression than traditional JPEG, but they are less commonly supported compared to WebP and AVIF.
Among these formats, WebP and AVIF are the frontrunners due to their broadening browser support and excellent compression capabilities.
3. Benefits of Serving Images in Next-Gen Formats
3.1 Improved Page Load Speed
The primary motivation behind next-gen formats is to reduce the file size of images. Smaller files mean faster load times, reducing bounce rates and enhancing user engagement.
3.2 Enhanced User Experience
Faster-loading pages offer a smoother browsing experience. When visitors can see your content without delay, they’re more likely to stay on your site and engage with your offerings.
3.3 Higher Conversion Rates
A snappier website leads to higher conversion rates. Users who aren’t frustrated by slow loading times are more likely to explore your product pages, join your mailing list, or make a purchase.
3.4 SEO Advantages
Google has indicated that site speed is a ranking factor. Efficient, optimized websites that serve next-gen images often see boosts in organic search results, leading to greater visibility.
4. How to Implement Next-Gen Image Serving
4.1 Assess Your Current Setup
- Conduct a Performance Audit: Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to check your current performance scores. These tools will highlight if you’re missing out on “serve images in next-gen formats.”
- Review Your CMS / Tech Stack: Identify the platforms or plugins you currently use for image handling. Popular content management systems like WordPress or Drupal offer plugins or modules that facilitate next-gen image delivery.
4.2 Convert Images to Next-Gen Formats
- Manual Conversion: Tools like Squoosh, Adobe Photoshop, or GIMP allow you to convert images to next-gen formats manually. This method gives you complete control over compression levels and quality settings but can be time-consuming for large sites.
- Automated Conversion: Consider using online services like Cloudinary or ImageKit that automatically convert images and serve them in the best possible format based on the user’s browser capabilities.
4.3 Implement Responsive Images
When optimising for performance, don’t overlook the importance of responsive images. The HTML <picture> element lets you serve different image sizes and formats based on the user’s device or browser. For example:
<picture>
<source srcset="image.avif" type="image/avif">
<source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Sample Image">
</picture>
In this code snippet:
- The browser will first check if it can render AVIF. If yes, it will serve
image.avif. - If it can’t, it checks for WebP support and serves
image.webp. - Otherwise, it falls back to the traditional
image.jpg.
4.4 Use Plugins (If You’re on WordPress or Similar CMS)
- ShortPixel: Converts uploaded images to WebP and/or AVIF and serves them dynamically.
- Smush Pro: Offers lossless compression and the option to convert images to next-gen formats.
- Imagify: Similar functionality for WebP conversion.
These plugins often include a fallback mechanism for browsers that don’t support next-gen formats, making implementation seamless.
4.5 Lazy Loading & Further Optimisations
- Lazy Loading: Serve images only when they’re about to enter the user’s viewport. This reduces initial page load time and bandwidth consumption.
- Compression & Resizing: Even in next-gen formats, larger images can slow down your website. Make sure to compress and resize images to the appropriate dimensions for your layout.
5. Addressing Browser Compatibility
One potential concern with next-gen formats is browser support. While most modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) have robust WebP support, AVIF support is still rolling out. However, using the <picture> element or an automated service with fallbacks ensures that users on unsupported browsers still receive a valid image format like JPEG.
It’s essential to test your site on multiple devices and browsers to confirm images are loading correctly everywhere. As always, keep an eye on analytics to check for anomalies in user behaviour or metrics after you’ve implemented next-gen images.
6. Measuring Success
Once your images are optimized and served in next-gen formats, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact:
- Page Speed Scores: Re-run tools like PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to see if your performance metrics have improved.
- Bounce Rate: Check if fewer users leave immediately, indicating they’re finding what they need more quickly.
- Conversion Rate: Higher conversions or increased inquiries can signal that a smoother user experience is keeping visitors engaged.
- Average Session Duration & Pages per Session: Users often explore more pages on a fast, efficient site.
7. Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Over-Compression: While reducing file size is crucial, excessive compression can degrade image quality. Strike a balance by testing different compression levels.
- No Fallbacks: Some web users still rely on older browsers. Ensure you have fallback formats (e.g., JPEG) so nobody is left with broken images.
- Forgetting File Naming Conventions: When automating, be mindful of file naming. Some setups rely on specific naming rules to detect and serve optimised images.
- Ignoring Mobile Performance: Always test on mobile devices. Images that look great on desktop but aren’t scaled for mobile can slow down page load times on smartphones.
8. How Bold Digital Can Help
At Bold Digital, our goal is to turn cutting-edge technology and marketing strategies into real results for our clients. Serving images in next-gen formats may sound complex, but our team of web performance and design experts makes it simple. Here’s how we can assist:
- Technical Audits: We’ll conduct a thorough assessment of your website’s performance to identify bottlenecks, including image loading.
- Next-Gen Implementation: Whether you need a full-scale CMS plugin setup or a custom approach using the
<picture>element, we’ll ensure your images are delivered optimally. - Creative & Branding: We’ll maintain your brand integrity while optimizing images, ensuring that visuals remain eye-catching and consistent across devices.
- Ongoing Support: Technology evolves, and so do next-gen formats. We’ll provide continuous monitoring, updates, and analytics reviews to keep your site performing at its best.
9. Conclusion
Image optimisation using next-gen formats like WebP or AVIF is a powerful step toward improving page speed, boosting user engagement, and ultimately driving higher conversions. By embracing these formats—and implementing them with best practices such as responsive image delivery, lazy loading, and fallback support—you’ll provide a faster, more compelling experience to your audience.
At Bold Digital, we specialise in breaking down complex digital marketing strategies into clear, actionable steps that deliver tangible results. Ready to transform your online presence and give your brand the competitive edge it deserves? Contact us today to explore how our expertise in next-gen image serving and a wide range of marketing solutions can help your business shine in a crowded digital landscape.
About Bold Digital
Bold Digital is an international marketing agency focused on delivering real results. We blend creative thinking, fresh perspectives, and practical business insight to amplify brand awareness and drive meaningful inquiries. Whether you’re looking to optimise your site speed, overhaul your brand visuals, or launch a high-impact campaign, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s create something bold together.