What to do if website images load slowly_3 methods for website image acceleration

Generally, most individuals building websites use servers with limited bandwidth or overseas servers, which can lead to slow image loading when there are many images on the website.So, what should you do if website images load slowly?

Several solutions for slow website image loading

Image compression

Image compression is a common method to solve slow website image loading, and it is relatively easy to implement.There are two methods for image compression: One method is manual compression, for example, using local image compression software or online image compression services. For local image compression, you can try the software XnConvert. Previously, Naiba wroteMethod for Batch Processing Images on Mac: Resizing, Adding Watermarks, Rotating, which introduced this XnConvert software. Of course, XnConvert's professional capability is not specifically image compression. Although it can batch compress images, the results might not be the best.NaibabijiThe images on the website are basically processed through online image compression services before uploading. Naiba frequently uses the services of the following two websites.https://tinypng.com/ 和 https://compressor.io/compress Another method is to use a plugin for automatic compressionThere are many image compression plugins on the WordPress platform, but almost all have limits on free compression, such as EWWW Image Optimizer and ShortPixel Image Optimizer. Naiba also used plugin compression for a while in the past—it's convenient, but not suitable for a large number of images due to free quotas. Moreover, if you are using a domestic server, it's uncertain whether every plugin will work, because some plugins rely on web-based compression processing, which may not be accessible smoothly from within China.

Image CDN or image hosting

Naiba has previously written articles introducing image CDN.using Upyun to accelerate WordPress websitesYoupaiyun offers 10GB of free traffic per month, which is sufficient for general blog users. In China, as long as your site is registered (ICP), many CDN providers offer a certain amount of free CDN traffic. You can mix several CDNs, and you basically won't run short on traffic. Of course, you can also use image hosting; there are many free image hosting services online that you can find with a search. However, the issue with image hosting is its unreliable stability. For example, Sina Image Hosting was stable for many years, but suddenly implemented anti-hotlinking this year, causing headaches for many webmasters who had been using it. With so many images, how to retrieve them all? (Actually, there are methods, such as using plugins or scripts to automatically download them locally and then replace the links.)

The most effective way to speed up images

Although the two methods mentioned above can have some effect on speeding up website images, neither is as effective as this method: not using images at all, just plain text articles. That's right—don't insert images. Without images, you don't have to worry about slow image loading. Of course, articles without images may affect user experience, but if your blog is just a place for personal notes and you don't care about traffic or user experience, then skip the images. Naiba's website was like that for a period in the past.

Summary

Alright, the above three methods are solutions to address slow website image loading. The third method is half-joking; normally, if you know how to set up a CDN, then get one. If you have too many images, consider a paid CDN. If you don't have many images, it's recommended to manually compress them yourself. If traffic increases, upgrade your server bandwidth or use a CDN to accelerate images—both can solve the problem of slow website image loading. If you want to use image hosting, it's advisable to keep a local backup of the image files to avoid data loss if the free image hosting becomes unavailable.