Photo Plugin

[Onthebrightside]

Afternoon all,

I seem to remember there was a lovely little plugin for Wordpress that compress the photos and made the site much lighter/faster, but I can't remember the name of it. Can anyone help me out and recommend a good one please.

Many thanks for you help.

 

[fisicx]

This is a sort of multistep approach:

1. Resize the images before uploading. 1200px wide should be big enough
2. Install the smush-it plugin and let it check all uploaded mages
3. Install a webp converter plugin (there are lots to choose from) to get the images in the preferred format.

But...

If you can do all this before uploading it's will be a zillion times better.

After resizing try this:

Compressor.io - optimize and compress JPEG photos and PNG images

Optimize and compress your jpeg and png images online. Compressor is a lossy and lossless photo compression tool.

compressor.io

 

[Onthebrightside]

This is a sort of multistep approach:

1. Resize the images before uploading. 1200px wide should be big enough
2. Install the smush-it plugin and let it check all uploaded mages
3. Install a webp converter plugin (there are lots to choose from) to get the images in the preferred format.

But...

If you can do all this before uploading it's will be a zillion times better.

After resizing try this:

Compressor.io - optimize and compress JPEG photos and PNG images

Optimize and compress your jpeg and png images online. Compressor is a lossy and lossless photo compression tool.

compressor.io

Thank you @fisicx

 

[Shopclicks]

Depending on how many images you have to upload or compress, I can recommend the Smush Pro version. It's very cheap and comes with an Ultra compression mode. Also has the WebP converter built in.

 

[Onthebrightside]

Depending on how many images you have to upload or compress, I can recommend the Smush Pro version. It's very cheap and comes with an Ultra compression mode. Also has the WebP converter built in.

Many thanks @Shopclicks

 

[fisicx]

With all these things, the more preparation you can do before uploading the better. It means you have control rather than relying on plugins.

Smush it is good but you will discover there are better optimising tools external to Wordpress.

 

[AlanJ1]

With all these things, the more preparation you can do before uploading the better. It means you have control rather than relying on plugins.

I would recommend this advice, if you can get it in the best format before you use any app/tool to reduce further you are only going to get better results.

 

[Shopclicks]

With all these things, the more preparation you can do before uploading the better. It means you have control rather than relying on plugins.

Smush it is good but you will discover there are better optimising tools external to Wordpress.

In addition for SEO, naming images descriptively and adding sentence form alt text.

 

[Kerwin]

This is a sort of multistep approach:

1. Resize the images before uploading. 1200px wide should be big enough
2. Install the smush-it plugin and let it check all uploaded mages
3. Install a webp converter plugin (there are lots to choose from) to get the images in the preferred format.

But...

If you can do all this before uploading it's will be a zillion times better.

After resizing try this:

Compressor.io - optimize and compress JPEG photos and PNG images

Optimize and compress your jpeg and png images online. Compressor is a lossy and lossless photo compression tool.

compressor.io

You can automate all of that using ImageMagick:

ImageMagick

Create, Edit, Compose, or Convert Digital Images

imagemagick.org

I believe it has a PHP wrapper for it so you can just build it all into Wordpress directly.

 

[ctrlbrk]

Isn't the PHP module imagick supposed to compress automatically images?
I think it's what @Kerwin mentioned too.

 

[Kerwin]

Isn't the PHP module imagick supposed to compress automatically images?
I think it's what @Kerwin mentioned too.

I'm not sure if it is automatic but it can certainly do it.

 

[ctrlbrk]

I'm not sure if it is automatic but it can certainly do it.

This is what WordPress says:

imagick (requires ImageMagick >= 6.2.4) – Provides better image quality for media uploads. See WP_Image_Editor for details. Smarter image resizing (for smaller images) and PDF thumbnail support, when Ghost Script is also available.

I must admit I never looked in-depth into this. I was under the assumption that WP handles image compression automatically.

 

[fisicx]

I must admit I never looked in-depth into this. I was under the assumption that WP handles image compression automatically.

It resizes. It doesn't compress nor does it convert to webp. Wordpress also rejects svg uploads.

Do all your image (and any other content) prep before uploading to your site.

 

[Onthebrightside]

The Smush-it plugin reduced things to 20MB space and 11.84% saving and the Webp 70MB and 30%, so excellent! However, the problem is still there.

We are using a Divi Slider for the home page and when you first enter the site it staggers into life. The buttons come up first and then the image gradually flickers into life.

 

[Shopclicks]

We are using a Divi Slider for the home page and when you first enter the site it staggers into life. The buttons come up first and then the image gradually flickers into life.

Are you at the start, middle or end of the site build? Or are you just trying to improve performance on an existing site?

 

[Onthebrightside]

I work as an admin from home and was recommend to this client whose an Archaeologist and needed some accounts and admin work done. His site was already there and it's another Divi site. Straightaway I can see it glitches when it starts. I think it was made by a website designer but then changed by numerous people after that.

 

[Onthebrightside]

I have to say this Divi site builder seems quite popular. I first came across it a month or so ago working for another client and now this chap has one also - however, I suppose it could be they all use the same website builder. I know Elementor quite well, but Divi is a little different, seems a little more restrictive.

 

[Shopclicks]

Do you have cPanel access? Do you know where the server is located?

Elementor can be really fast with the right theme and plugins.

 

[Kerwin]

The Smush-it plugin reduced things to 20MB space and 11.84% saving and the Webp 70MB and 30%, so excellent! However, the problem is still there.

We are using a Divi Slider for the home page and when you first enter the site it staggers into life. The buttons come up first and then the image gradually flickers into life.

Is that your total image storage amount for images (20MB and 70MB for WebP)? Or is that for individual images?

 

[Onthebrightside]

Do you have cPanel access? Do you know where the server is located?

Elementor can be really fast with the right theme and plugins.

Hi Shopclicks - they are running with a Divi builder though.

 

[Onthebrightside]

Is that your total image storage amount for images (20MB and 70MB for WebP)? Or is that for individual images?

That's the amount of space each said they had saved.

 

[Shopclicks]

they are running with a Divi builder though.

Divi theme? The domain has to be hosted somewhere. I only ask because the site may be on a slow server in a foreign country. This is going to slow the site down.

Anyway, let's assume the hosting is ok. What size (kb) are the images in the slideshow after compression?

Have you run the page through Page Speed Insights? What does that tell you?

 

[fisicx]

@Onthebrightside - Divi is now very dated, bloated and not very responsive.

If your slider is slow to load it suggests oversized images, poor hosting or possibly an external script hanging.

Any chance you can tell us the domain name so we can run some tests.

 

[Shopclicks]

@fisicx While we're on the subject of page builders,,, This is a demo Elementor slideshow:

Elementor Slideshow Demo | Shopclicks

Slideshow using Elementor for demonstration purposes

shopclicks.co.uk

Using a fast theme and some other plugins and tweaks (no caching) makes a huge difference.

PageSpeed Insights

pagespeed.web.dev

 

[Onthebrightside]

@Onthebrightside - Divi is now very dated, bloated and not very responsive.

If your slider is slow to load it suggests oversized images, poor hosting or possibly an external script hanging.

Any chance you can tell us the domain name so we can run some tests.

Thank you @fisicx that would be much appreciated. It's Quercus Heritage, he's a Heritage and archaeologist Consultant. I have no idea how long the website has been there before I changed the front page.

 

[Shopclicks]

Thank you @fisicx that would be much appreciated. It's Quercus Heritage, he's a Heritage and archaeologist Consultant. I have no idea how long the website has been there before I changed the front page.

Your slideshow images are huge (4.1mb, 4,4mb, etc.). These need to be under 200kb. They need to be compressed before you upload. And you need to crop them into shape. Max width 1600px will be fine.
Does Divi allow you to use smaller images for mobile? If it does then resize a version and upload them separately. You can get them down to under 60kb for mobile.

 

[Russ Michaels]

there are loads of them.


If your host uses Litespeed server, then use the litespeed cache plugin which also has image optimisation, you get FULL compression, unlike other plugins which make you pay for pro version to get that.

 

[Onthebrightside]

Your slideshow images are huge (4.1mb, 4,4mb, etc.). These need to be under 200kb. They need to be compressed before you upload. And you need to crop them into shape. Max width 1600px will be fine.
Does Divi allow you to use smaller images for mobile? If it does then resize a version and upload them separately. You can get them down to under 60kb for mobile.

Thank you @Shopclicks, it's very kind of you. The photos were already on the site, I don't know who loaded them. I'll see if I can get them off, resize them as you suggest and reloaded them, presumably there might be a way of using the smush-it and Webp on them again, I'll have a look and see.

I'm very grateful for your help.

 

[Shopclicks]

I'll see if I can get them off, resize them as you suggest and reloaded them, presumably there might be a way of using the smush-it and Webp on them again, I'll have a look and see.

There are limits to the effectiveness of the free version of Smush. You won't get the same compression as the Pro version.
But if you upload images which are already compressed and resized, you'll get much better results. I get very good results using Paint.net

 

[Onthebrightside]

There are limits to the effectiveness of the free version of Smush. You won't get the same compression as the Pro version.
But if you upload images which are already compressed and resized, you'll get much better results. I get very good results using Paint.net

Thank you, I'll give Paint net a go.

 

[Onthebrightside]

Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone.

I unloaded the photos, downsized them, used compression IO and loaded a plugin called Optimole and all of that stopped the juddering as the site opened. Only when I activated the 'Animation' on the slide did it start to load a little slower, so I contacted the designer and she said that she was having the same problem, but was investigating a solution. It's only a second or so where the buttons come up first and then the slide comes in after, but it would be good if it didn't do that. No more juddering though.

Thank you to everyone who helped me, because it really did judder in awfully before that.

 

[fisicx]

Good news.

Top tip - don’t have slides. A single hero image is all you need.

 

[antropy]

Top tip - don’t have slides. A single hero image is all you need.

I mean that's quite a sweeping generalisation.

Paul.

 

[fisicx]

It’s been shown in multiple tests that sliders are ineffective. Most people never get past slide one.

A single static image highlighting current offers can work really well.

 

[antropy]

It’s been shown in multiple tests that sliders are ineffective. Most people never get past slide one.

Got any links to these?

Paul.

 

[fisicx]

I’ll see what I can find. I used to pay a subscription to a usability site that reported all sorts of data. The tests may be behind a paywall.

When I ran my own tests the sliders got almost no engagement. Heat mapping showed visitors scrolled straight past. It syndrome was called banner blindness.

I’ve just looked at around 20 major online stores and none of them use sliders. There probably are still some that do but most appear to have dropped sliders.

 

[Shopclicks]

A single static image highlighting current offers can work really well.

Or an uploaded short mp4.

 

[fisicx]

Or an uploaded short mp4.

As a background. Replaces the hero image.

 

[fisicx]

This is pretty decent summary:

Why You Should Not Use Image Sliders in 2023 | blue media marketing

Image Sliders can be quite hurtful for your SEO and the overall user experience. Read why Image Sliders are extinct as of 2023

www.gobluemedia.com

 

[Shopclicks]

As a background. Replaces the hero image.

Exactly!