The Page Weight Conundrum

In 2015, the average size of a single web page surpassed the 2MB mark and has only increased since then. Images comprised roughly 2/3 of that total size, and a quarter of sampled sites contained between 21 and 40 image requests per page. For devices with an inferior connection, loading a page of that size can be arduous, especially when factoring in mobile latency issues

As web professionals, we're responsible for the performance of the sites we design and build, and image optimization is an area ripe for improvement! New image formats, HTML specifications, and browser capabilities make the delivery of optimized images much more achievable. We're now much closer to a native responsive solution and can start implementing these improvements today!

In a recent engagement, we worked with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to optimize page load by using advanced caching techniques and an on-the-fly image processor, with most pages fully loading in 1.5 seconds or less, while maintaining the same image quality.