WP Speed Tip #3 – Use WebP Instead of JPG or PNG

Why It Matters

JPEGs and PNGs are old school. WebP images are 25% to 40% smaller than JPG/PNG — with the same quality.

That means:

• Your site loads faster
• You reduce bandwidth
• You score higher on PageSpeed and Core Web Vitals

Most modern browsers (including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) fully support WebP. There’s no excuse now.

The Fix: Convert Images to WebP Before Upload

Tools to Convert:

• Squoosh (again, the best)
  • Drag your image → select WebP → adjust quality (~75%)
• ImageMagick CLI (for batch processing):

magick input.jpg -quality 75 output.webp

WordPress Plugin (if you must):

• WebP Express (lightweight)
• ShortPixel (for automated bulk conversion)

Folder Tip: Keep Originals If Needed

Store original JPGs in a /raw-assets folder. Only upload the WebP version to WordPress. That way, you keep a clean media library.

What WebP Does Technically:

• Uses both lossy and lossless compression
• Supports transparency (like PNG)
• Creates smaller files with faster decode time

Real-World Impact:

Got WooCommerce?

If you’re running a product-heavy store, converting images to WebP alone can cut 1–2 seconds off load time.

Bookmark this tip. Tomorrow:
“Tip #4 – Install LiteSpeed Cache (or WP Super Cache) for Serious Gains”