Images affect website performance by adding the most download weight and by delaying the moment your main content becomes visible, especially on mobile connections.
For most local business sites in Orlando, the biggest speed problems come from three image issues: files that are too large, too many images loading at once, and images that are not sized for the screen. Large images increase download time, but they also add extra work for the browser (decoding and rendering), which can slow down scrolling and taps on older phones. If your hero image is heavy, it often becomes the largest thing in the first screen, so it directly impacts how fast visitors feel your site loads, and that feeling can decide whether they call, book, or bounce.
| Metric (Google UX) | How images affect it | Good target |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (main content shows) | A large hero image or banner delays the first screen from looking “ready” | Under 2.5 seconds |
| CLS (layout stability) | Images without set dimensions cause buttons and text to jump while loading | Under 0.1 |
| INP (tap response) | Heavy pages and lots of decoding can compete with interaction work | Under 200 ms |
What works in practice is simple: serve smaller files, serve the right size for each device, and load images in the right order.
- Resize before upload: If an image displays at 800 px wide, uploading a 4000 px photo is wasted weight. Start with realistic dimensions for where the image appears on the page.
- Use modern formats: WebP and AVIF are widely supported and usually much smaller than JPEG/PNG at the same visual quality.
- Compress intelligently: Compression should reduce file size while keeping faces, logos, and text crisp. Product photos can usually handle more compression than screenshots with small text.
- Serve responsive images: Use multiple sizes so a phone is not forced to download a desktop-sized image.
- Lazy load below-the-fold images: Let the first screen load first, then load gallery photos as people scroll.
- Reserve space for images: Set width and height (or an aspect ratio) so the layout does not jump when images finish loading.
- Make the hero image load first: Avoid sliders and video backgrounds on service pages. One strong, properly sized hero image usually loads faster and converts better.
If you want this handled end to end, our web design work includes image sizing rules, responsive templates, and performance checks so your pages stay fast as you add new photos.
Images are only one part of speed, so if your site still feels slow after compressing and resizing, our guide on why websites load slow can help you spot other common bottlenecks like bulky plugins, scripts, and hosting limits.
A quick rule we use for local lead-gen sites: treat every image like it has a cost. If it supports trust (team photos, before-and-after, office shots, case photos), keep it and make it light. If it is decorative and heavy, it is usually not worth the load time.
