Website speed optimization matters—not just for user experience, but for SEO, engagement, and conversions. During a recent performance review of studiobanyan.com, we discovered that unoptimized images were one of the biggest factors slowing down our site. So, we implemented a round of image compression and speed optimization, and the results were immediate.
Below is a breakdown of the real data from our Google PageSpeed Insights report before and after compression.
Before & After Performance Results
Desktop Results
State Performance Score
Before Optimization 53
After Optimization 57
A noticeable improvement — especially considering this is from image optimization alone.
Mobile Results
State Performance Score
Before Optimization 50
After Optimization 45
- Mobile performance remained more challenging due to one main factor:
The Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) image on mobile is still heavy.
This gives us a clear direction for phase two.
If you’d like us to review your website and identify your improvement opportunities, book a session via our Contact Page below.
What Was Slowing Down the Site?
From the PageSpeed results, several issues stood out:
1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) was too high: Most tests showed an LCP of 5–6 seconds, which is in the red zone.
2. Heavy hero image: The main hero banner image was one of the biggest contributors to slow load times.
3. Uncompressed or oversized images: Several images weren’t optimized for the web.
4. Lack of adaptive formats: Before optimization, images weren’t served in modern formats like WebP.
What We Did to Fix It (Step-by-Step)
1. Ran a full Google PageSpeed Insights audit
We tested mobile and desktop separately to pinpoint the biggest bottlenecks.
2. Installed a website speed optimization plugin (in our case:Spped optimizer,but you can use any)
This tool handled:
- Multi-level image compression
- Automatic WebP conversion
- Lazy loading
- CSS & JS minification
- Caching improvements
- Optional CDN capabilities
3. Compressed and optimized all images
This included:
- Shrinking file sizes
- Removing unnecessary metadata
- Converting to WebP
- Improving resolution-to-size ratio
- Immediate result: the page became lighter and faster to load.
4. Enabled Lazy Loading
Images below the fold are now loaded only when the visitor scrolls — improving initial speed dramatically.
5. Retested performance
Desktop scores went up from 53 → 57, confirming a successful improvement.
Mobile needs further refinement — primarily improving the LCP image.
Why Image Compression Matters
- Faster page loads: Users don’t wait more than 3 seconds — especially on mobile.
- Better SEO: Google ranks faster websites higher.
- Improved user engagement: A fast website encourages visitors to scroll, click, and convert.
- More efficient bandwidth usage: Smaller images help reduce hosting consumption and server load.
Image optimization is one of the easiest, highest-impact improvements any website can implement.
What’s Next for studiobanyan.com?
After this first round of optimization, the next goals are:
- Reducing LCP on mobile by optimizing hero images further
- Serving responsive image sizes per device
- Implementing preload hints for priority content
- Exploring a CDN for global load improvements
- These steps will push mobile scores into the yellow—and eventually green.
Final Thoughts
Compressing our images was a small change with a big payoff.
Performance improved. User experience improved. And the site is now lighter, faster, and better prepared for upcoming optimizations.
This is just the beginning — but it’s a strong start.
“Let Us Optimize Your Images for You”
If you’re unsure where to start with compression, formats, or optimization, we can help.