Google's search algorithm prioritizes websites that load quickly and remain stable as they render. These performance metrics are known as Core Web Vitals. For a graphic design studio with a large visual portfolio, optimizing for these metrics is crucial.
How We Optimized Our Site Performance:
- Image Compression: We reduced the sizes of all high-resolution portfolio images by over 90% using our GD-based compressor. This keeps all files under 120KB without losing visual clarity.
- Explicit Image Dimensions: We set explicit width and height attributes on all image elements. This prevents layout shifts while pages load, improving the Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) metric.
- Modern Formats: We serve images in optimized web formats like WebP or compressed JPEGs, ensuring faster delivery.
- Leverage Caching: We configured browser caching in our
.htaccessfile, allowing returning visitors to load the site almost instantly.
These optimizations help our portfolio rank higher in search results and provide a smooth, fast browsing experience for our visitors.
