Why use WebP instead of PNG or JPEG?
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior lossless and lossy compression for images on the web. On average, WebP images are 26% smaller than PNGs and 25-34% smaller than comparable JPEGs at equivalent SSIM quality index.
Using WebP makes your website load faster, which is a crucial factor for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and user experience. Faster sites rank higher in Google search results and have lower bounce rates. ImgReducer makes it incredibly easy to modernize your website by converting your old library of JPEGs and PNGs into highly efficient WebP files.
The difference between Lossy and Lossless compression
Understanding the difference between these two compression types is key to getting the best results.
Lossless compression allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data. No pixel information is lost. This is ideal for archiving images, medical imaging, or technical drawings where precision is paramount. However, the file size reduction is usually moderate.
Lossy compression significantly reduces file size by permanently eliminating certain information, especially redundant data. This is used for standard JPEG and WebP compression. By adjusting the "quality" slider, you decide how much data to discard. For the web, lossy compression is preferred because it can reduce file sizes by up to 90% with very little noticeable difference to the user, drastically speeding up page loads.