It will not only cause frustration, but it will also damage your brand’s reputation. Thus, you need to optimize your WordPress header images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s work together to ensure your website makes a great first impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we will go over how to optimize your WordPress header image so that it serves as an inviting gateway to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s the Ideal WordPress header image size?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before we get into image sizes, have you ever wondered why you need a WordPress header image?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s simple. The point is to make a strong first impression and get your point across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your WordPress header image is too small, it won’t display correctly on most user’s devices. Thus, it won’t make a strong first impression or convey your intended message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what is the ideal size for a WordPress header image?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Theme developers advise using header images with a 16:9<\/strong> aspect ratio.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Common dimensions for this ratio include 1920 x 1080 px<\/strong>, 1280 x 720 px<\/strong>, and 1152 x 648 px<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They also recommend a header banner size of 1048 x 250 px<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to Change a WordPress Header Image in WordPress?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
After you’ve learned how to optimize your WordPress header images, you should change them. So, let’s learn to change WordPress header images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Usually, WordPress themes include header images. However, not all themes support header images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You have a few options if you want to avoid switching themes but still want to add a header image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can add it through ‘header.php<\/strong>‘ and use extra CSS, but these methods require coding skills or assistance from a WordPress developer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A simpler solution is to use a plugin like ‘Add Custom Header Images<\/strong>.’ <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s how to do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- First, install and activate the ‘Add Custom Header Images<\/strong>‘ plugin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Create a page and name it ‘The Headers<\/strong>‘ (as the plugin requires). <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- After adding the page, you’ll see the ‘Header<\/strong>‘ option in the ‘Appearance<\/strong>.’<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Go to ‘Appearance<\/strong>‘ and click on ‘Header<\/strong>.’ It will take you to the header image customization options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
5 Best Practices to Optimize WordPress Images <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you’re using WordPress, every image you upload has the potential to make or break your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most notably, the images at the top of the page, such as WordPress featured images, WordPress background images<\/a>, or WordPress header images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s get through the best practices to optimize your WordPress header images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resize Image Dimension<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The dimensions and size of an image affect how fast a web page loads. A header image with large dimensions has a large file size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Large image files make web pages take longer to load.<\/a> So, using an image with the right size and dimensions for your header image will help you avoid this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what are the ideal dimensions for a header image?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WordPress doesn’t give you a default size for the header image, but<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Some theme developers recommend a 16:9 aspect ratio. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Some useful measures are 1920 x 1080 px<\/strong>, 1280 x 720 px<\/strong>, or 1152 x 648 px<\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The header banner should be around 1048 x 250 px<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compress Your Header Images<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Images are important on websites because our brains process them 60,000 times faster<\/a> than text. But larger image sizes slow down web pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t ditch images altogether! Instead, consider compressing the images<\/a> to a manageable size. You can shrink your image file sizes by 50% to 90%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two main types of image compression: Lossless and Lossy. If image quality is your top priority, use Lossless compression. But Lossy compression also works if you’re okay with some image quality loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A HubPost image compression research<\/a> found that ShortPixel compressed images 65% better than all other WordPress plugins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Hubsport](\"https:\/\/shortpixel.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hubsport-research-Wordpress-image-compression-plugins-.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nShortPixel now compresses images up to 90% in WordPress. Yes, it does!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"WordPress](\"https:\/\/shortpixel.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/WordPress-image-compression-using-shortpixel-1024x358.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf image quality is your top priority, use Lossless compression. But Lossy compression also works if you’re okay with some image quality loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortpixel offers a new Glossy image compression<\/a> between the Lossy and Lossless methods. It keeps the image quality while reducing the image size to an optimal level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’ve got many images to optimize, a plugin like ShortPixel Image Optimizer<\/a> can be a time-saver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choose the Right Image Format<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"different](\"https:\/\/shortpixel.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/different-logo-image-formats.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe image format you choose for your header is vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Say you need a transparent header image, but select the JPEG format, which doesn’t support transparent image style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, the JPEG format doesn’t serve you here. You need a PNG image format that supports the transparent image style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Image format also affects compression and file size. For instance, JPEG is good for compression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which image format is best for your header images? JPG, PNG or GIF<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some pro tips, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- For general purposes, JPEG is the best option. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- If you need transparent images, PNG is the way to go. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- For animated headers, GIF is your choice. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use PNG to preserve image quality even after compression.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Use Responsive Images<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If your header image adjusts properly to different screen sizes, it can make your site look good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opposite damage will hurt your website because 70% of users<\/a> share negative experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Setting up responsive images in WordPress is a breeze. WordPress will automatically generate different versions of your images to fit different devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If necessary, you can also change the sizes in the functions.php<\/strong> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use plugins like ShortPixel Adaptive Images<\/a><\/strong> if you’d prefer a simpler and more automated solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare is another good way to speed up your website and improve image delivery. You can relax without worrying about small image sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimize the Image for SEO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"develop](\"https:\/\/shortpixel.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/seo-strategy-1024x681.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
- Create a page and name it ‘The Headers<\/strong>‘ (as the plugin requires). <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Common dimensions for this ratio include 1920 x 1080 px<\/strong>, 1280 x 720 px<\/strong>, and 1152 x 648 px<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n