How big are the images in your site?

The size of your website images can have a bigger effect than what you might think.  Most people take pictures with their camera and then place them on their site by adjusting the size in the code (or through a wsywg editor).  This type of "editing" doesn't actually change the size of the image.  It simply tells the browser how to display the image.  Other may simply take the images they are given from a wholesaler, dropshipping company or joint venture partner.  These images may come in several shapes and sizes with minimal uniformity.  Neither of these types of images should be considered ready for your website. 

The images should be optimized for web browsing and they should be cropped to fit a size scheme.  Here are a few points to remember.

• The image should be 72 DPI, some may argue this point and tell you it can be higher, but really it doesn't help you as much as hurt you.  By increasing the DPI to 150 DPI you will increase the size in a big way and the image will really not look that much better.  Loading time will slow down with each image that you add to a page at 150 DPI.
• Now a days you have more images formats to choose from than ever before.  A friend made a comment to me the other day, he said the "PNG" is the new "GIF".  I kind of laughed, but it is true.  The most commonly used Image files used are JPG, GIF, PNG.
• Crop and space your images for each page, the layout should be appealing and balanced.  Create a clean browsing environment.  Images in multiple sizes and shapes creates a feeling of clutter and it causes distraction.

Images that are created and placed correctly will serve your site well on many different levels.  Don't under estimate the power of a balanced site that loads quickly.