Is your site slow? Are your images too heavy? You’re losing customers without even knowing it.
If you’re looking to make your store faster, smoother and more efficient, there’s a simple and often overlooked solution that can make a real difference: WebP images.
In this article, I’ll explain why you should use this image format for your e-commerce projects. I’ll show you in concrete terms how it improves performance, SEO, user experience and even your hosting costs. And above all, I’ll give you the keys to easily integrating it into your Prestashop store.
What is WebP format?
Origin and development of the WebP format
The WebP format was launched by Google in 2010 to make the web faster. The premise was simple: images often account for more than 50% of a web page’s total weight. WebP was born to remedy this problem by offering a lighter alternative to traditional formats such as JPEG or PNG.
Technical features
The WebP image format combines several advantages:
- Lossy compression (like JPEG) to drastically reduce file size without the human eye perceiving any difference.
- Lossless compression (like PNG) for maximum quality.
- Transparency support (alpha channel): ideal for product visuals, logos or banners.
- The ability to create animations: a lightweight alternative to GIFs.
At equal quality, a WebP image can be up to 30% lighter than a JPEG or PNG. This is not a detail, but an important performance lever.
Browser compatibility
Today, WebP is supported by the vast majority of browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, Android Browser… For residual cases of incompatibility, there are simple fallback solutions. An alternative solution is offered to the browser if it is unable to interpret an image in WebP format.
Why use WebP images on Prestashop stores?
1- To improve site performance
On the web, every second counts. A site that loads slowly loses visitors. You know that. And if you use Prestashop with a lot of visuals (products, sliders, banners), you’re directly concerned.
With WebP, you can significantly reduce the weight of your images:
- Your pages display faster.
- Your customers navigate more easily.
- Your bounce rates decrease.
- Your conversions increase.
It’s immediate, visible and measurable.
2- For SEO optimization
Google favors fast sites. This is clearly explained in their documentation. And as WebP improves loading times, it also improves your SEO.
I’ve seen time and time again that simply switching to WebP allows you to gain positions on strategic pages. It’s not magic. It’s just good technical sense.
3- To reduce hosting costs
Less data to load also means less bandwidth used. For high-traffic sites, or those hosted on shared infrastructures, this represents significant savings.
Not to mention the ecological impact! A lighter site also means a more responsible web. Eco-design is not a fad, it’s an imperative.
How to implement WebP on Prestashop
Conversion of existing images
The first step is to convert existing images.
Several tools can be used, depending on requirements:
- Photoshop with the WebPShop plugin (official Google).
- Online tools such as Squoosh or Convertio are effective for single images.
- Command-line scripts to process complete batches automatically, such as cwebp.
It’s always important to ensure that quality is controlled. It’s not a question of over-compressing, but of optimizing intelligently.
Prestashop integration
Prestashop modules natively support WebP. Some are free, others are not. The advantage of developing or customizing modules is that you retain total control over performance.
The server can also be configured so that WebP is served automatically when the browser allows it. Otherwise, the server returns the JPEG or PNG version. This fallback system guarantees total compatibility.
Process automation
Scripts can be set up to automatically convert images on upload. No need to worry about this: as soon as a visual is added, its WebP version is generated and made available. It’s invisible to the user. But it’s frighteningly effective.
Limitations and precautions for WebP images
Compatibility with older browsers
Even though WebP’s coverage is excellent, some older browsers (especially on iOS) don’t support it. For this reason, a fallback is always required. This enables the browser to receive the image in a format it can display.
Image quality
Too much compression can visually degrade an image. It is therefore imperative to always take care to adjust conversion parameters according to the type of visual. A logo, a product photo or a banner do not have the same requirements.
Ongoing maintenance
Once the system is in place, regular monitoring is essential. New images must be checked for proper conversion. Tests should be carried out on different browsers. You also need to keep an eye on performance. It’s the little efforts that guarantee lasting results.
To conclude on WebP images
As you can see, using the WebP format is not an option. It’s a necessity. To improve speed, SEO, user experience, technical costs… It’s a simple but powerful lever.
By integrating this technology into your Prestashop site from the outset, you’re putting in place a formidable tool for improving your performance.
Do you have a project in mind? Is your site not performing well? Don’t hesitate to contact me. Together, we can make it faster, more efficient and more profitable.
