Image optimization is crucial for any website.  Non-optimized images are bloated, take up bandwidth, and actually drive away web traffic.  Many users won’t wait for a site to fully load if it takes more than a few seconds.  In today’s competitive web, no one can afford to lose visitors for any reason, so we’ve gone around and rounded up the 16 most powerful image optimization tools, to help enhance your website performance and save you some bandwidth.  These tools are so easy to use, it makes optimizing your images easier than not optimizing them.  There’s even a great WordPress plugin for optimizing images, since most blogs have to worry about image optimization. Hope you find them useful!  If they are, please Digg this post and share it with others.  Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you get all the best tools and tips straight to your inbox!

Smush.it uses optimization techniques specific to image format to remove unnecessary bytes from image files. It is a "lossless" tool, which means it optimizes the images without changing their look or visual quality.

Smush.it uses optimization techniques specific to image format to remove unnecessary bytes from image files. It is a "lossless" tool, which means it optimizes the images without changing their look or visual quality.

WP-Smush.it is the same as Smush.it, only as a WordPress plugin.

WP-Smush.it is the same as Smush.it, only as a WordPress plugin.

Riot allows you to save and optimize JPEG, GIF and PNG with a simple, clean user interface.

Riot allows you to save and optimize JPEG, GIF and PNG with a simple, clean user interface.

A tool for stripping/cleaning/removing uncessary metadata (junk) from JPG/JPEG/JFIF & PNG files. The image quality is not affected.

A tool for stripping/cleaning/removing uncessary metadata (junk) from JPG/JPEG/JFIF & PNG files. The image quality is not affected.

JPG Cleaner is simple but powerful utility for cleaning JPG files from anything that is not picture data. Commonly used programs such as Adobe Photoshop are writing additional information into JPG file that isn't needed for correctly displaying the picture.

JPG Cleaner is simple but powerful utility for cleaning JPG files from anything that is not picture data. Commonly used programs such as Adobe Photoshop are writing additional information into JPG file that isn't needed for correctly displaying the picture.

Shrink O'Matic is an AIR application to easily (batch) resize (shrink) images. It handles JPGs, GIFs and PNGs.

Shrink O'Matic is an AIR application to easily (batch) resize (shrink) images. It handles JPGs, GIFs and PNGs.

PNGGauntlet is a .NET program that uses Ken Silverman's PNGOUT to optimize PNG files.

PNGGauntlet is a .NET program that uses Ken Silverman's PNGOUT to optimize PNG files.

TweakPNG is a low-level utility for examining and modifying PNG image files.

TweakPNG is a low-level utility for examining and modifying PNG image files.

ImageOptim ImageOptim is a front-end (GUI) for set of tools for optimisation of PNG/JPEG images and GIF animations.

ImageOptim ImageOptim is a front-end (GUI) for set of tools for optimisation of PNG/JPEG images and GIF animations.

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mage Optimizer lets you easily optimize your gifs, animated gifs, jpgs, and pngs, so they load as fast as possible on your site. Furthermore, you can easily convert from one image type to another. Upload Size limit: 300 kB

mage Optimizer lets you easily optimize your gifs, animated gifs, jpgs, and pngs, so they load as fast as possible on your site. Furthermore, you can easily convert from one image type to another. Upload Size limit: 300 kB

The SiteReportCard Image Optimization tool is a free utility that compresses your GIF, JPEG, and PNG images.

The SiteReportCard Image Optimization tool is a free utility that compresses your GIF, JPEG, and PNG images.

Use this tool to compress (or convert) images into the JPG image format.

Use this tool to compress (or convert) images into the JPG image format.

Using this free online service, you can resize, compress and optimize your image files. Using the service is as easy as clicking of button!

Using this free online service, you can resize, compress and optimize your image files. Using the service is as easy as clicking of button!

Resize photos easily online. For use in email, blogs, websites. No complex software to download. Resize photos online anytime.

Resize photos easily online. For use in email, blogs, websites. No complex software to download. Resize photos online anytime.

SuperPNG is a free Adobe Photoshop plug-in for using PNG ("ping") files. It is faster than Adobe's own PNG plug-in and saves considerably smaller PNGs.

SuperPNG is a free Adobe Photoshop plug-in for using PNG ("ping") files. It is faster than Adobe's own PNG plug-in and saves considerably smaller PNGs.

punypng is a free tool that dramatically reduces page load times by reducing the file size of an image without any loss of quality.

punypng is a free tool that dramatically reduces page load times by reducing the file size of an image without any loss of quality.