How do performance consultants optimize images for web performance?

Performance consultants optimize images by converting to modern formats (WebP, AVIF), compressing to reduce file size, resizing to actual display dimensions, implementing lazy loading, using responsive images with srcset, and leveraging CDNs. They analyze image usage to identify optimization opportunities. Good consultants balance quality and file size—ensuring images look good while loading fast. They may use automated tools or manual optimization depending on needs. Image optimization often provides the biggest performance gains, as images typically represent 50-70% of page weight. Many consultants implement image optimization as a first step in performance improvements.