Here are the best tips for optimizing images for better web performance, presented without coding or tables:

1. Choose the Right Image Format
   JPEG: Ideal for photographs and images with many colors. It strikes a good balance between file size and quality.
   PNG: Best for images requiring transparency, like logos or icons. However, PNG files tend to be larger than JPEGs.
   WebP: Offers excellent compression and quality, with smaller file sizes compared to JPEG and PNG, making it a great option for faster loading.
   SVG: Best for vector images such as logos or icons, since SVGs are scalable and usually smaller in size.

2. Resize Images to Fit Your Website’s Layout
   Don’t use images larger than necessary. For example, if an image will be displayed at 800px wide, avoid uploading an image that is 2000px wide.
   Resize images to fit the exact display size required on your site to prevent excessive loading times and wasted bandwidth.

3. Compress Images
   Lossy Compression: Reduces file size by discarding some image data. This method works well for images where small quality loss is acceptable.
   Lossless Compression: Retains all image data, which results in larger files but maintains full quality. This is ideal for images requiring sharpness, such as logos.

4. Use Lazy Loading
   Implement lazy loading to ensure that images only load when they are about to appear on the user's screen. This reduces initial page load time and saves bandwidth for users who don’t scroll through the entire page.

5. Leverage Image Caching
   Set up your server to cache images. This ensures that returning users don't have to reload images from scratch, improving page speed for repeat visitors.

6. Serve Images from a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
   A CDN helps distribute your images across multiple servers worldwide, serving them from the server closest to the user. This reduces load times and enhances the user experience, especially for visitors far from your main server.

7. Use Descriptive Alt Text
   Adding alt text to images is crucial for SEO and accessibility. Ensure the alt text is descriptive, relevant, and keyword-rich (where appropriate), as it helps search engines understand the content of the image and improves your page's SEO.

8. Optimize Image Metadata
   Remove unnecessary metadata (such as EXIF data) from images before uploading them to your site. This can reduce the file size without impacting image quality.

9. Test Image Performance Regularly
   Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to monitor the performance of your images. These tools can provide specific recommendations on how to improve image loading times and overall website performance.

10. Automate Image Optimization
    Use tools or plugins (like Smush for WordPress or TinyPNG) to automatically compress and optimize images when they are uploaded to your site. This can save time and ensure that all images are consistently optimized for performance.

11. Use Image Sprites for Small Icons
    If your website uses many small icons, combine them into one image sprite. This reduces the number of HTTP requests, which can improve page load times.