If you have read my blog before you know that I am all about optimizing sites for speed. For a couple of years now I have used Kraken.io to optimize images on the sites that we optimize. The real hassle with it is trying to optimize all of the images, there is just no good way to do it. You cannot upload a zip with multiple directories to Kraken and have the images optimized. You are really just limited to optimizing the main images used in the site such as the template images and the slider images.
But this module changes that
This module is built by the same company that built the Smushit Optimizer module, PresTeamShop. But it has a different fit than the Smushit module. Smushit is a free image optimization service offered by Yahoo. But Kraken is a paid service. Why chose something that is paid versus a free service? The optimization quality is the reason. Kraken can optimize the same image with a 20-30% reduction than what Smushit can do, that is the main reason we switched over to using Kraken.
How does the module work?
The module installs easy enough, the only real qualm I have with it is it requires itself to be registered before you can use it. But once you get through that, you need to enter your Kraken API key. Remember, Kraken is a paid service, it has plans starting at $9 a month and is well worth it if you are trying to maintain a fast website. The main module area looks like the image below.
From this interface you can choose what images you want to optimize, category, product, manufacturer, ect. Also you can optimize images by directory as well. This feature is super handy for optimizing theme related images, slider images, and custom block images as well. You can see the interface below for how it handles optimizing by directory.
The interface is very easy to use and laid out in the most logical manner that it can be laid out. The functionality of the module works perfect as well. I optimized over 1000 images with the module and did not have one issue.
Before and After
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Final Review
I would definitely recommend this module to all shops. It will reduce your bandwidth and make your pages load faster, which is exactly what it is supposed to do.
Pros
- Faster page loading
- Smaller page sizes
- Can optimize all site images
- Uses a great image optimization engine
- Easy to use
- Affordable price
Cons
- Forced registration
Cost: 30 euro
Link to the module: Kraken.io Module for PresTeamShop
About the Author: Lesley Paone
Lesley has worked in e-commerce for over a decade, and is the founder of dh42. Starting out with PrestaShop and brancing out into other platforms like Shopify. He loves all things e-commerce and loves a challenge, in his spare time he helps moderate several forums on SEO, e-commerce, as well as the PrestaShop forum. If you have any questions for him about any of his articles just use our contact form to contact him.
