Speed
-Graphics really slow down 
  page loading time. 
  -The larger the graphics, the longer the wait.
  -compression is a must to keep images smaller. 
  
  Compression Types:
JPEG
  PNG
  GIF (LZW) (limited to 256 colors)
  JPEGs are usually larger than GIFs
  PNG is great, but new and not supported by older browsers.
  -another thing you can do while your visitors wait, is to use progressive 
  display, often called interlacing. This 
  will partially display the images as they are loading.