What is Parallax Web Design?
Parallax web design introduces a new experience into the online branding environment. This concept makes use of parallax scrolling to inspire and attract visitors to a website. Entrepreneurs should become acquainted with the idea, as this could be the next concept for their sites.
While parallax web design may have a visual therapeutic effect on some web visitors, others may detest the design. Before developing one, entrepreneurs should decide whether that platform will achieve their marketing goals. If your site is not functional in the eyes of your target audience, it can have an absolute negative impact on the success of the site, such as a high bounce rate, fewer subscribers, among other uncertainties. Entrepreneurs must assess the value of such a concept before launching the site. So, what effect does parallax scrolling have on website visitors?
This article will give you an overview of the parallax web design, some advantages, disadvantages, and a few examples to help you determine whether it suits your marketing goal.
Let’s take a look.
What is Parallax Web Design?
Parallax web design refers to a site that has a dynamic parallax scrolling effect that takes visitors on a path to experience the background elements moving at a different pace than the foreground. The movable elements generate an aesthetically 3D effect. The effects can range from simple minimalistic to a more elaborate one.
Four Advantages of Parallax Web Design
Stimulating. Parallax web design elicits emotion. As visitors scroll through the site, they are mesmerized with a pleasant feeling to enhance their desire sensationally.
Great for Storytelling. Brands can use the website to add personality, tell a convincing story about their products and services, and create engaging content that can be satisfying and unforgettable.
Elegance. It brings an element of sophistication, making you stand out from the competition.
Enrich the User’s Experience. A realistic parallax design will add depth to your site, making your website come alive, bringing an element of fun. It encourages visitors to continue scrolling on your website, making them linger even longer on the site to see what the website offers.
Four Disadvantages of Parallax Web Design
Distracting. It can distract the user if the transition between elements is not smooth.
Poor SEO Functionality. A poorly built website can hinder a content-rich platform that will impact your SEO objectives negatively.
Complicated Design. It can be challenging for non-technically inclined users when too many parallax effects make the website very busy.
Mobile Incompatibility. Research has revealed that parallax scrolling is not mobile-friendly.
As revealed, while some users may report satisfaction with a parallax web design, not all visitors have the same encounter. For example, according to researchers, “a Mann-Whitney test was performed to compare participants’ survey responses with respect to the five measured variables. However, it failed to return any significant differences between the groups, except for ‘fun.’ The finding revealed that although parallax scrolling enhanced certain aspects of the user experience, it did not necessarily improve the overall user experience.” The variables were usability, satisfaction, enjoyment, fun, and visual appeal.”
Examples of a Parallax Website
Features and functionalities of a parallax website updates frequently. Please note that the examples below are provided on the date and time this article is published.
This website offers a distinct appeal that tells a compelling story. It is an excellent example of stylistic parallax design, though it doesn’t have much depth. The parallax demonstrates that “Canals is a four part visual glimpse into the creation and history of the iconic 17th century canals of Amsterdam.”
The background travels at a slow pace as you scroll horizontally, while the foreground looks as if it would cover the construction of the canal development. The moving elements of the text appear when you click on the page, while others stay static. It makes the website special, giving it an aesthetic look and an impression of profundity. That is quite an amazement. However, if users can scroll vertically, it would be fascinating to see the effect. Perhaps it would bring out more imagination and spontaneity.
Firewatch
This site has a simple but relatively successful multi-layered parallax design positioned at the top of the page. The trees and mountains create the background layers which move as you scroll vertically on the page. Then, as you navigate the page slowly, the foreground replaces the background. That creates depth and a remarkably 3D effect. The remainder of the page is static. It is attention-grabbing. The visual elements do not congest the page. This design enables a content-rich platform. Visitors to the site who are not tech-savvy may prefer this simple design, particularly if they want to find information quickly and not be hyped and distracted by a bunch of elements.
On the other hand, some site visitors prefer a platform that is more immersive with lots of movements. As these visitors scroll the page, they might expect to see some semblance of dynamic parallax motion, so the static section of the page might be disappointed. To make this more engaging, the designer could also add a simple parallax scrolling effect closer to the bottom of the page.
Connect Homes
This responsive parallax design has a visually smooth, immersive effect that is quite engaging. However, it is more complicated. The site may confuse some website visitors. At the top of the page, the movable elements are hectic. Instead of browsing the page and getting engaged with the content, your eyes will rotate from side to side as you follow the motions, losing focus on the details. Concerning the foreground, the developer could slow the pace of the moving elements so you can see the shift in the background and easily relate to the content.
Conclusion
Does a parallax web design contradict your business goals, or will it help your brand achieve its purpose? One could logically conclude that the intent of a parallax web design is to engage users and to evoke emotions. Although it has drawbacks, brands can use it to illustrate an impactful brand story to connect with its target audience, offer a new customer experience, promote innovative products, and stand out from the competition.
Entrepreneurs must determine whether a parallax web design can meet their marketing needs before developing one.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
— Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc.
Final Thoughts
If you currently have a static website and want to know whether the parallax web design will work better for your marketing needs, the first thing you should consider is to run an A / B test to decide which of these sites will meet your objectives. Failure to do so could be problematic, paying developers to build your website without knowing the potential outcome. Independent T-Test samples may be suitable to test both sites.
Read more about Independent T-Test Samples This will allow you to compare the means of two samples, and is great for testing websites using SPSS.
Please also take a look at my last article.
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