Parallax Web Pages: The Pros and Cons

Even if you haven’t heard of parallax web pages, you’ve probably come across them before. Parallax effect refers to the way a website’s background is displayed in comparison to the foreground. This style of web design has become very popular in the recent years. To many, it presents a modern, contemporary feel that makes any website shine.

Believe it or not–parallax scrolling was adopted from video games! With user experience in mind, video game developers wanted to give their users a more realistic feel when playing. To do this, they designed with multiple background “layers.” Each layer contained a part of the background at a specific depth (the farther away the object, the deeper the layer). As objects in the foreground moved, the background layers moved more slowly. This gave the illusion of depth within a two-dimensional screen.

This way of thinking eventually made its way into the web development sphere, providing a more immersive experience for visitors. With the introduction of parallax web development came numerous opportunities for next-level design.

Pros

• Audience Engagement – Parallax design presents a unique opportunity to users, allowing them to browse the website in a different way than they are used to. Studies have shown that exposure to differences and distractions from everyday life increase interest and engagement.
• Storytelling – We are a big proponent of storytelling at D4. Your audience wants to connect with the message your company gives. Without a story, there is no sense of personality on a website. Parallax design lets companies tell their stories in an intuitive, UX-friendly fashion.
• Establish Credibility – By incorporating the “future of web design” into your website, you are establishing authority (in the eyes of your audience, at least). Many visitors aren’t exactly “tech-savvy,” so anything challenging the norm seems fancy and innovative.

Cons

Many parallax websites utilize few web pages–if not just a single web page. Because scrolling is very important in parallax design, there isn’t much need to build out a lot of pages. This can be a downside, however. Meta data, the information that helps websites rank in search engines, works best when it is altered from page to page. If there are only a few web pages, there is little room for meta data diversity. By including most or all website content on a single page, load times can also suffer.

We suggest using parallax design primarily for the homepage of a website. This will hopefully draw visitors in and create a sense of authority. Sub-pages can then contain all other necessary information. By mixing parallax and non-parallax design, an effective website is born!

If you are interested in using parallax design with your website, give us a call! We are happy to schedule a free consultation to discuss your visions.