Following on from our last blog, we continue to explore the website design trends you should reconsider before implementing.
Parallax Scrolling
There are many websites that now make use of parallax scrolling – where the foreground and background content scrolls at different speeds creating the illusion of depth and while it can be used well it’s unsure if it can actually be described as providing good user experience.
Again, this website design trend can have some issues:
- It may not be good for SEO – sites that utilise parallax scrolling are typically made up of just one page so there is little in the way of content for search engines to crawl. This is particularly true where text is embedded in graphics.
- It can reduce performance – their heavy use of JavaScript and graphics can lead to a slow loading page and that’s of particular concern to mobile device users.
- It can negatively impact visitors – while parallax scrolling can be considered more enjoyable than non-parallax scrolling websites, some visitors experience a type of motion sickness and usability issues with sites of this type.
- If you do choose the use parallax scrolling for your website consider the story you want to tell and if it is worth a reduction in visitors due to the reduction in performance of the site.
Complex load screens
When visitors are greeted with either a loading video or a counter slowing climbing to 100% they can become disenchanted easily. When the page does finally load and is somewhat underwhelming, considering the wait, visitors are likely to click away.
Ensure that your website loads quickly and then offers interest and interactive elements to ensure visitors stay interested.
Too much JavaScript
So, JavaScript seems to be everywhere today; social media plugins use them as do a large proportion of WordPress plugins. But too much, from a user experience perspective can slow down your site and visitors just won’t hang around and wait for your site to load.
JavaScript can be extremely functional but overuse can cause more harm than good:
- Slow load times
- Mobile browsing can be adversely affected
- It can affect functionality and break aspects of the website due to a bug
- It can be a security issue if not implemented correctly
- Since it isn’t crawled by search engines it can affect SEO
Fussy Typography
While there is a range of typography available it’s always best not to get too carried away and stick to a maximum of two. This will ensure the website does not appear to be cluttered and confused, and that readability and legibility is not adversely affected.
With selecting typography there are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Try out different fonts but aim for clear and clean presentation that reflects your brand’s style
- Opt for typefaces and fonts that either work together or are different enough to provide a sense of interesting contrast.
- If your aim is to be seen as traditional then serif is a good choice. If your aim to be seen as stable then sans-serif works well.
Designers that only stay on-trend
While website designers can be worth their weight in gold, ensure that you work with one that is prepared to overlook the latest trends in order to design a website that works for your target audience. Your designer needs to be across new trends that matter, like responsive design, and yet prepared to see trends from all angles before recommending you implement them.
For more information contact the team at Website Design Centre and see our part one blog.
