Parallax Scrolling: Attention Getter or Headache?

Problem #1: The Need for Speed

Parallax Web sites are often single-page sites, so Web developers must throw everything into that one page. The result? Slow load times. For Web sites, slow performance is a death blow. With each second that passes while a page loads, fewer users stick around. In fact, 47% of users expect a Web page to load within two seconds. If a page hasn’t loaded within three seconds, 57% of users will leave the site. This is a consequence of human psychology: We have an eight-second attention span. (That’s shorter than the attention span of a goldfish.) If your site—no matter how gorgeous—takes eight seconds to load, no one’s going to stick around to see it.

The high-quality images and back-end elements that are necessary to create a flawless parallax effect slow down page loads. If a parallax site includes video, as is common, it becomes even slower.

Many designers use a progress indicator to compensate for the page-loading problem. Although this at least shows users that something’s coming, the same short attention span applies. Designers should not expect users to stare at a progress indicator for 10 seconds—even five seconds is pushing it.

Problem #2: Parallax and SEO

SEO is an elusive unicorn for which we’re all searching. If you’re on that trek, parallax is not the best method of getting there. Although SEO is not impossible with parallax scrolling, it is difficult. For one thing, search engine rankings such as Google’s are complex. It’s not just about ranking for keywords; it’s also about ranking for speed. As you read under Problem #1, slow load times are inherent in parallax pages.

Again, because sites with parallax pages are often single-page sites, it’s hard to optimize for keywords because designers often opt to use anchor links instead of creating separate pages with different URLs for each menu link. On parallax Web sites that do have separate pages, you can optimize the sites for specific keywords.

Another problem with parallax sites is their lack of internal links. Single-page, parallax-scrolling sites have higher bounce rates because there’s nowhere else to go.

Problem #3: Parallax Isn’t Responsive

Have you ever tried to view a parallax site on a mobile device? The effect falls flat. It seems dimensional only on a computer. What makes this so devastating is that an increasing number of people are mobile-only users. Approximately 30% of all Internet traffic comes from mobile devices, and around 31% of American mobile-phone owners use only their smartphones to go online. These numbers are rising steadily, as more and more people adopt a wireless lifestyle.

A site that isn’t interesting on a mobile device defeats the mobile user experience. You can and should create a responsive site that looks great on mobile devices. But, if there’s no parallax on mobile, what’s the point of creating a parallax site at all?

So, What’s the Solution to These Problems?

Parallax pages are great when they’re just one of many design elements on a Web site. So the best remedy for the parallax headache is to feature parallax on the homepage and link to non-parallax pages that support it instead of creating a single-page Web site. You can then optimize keywords for each page, and the non-parallax pages can contain the bulk of your content. That solves the problems with both SEO and page-loading times.

As for the non-responsiveness of parallax-scrolling pages, use parallax only if it propels your story forward. Don’t use parallax effects just to wow other designers or win awards. Ultimately, parallax scrolling is a narrative device that is effective only on computers. So, if the bulk of your traffic comes from mobile devices, you may want to rethink your parallax design strategy—or at least include a more mobile-friendly design for other devices.

Some Final Words

Although this article may seem to be a scathing denunciation of the usefulness of parallax scrolling, it’s not all bad news for parallax lovers. If you use parallax in moderation and stay within the bounds of these sophisticated optimization strategies, parallax scrolling actually has the potential to delight users, thus improving a Web site’s user experience.