The Pros and Cons of Parallax Scrolling 02/07/2014

Here we show you the pros and cons of parallax scrolling and explain how you can make parallax scrolling both aesthetically appealing and functional.

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Ramzi Chamat / 8 Ways Media
2014-07-02 06:48:00

Parallax scrolling is cropping up across the World Wide Web a lot at the moment. It’s aesthetically engaging, fun and clever. But in terms of SEO benefits and high quality content creation, what does parallax scrolling bring to the table?

Disadvantages of Parallax Scrolling

A site that features parallax scrolling needs to be found by web users, however such a site is not SEO-friendly because your entire website is featured on a single page. This means that there is lost potential to incorporate meta-data (including description and tags) into the back-end of your website, as you are restricted by one page. However meta-data is a leading way to boost your SEO rankings and without it you cannot target specific keywords on each individual page.

Furthermore, with a parallax web design there are multiple H1 headers on a single page. On a traditional web design there are numerous H1 headers on individual pages, with sub-headers to follow. With a parallax web design all of your big headers are competing with one another as they are all featured on the same page.

Another disadvantage of parallax design is that it can be difficult to convert to a mobile-friendly version. In order to successfully market your site through a mobile device with parallax you would need to go to a separate mobile site.

Last but not least, a parallax website can take a long time to load because it is so image-heavy. This can make a person quickly leave the site before it’s even had a chance to work its magic, meaning you have lost a potential client before they even had a chance to engage with your product.

Parallax Scrolling: The Benefits

Firstly and foremost, parallax scrolling looks absolutely stunning in action. It’s a powerful way to compel the reader to scroll further and further as they discover more and more on this fascinating journey.

When browsing through a parallax site you feel almost hypnotised by the beautiful imagery and unusual content. In an era where maintaining your attention on one website for a prolonged period of time is becoming increasingly difficult, parallax web design manages to achieve that. It keeps you captivated, scrolling further and further down the page until you reach the story’s conclusion.

In this respect, once viewers see your work in action they will be far more likely to share it through social media networks, boosting recognition of your site instantly.

Finally, parallax scrolling is unique, responsive and very, very clever. By balancing form with function, you can create a compelling parallax website that still performs well in searches and against your competitors. 

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