For companies looking to innovate their websites, consider the scrolling background technique. The special visual technique allows pages to infinitely scroll, making it an eye-catching design element for all types of websites. Read on to learn more about how to make the best scrolling background for your company’s website.
Since its online debut in 2011, a scrolling background or parallax scrolling has become a popular web design strategy.
The web design technique involves the webpage background moving at a slower pace than in the foreground.
Why is this technique a popular trend you might ask?
Scrolling background techniques result in a 3D effect as site visitors scroll down the page, adding a sense of depth while creating a more immersive experience for the audience.
Since the human eye perceives closer objects larger than ones farther away, we perceive those more distant objects as if they were moving more slowly.
A well-designed scrolling background engages users to scroll more information on websites.
If your business is interested in implementing a scrolling background, learn about the five key tips for a visually appealing background.
1. Make it a Story
Parallax graphics and a scrolling background is ideal for storytelling.
When websites are designed well, we want them to communicate a compelling story about services, products, and brands to visitors.
A successful scrolling background allows visitors to immerse themselves fully in a unique online experience. This tactic also works well with single-page websites, which are considered the future of web designing.
ESPN’s Outside the Lines told the story of Dock Ellis, a baseball player who experimented with psychedelic drugs in the 1970s.
As readers scroll through the news report, they see photography, visual typography styles, animations, and pull-out quotes.
A scrolling background can provide excitement to long-form content by adding interactive elements along the way.
2. Make it Engaging
A scrolling background improves user engagement.
A goal of many, if not all, businesses is to reduce website bounce rates. For those unaware, bounce rate measures the percentage of site visitors who leave your website after just one task.
High bounce rates impact search ranking and other metrics. To avoid this, businesses can implement parallax design elements on their target pages.
A well-crafted scrolling background gives the user a dynamic experience that keeps them viewing the website longer. It is a great way to enhance your webpage information and website sections.
Parallax graphics can engage the audience with enticing visual effects.
3. Make a Call to Action
With a scrolling background, you scroll and something happens. Capitalizing on your site visitor’s curiosity by relying on their interaction is a great way to pull their attention to your CTAs or call-to-actions.
A call to action can be for causes that need donations, a shopping cart that needs to be filled, or a signal to explore potential services and products.
Cuberto, a digital agency specializing in development and design, uses a unique parallax approach to target site visitors.
To inquire about their services, users are guided by a cursor that is a circular moving image that follows them around the screen.
The little dot resembles a looking glass looking into the company’s services. As users scroll down, they can also see the agency’s portfolio.
Adding a scrolling background might be the right trick for businesses with a main goal to influence users to pull the trigger.
4. Make Sure to Not Overdo it
A scrolling background is a cool visual element, but be sure to use it with intention.
Parallax graphics don’t work with all types of content or devices. If you’re designing a multi-page online shopping experience, it might be overwhelming to buyers to use a scrolling background.
If your site relies on mobile devices, this technique, while possible, doesn’t perform well on smaller screens. If your website does use a scrolling background, it is better to either minimize or remove that element for mobile users.
If the use of a scrolling background doesn’t improve your site’s user experience, avoid it.
5. Make it Fun
Audiences – your potential buyers – want to be entertained. If your business is considering a scrolling background or infinite scrolling elements, think about using it for fun.
Users of the scrolling background web technique can create immersive experiences and creative content that are unique to their company.
While it is important to keep your audience entertained, be sure to use a scrolling background only when necessary for your business. Don’t overdo it.
Try a Scrolling Background for Your Web Project
Would a scrolling background have a positive effect on your online presence? If the answer is yes, start finding ways to add it to your next web revamp.
A scrolling background or parallax graphics can impact user attention, increase engagement, and provide entertainment when done right.
Make sure that your scrolling background tells a story while making your content and services a top priority.