Parallax Scrolling vs Infinite Scrolling
Parallax Scrolling vs Infinite Scrolling
For a website, its the design that holds the foremost importance followed by coding and other functional aspects. An appealing website design can help you grab maximum user attention and make them stay long enough to draw its benefits for the business. While there are a lot of website designing aspects that constitutes for an impressive interface, a delightful scrolling experience certainly improves the user experience with the website. Talking about the website scrolling patterns, the two major types that are in trend these days includes – parallax scrolling and infinite scrolling. In this blog we are going to discuss about the two most trending scrolling techniques for a website and fathom the purpose they serve.
Parallax Scrolling
Parallax is more structured scrolling technique with the content being prearranged is applied in most of the website these days. As the users scroll up and down through the website the content of the background moves independently at different speed than the content on the foreground. Parallax effect creates the illusion of depth and immersion into the content just like the three dimensional effect while the user scrolls through the website.
Noticeable Features
Parallax scrolling helps makes any website more dynamic and interactive. However, the scrolling type goes well with websites with finite amount of content that although integrated in a simple way would turn into something more persuasive. It can be used with a variety of content including texts, images, graphics and even animations. Also, the type of scrolling solution does not allows you to disperse content. Once the parallax scrolling is implement to the website, it is difficult to modify it. There is no or little SEO value with parallax and user behavior is difficult to track via website analytics software.
Additionally, the parallax effect is more creative when it comes to scrolling, especially when crafted with animations provides the most memorable experience. The style lends the most confirming storytelling experience attracting user attention and stimulating with better visuals.
Infinite Scrolling
Running successfully on social media sites such as twitter, infinite scrolling technique suits the websites with large content that enable users to conduct quick search. As the user scrolls from up to down the content loads continuously eliminating the need to mark different pages. Although, the scrolling technique is quite engaging for users, it does not suit every website. It works great for single page website with the content worth few turns, like in case of image galleries. With infinite scrolling technique user can scroll till reached to the relevant piece of content.
Noticeable Features
The endless scrolling feature in infinite scrolling would work best for E-commerce websites for that would make it easier to find the type of food user is looking for more quickly, however it is not recommended for goal oriented website where users visit while looking for specific tasks. Moreover, it is very difficult to get back to the earlier found item on an extremely long page once you scroll down the long segment.
While infinite scrolling may sound exciting for being able to reduce the need for clicking while browsing content, it is important to keep in mind that not every user has the same outlook. Some of them might feel too overwhelmed with the amount of never ending choices or simply because of not being able to click anything, especially people who need specific information and expect the content to be classified as per their relevance.
Conclusion
While infinite scrolling serves the purpose of users who are there with the mindset of having little exploration and discovery, parallax scrolling offer user more synchronized and formatted experience with the content. Both of them have their specific usage depending upon the type of website it is and the kind of users it target. There are equal opportunities and limitations attached with each one of them, its just the matter of choice and work!