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Parallax Web Design – What you need to know

Parallax– wait…what is that?

For a newbie it might sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but worry not. We here at Virtual Force can explain.

The Greek word “Parallaxis” means alteration and so, the main concept of the parallax website is related to the difference or the displacement in the obvious position of any web element seen along two distinct lines of view.

To make things more simple, parallax has given rise to a 3D effect by rendering depth to the web page, which is made possible by moving the background and the foreground images at different speeds. The parallax web design began as a scrolling feature that was first used by Nike for their website. Today, it has become one of the most sought after designs of the world wide web.

The Ups and Downs

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Nike- pioneers in parallax design.
  • Great User Experience : The main reason for using parallax is to engage the online user busy and keep them focused on what is important from your business perspective. Intense graphics, eye catching animations and a captivating colour palette sets the parallax design apart from your run-of-the-mill website. Not only will it keep your users glued to their screen, but can encourage new users to visit your site too.
  • Effective Product Description : Parallax design helps in creating interesting details for products or services and have targeted users engage with the product content. As compared to the old style of websites, parallax allows the user to experience the product even before a purchase.
  • Lower Down Bounce Rate : If users are leaving a site too soon, there is for sure a problem. It indicates that your design has failed. Either the page loaded to slowly or perhaps there was an overall unattractive vibe that put off the user from staying any longer. Add a parallax scrolling design to your content and your users should be bouncing right back!
  • Loved by SEO : If you have launched a website, Search Engine Optimization is your new best friend. Unlike flash designs, parallax scrolling does not affect the SEO element of your website. It is very effective in obtaining a good amount of social media back-links and likes. Your website is in for a boost.

The Flipside

This new trend in design seems flawless but it’s important to understand that as with everything else, no design is 100% perfect. Where it scores in user engagement is lacks in loading time. Large graphics may slow down the site and that can have a negative effect on your user. It is also quite a task to design a fast responsive website using the parallax design. For a new developer it might be a jump to integrate the parallax design features in with a responsive site.

Don’t Let That Stop You

Since the pros outnumber the cons, parallax websites are the way of the future.Creating a parallax website header is easy with several plugins. You don’t have to know JavaScript; simple HTML along with CSS will do. Some of the widely used plugins are Curtain.js, Stellar.js, JQuery Image Parallax, and Parallax Header. These plugins will make your task easier and will also create better results. Most of the plugins run on CSS and jQuery.

With this, we can safely say it’s time for your website to say hello to parallax.

Get in touch with Virtual Force and let us know how we can help you!