3 Website Trends to Avoid in 2017
Similar to consumer technology, the web and how we interact with it is constantly evolving. Every day we see new designs and graphic effects rolling out on the websites we view in all kinds of markets, from business to shopping to entertainment. For developers, this means you have to be at the top of your game, at all times. While it may be tempting to adopt the all of the latest style developments, here are three trends it might be better to avoid in 2017.
- Parallax Scrolling
Parallax is a neat graphical effect that creates a 3D feel as you scroll down the page, with the background moving at a slower rate than the foreground. See an example of Parallax Scrolling. While parallax can be visually interesting, it may not be the best technique for user experience.
The biggest drawback to parallax scrolling is page load times. Between large images and lots of JavaScript, this can drastically increase the time it takes for your web page to load. According to KissMetrics, a one-second delay in page load can result in seven percent fewer conversions. There are of course a multitude of other factors that can affect page speed, and you should always strive for making your site faster.
So the question is, is parallax scrolling worth it? In some cases, yes, it can help tell a story. In most cases, it is just a fancy effect that isn’t worth it.
- One Page Design
In theory single page design should be the most optimal way to deliver content to users. You can place everything the user needs at their fingertips, without having to navigate the site to find it. You can directly control the flow of information, to guide uses on a specific journey.
In practice however, this approach may not be the best suited solution for your website. Having a single page is not exactly optimal for SEO, since you have fewer pages, you have fewer opportunities to target multiple keywords. The length of the page itself means more resources are being spent, for example images to match the large amount of content. This can increase load times, which is not good both from the standpoint of SEO and user experience.
- Exclusive Hamburger Menu Use on Desktop
The hamburger menu is usually placed in the top left or right of the screen. It is represented by an icon consisting of three parallel horizontal lines:
While it is primarily used in mobile formats, we are seeing a trend toward webmasters stuffing an entire menu inside of an expanding hamburger menu on desktop sites. Problems with this approach are that the hamburger menu is less noticeable, non-viewable at a glance, and can conflict with platform navigation patterns. Best practice would be to preferably not use it all, but if you do, to use it for extra stuff that is not the primary focus of your site. Here is an example of good use of the hamburger menu.
Need assistance with website design? The team at Upright Communications is here to help – contact us today!