There was a time when scrolling didn’t enjoy a respectable position in terms of web designing. But scrolling has risen from the ashes. More and more people have shown their love towards websites where scrolling is a necessity. Today scrolling has become a primary element of design interaction. Having said that, it becomes extremely important that web designers understand the importance of scrolling and implement it effectively in their designs. Here are some of the best scrolling practices going around which designers must follow:

Although long scrolling and parallax effects are still fresh practices but some of the below-mentioned practices are tried and tested when it comes to long scrolling.

1. Inspire Users To Scroll

It’s a known fact that people start scrolling down the moment the page loads up. But, the initial content displayed at the very beginning is as crucial as any other part. Provide interesting content right from the word “GO”. It will create an initial impression and user would form a quality expectation. Provide them with a good introduction, interesting facts, and engaging imagery.

2. Navigation Must Match Scrolling

Talking about user experience, navigation is something super critical. It’s essential that the user has ease of access on a web page and at no point in time, he gets lost. He must exactly know where to click and where to go. Long scrolling is a bit troublesome for users if not implemented properly. The navigation bar must never lose its visibility. Use of sticky navigation is highly advisable. A jump-to-action button is also a must have especially in cases where the actual content is split into different sections.

3. Mix Long Scrolling And Short Scrolling

It’s not necessary to take a one-way stance when it comes to scrolling. No book defines any rule to strictly follow a certain pattern only. Be smart! Use both long and short scrolling as and when required. Let the content decide the scrolling pattern. It’s a popular technique to use short scrolling on homepages and long scrolling on landing pages.

4. Avoid Providing Too much Information

Even while you are following long scrolling, don’t follow it literally. Long scrolling doesn’t mean thousands of pages of continuous content. Don’t shove your content right down a user’s throat. Tell your story in a flow with pauses at the right instances. You start it, then stop, and then start again. Many popular websites follow this approach and keep their scrolling restricted to only a few pages.

5. Take Help Of Animations To Improve Long Scrolling

The average attention period of a user on the web is just 8 seconds. That’s too short and you need to provide something which can grab a user’s attention and he stays on your web page. Visuals play the lead role in grabbing attention. Effectively used animations act as a guide during the long scrolling process. Use of Parallax effect (involves the background moving at a slower rate to the foreground producing a 3D effect), Scroll-Triggered animations and providing visual feedback while the content gets loaded are a few methods which are very effective.
Long scrolling isn’t going anywhere and is here to stay for the long run. So it’s essential that designers follow these guidelines in order to create the most delightful user experience while users scroll through the web pages. It’s not all about shortening the length of the content, but it’s about making the wait more enjoyable. Talk to our design experts to know more about creating a delightful user experience.

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