A lengthy web page or infinite scrolling was considered bad from a design perspective and even from a user experience perspective. However, lengthy web pages have gained a good amount of popularity over the years. The exponential increase in the use of mobiles is the key propeller of long scrolling design. Smaller screens support long scrolling and thus an infinite scrolling design best suits for users on these devices.

Long scrolling helps in creating more engagement amongst users. The content appears more engaging when the user needn’t focus on navigation options on the page. Here are a few important rules which should be followed to effectively implement long scrolling while designing lengthy web pages:

1. Introductory Content Must Be Strong And Compelling

The common saying “First impression is the last impression” holds full value in case of a web page as well. The natural tendency of users makes them scroll down the page right when they land on a page. However, it’s very important that the most engaging and compelling content is always placed at the top of the page. If the content at the top is good, it increases chances of a user to scroll down the page. Use attractive images along with strong content to create interest among users.

2. Use A Sticky Menu

Even when you are creating a long scrolling web page it is important to provide the location and directions to the users. With no proper directions or lead to navigate around the page, they will most likely bounce off the page. Long scrolling becomes troublesome when the top navigation menu disappears on scrolling down the page. The user shouldn’t be scrolling all the way up to find navigation options. Use a Sticky Menu which will show the current location and will sit at a convenient location all the time.

3. URL Must Change Based On Scroll Position

One of the biggest challenges of long scrolling is the constant URL. The user’s scroll position is not reflected in the URL which makes it impossible for them to switch between devices and continue browsing from the same spot.
However, starting from HTML 5 it’s possible to change the URL without reloading the page. The history.pushState() function allows the change in the URL which enhances the user experience in terms of scrolling.

4. Provide Jump -To Options

It’s common for a user to get disoriented in a long scrolling design pattern. The amount of content is huge and is often broken down into chunks. It creates a problem when all the chunks contain equally important content. It’s possible that a user might have seen something important previously on the page and wants to go back to that content. However, he might not get a proper direction to reach back there. A “Jump To Option” is the solution to this problem. A Jump Down and a Jump Up option would solve the navigation problems for users.

5. Optimize The Page Loading Time

Another challenge with long scrolling pages is slow loading time. It’s very critical for any website to manage a decent or rather quick page load time else it can be fatal for their website. According to a research, 57% of the users exit from a web page if it doesn’t load in 3 seconds. Page-loading time should be optimized for long scrolling web pages using certain effective sequential loading techniques. Lazy loading is one such technique that enables users to access the most basic content swiftly. It loads only the basic content at the first go and while a user browses through the basic content, rest of the content on the web page is loaded.

In short, if the user’s browsing experience is delightful, then they won’t really mind scrolling down a long web page. Start thinking from a user’s perspective and design for their utter comfort. Talk to our design experts today and get the best advice on design aspects.

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