Introducing our new slider element!
It lets you showcase content in an eye-catching, dynamic way and includes the following key features:
Fully customizable navigation controls
Pagination Controls with fractions or clickable bullets
CMS support
Showing and controlling multiple slides within one viewport (Netflix style)
Rewinding or looping slides for continuous scrolling
Controlling slide motion with touch, click, or mouse wheel
Autoplaying slides with customizable delays
Effects and easing options for smoother slide transitions
This new element allows you to easily add sliders to your website. But are sliders the right choice? This article weighs the pros and cons to help you decide. It also includes an optimization checklist in case you move forward with a slider.
9 Pros of strategic slider implementation
Although some view sliders as outdated or annoying, they can actually be a simple yet powerful tool when used strategically. Effective sliders can showcase visuals, tell stories, convey brand value, and convince visitors to further explore your site. Here are the pros:
User Engagement: Interactive Sliders engage users by encouraging them to take action. Example: An e-commerce site can use a slider to showcase additional recommended products. Each slide has an image, title, and button, so visitors can easily view that item. This boosts site engagement and sales.
Visual Appeal: Sliders, when designed well, can add a visually stimulating and professional touch to a website, making it more attractive to visitors. Example: A luxury travel agency using high-quality stunning imagery in its sliders to attract potential clients.
Content Highlighting: Sliders allow you to highlight your most important or recent content in a prominent, yet non-intrusive way. Example: A blog using a slider to feature its most recent or popular posts at the top of the page.
Social Proof and Credibility: Showcasing customer logos, testimonials, and press mentions builds trust and credibility with your audience. Example: A startup’s homepage featuring a slider of notable client logos and positive reviews.
Interactive Storytelling: The sequenced, guided slides can gradually convey a message or narrative, creating an engaging user experience. Example: An ‘About Us’ page using a slider to take visitors through the company’s history.
Space Saving: Sliders conserve real estate on your page compared to showing all images or content at once. Example: Ideal for portfolios or product showcases, where space is a premium.
Freshness: Content within sliders can be easily updated, allowing for a constantly refreshed and dynamic appearance. Example: A news website using a slider to feature the latest stories or updates.
Educational Guides: Sliders can be used to present instructional content, guiding users through a series of steps or lessons. Example: A cooking website can utilize a slider to demonstrate a recipe’s preparation steps, one slide at a time.
Multi-format Content: Sliders support a mix of content types, from images and text to videos and animations. Example: An art gallery website utilizes a slider to showcase a collection, alternating between images, artist bios, and video interviews.
However, sliders do have some potential drawbacks. Before adding one, it’s important to also consider potential downsides.
9 Cons of ineffective slider use
Sliders can be visually striking and interactive, but they aren’t always the best choice for every website. For some use cases, sliders could do more harm than good.
Now that we’ve covered the potential upsides of using sliders, let’s balance that by looking at possible disadvantages:
User experience: Some users might find sliders confusing or annoying, leading to increased bounce rates.
Distracts from content: A slider can divert attention from other important content and calls to action on the page.
Content overload: Too much information in a slider can overwhelm visitors and make the main message unclear.
Trend shift: As web design trends change, certain types of sliders are becoming less popular, making sites that use them seem outdated.
Increased load time: Sliders, especially those with high-resolution images or videos, can increase the loading time of a webpage.
Less Effective calls to action: Important messages or calls to action may be overlooked if they are placed in a rotating slider.
Maintenance: Sliders need regular updates and maintenance, which can be time-consuming.
Limited real estate: When only one slide is visible at a time, sliders offer limited space to showcase visuals and messaging per page load.
Generic visuals: To make sliders cohesive, generic stock-type images are often used instead of branded, personalized visuals.
To Recap. Sliders can be very effective when their benefits are maximized and drawbacks minimized through strategic design. Now that we’ve covered the pros and cons, here is a checklist to help optimize your sliders.
Checklist for effective sliders
Looking to create a more effective slider? Asking these key questions will guide you to make better design choices:
Purpose: Will a slider achieve specific goals that other options cannot?
User experience: Will a slider enhance your site experience and add significant value to visitors?
User interface: Will users easily understand how to interact with and control the slider?
Relevance: Does a slider appropriately and effectively showcase your main content?
Mobile: Is the slider responsive and functional on mobile devices?
Performance: Are images/content optimized to maintain fast page load speeds?
Maintenance: Do you have resources to update slider content regularly?
Alternatives: Could a different format, like an image or text, achieve the same aims?
Technology: Will the slider have a negative impact on SEO or mobile responsiveness? Note: Ycode sliders are optimized for both.
Thoughtfully addressing these key questions will guide you to make strategic design choices and create a slider that truly enhances your site.
In summary
When you’re considering whether to use a slider on your website, it’s important to make sure it matches up with your site’s goals and what your audience prefers. The trick is finding that sweet spot where functionality, engagement, and design all come together just right.
The new slider element is just one of many powerful, easy-to-use features in our website builder. With Ycode you can create professional sites with modern templates, drag and drop simplicity, and more. Start building faster and easier - sign up for the free plan today!