Put Down the Slider, Step Away From the Carousel

There have been a lot of websites popping up, especially news sites and designers sites that use what are called “sliders”. They might also be known as “carousels”. Designers love them because they look pretty. But what they may not know is that they are terrible for SEO and terrible for the reader. You might look at a site like this and think it looks pretty good. But what are the real facts about the effects of using sliders on your site?

The Facts

It is actually very well known that only 1% of visitors click on sliders, and for the most part it is usually the first one. Sliders look like banners, and people have developed a very effective ability for ignoring banners. Not only do people ignore these banners, but if they are above your content (and in some cases taking over the entire window) people won't notice your content at all, they'll simply exit out of the site altogether.

Sliders are distracting, and it makes it hard for the reader to focus, decreasing readability. They slow down your site, which hurts your SEO and conversion rate. They don't always work for mobile devices, and they can create multiple messages on the site confusing the reader. As in, they may not be sure whether to go with the fancy and distracting moving pictures or look at your content. And where's those pictures supposed to be leading them to anyways? There's no summary, no explanation, nothing of interest but something nice to look at. That's not the kind of thing people click on.

I've Got Images!

You may have a lot of images to display, maybe you use a slider for a photography or design portfolio. (A lot of designers seem to be using them.) But the fact of the matter is that it is better to be creative and make a static page with static images. Galleries like this are a little harder to deal with, but they allow for better control and they don't have the negative effects of using sliders. Anything that's moving on your page is a major distraction and annoyance, that's if it gets noticed at all, which statistically it won't.

Think about this, if you can't choose what you want to be on your site and have to resort to multiple things at once, how can you expect the customer/visitor to choose something? Imagine going into a store where the shelves are made of a complex system of conveyer belts, constantly moving. Pretty infuriating, right? How are you supposed to know where to go or how to get what you're looking for? A website should act like the aisle system you see in grocery stores. Signs over the aisles (like menus) that describe exactly what is in the aisle which is clearly organized by category. (Snack foods, dairy, oils, etc.)

You might say, “Oh yeah? What about the little carrousel’s in the supermarket with the cheap items on them?” There's a reason the cheap items are there, when is the last time you paid any attention to those? Besides, we also have to consider that unless you're in a jewellery store those don't rotate on their own, they require you to do it. And even the rotating stands for watches never get a lot of attention in the jewelry stores, people look in the cases. They look at the prices and follow them down or up (which are purposely placed in order for easy navigation), measuring the cost and benefit of purchasing one. The “carousels” are about as effective as a potted plant in the corner. Sure they improve “fen-shui” but they don't sell anything.

Sliders for websites are proven to go unnoticed by most people, they kill your conversion rate and hurt the readability of your website making for a frustrating experience for the reader. Don't use them. Put down the slider, step away from the carousel. Period.