Web effects that we use today, but when do they become too much?

As the Internet evolved, the way we interact with websites changed. A few years ago, there was no such thing as a content slider. Today, they are everywhere. We also have pop-ups, parallax scrolling and many other websites design elements. These things might seem like a great idea, but when do they become too much? When does it become bad?

How much is too much?

There is a fine line between 'too much' and 'just enough' when it comes to web design. Some effects can ruin the user experience, while others work as intended.

The web is a wonderful place, but there are some ugly things that have found their way onto it. These things are known as website effects. Website effects were popular back in the 1990s and are typified by things like: underlining, blinking text and graphics, image rollovers, frames, and animations. While some of these effects are fun to use, they should be used sparingly and never become overwhelming.

Effects can boost functionality but there is a big difference between effects and function.

A website effects function can bring the users attention to content on the page. Text or images that reveals themselves as you scroll will gain the viewers attention. But when the page is covered with too many effects then the viewer will find it difficult to focus and be too distracted.

A scrolling banner can show different content links and information without over cluttering the page. But when the banner moves too often then it will keep distracting the viewer. If too many banners are used, this can have a serious effect in page load speed as the banners need to be loaded. In some cases I have seen the banner move before the page has even fully loaded. This is something Google hates and will effect you page score and website ranking.

Moving effects

Sometimes we use effects that move things on the page to get the viewers attention. Banners that scroll, tabs that popup to reveal more content or text and images that bounce as you scroll over them. These can be useful to attract attention and therefore add functionality. But if there is no purpose or meaning then these can just be an annoying distraction. In some cases when element move that you want to click on the the user can actually end up clicking on the wrong option and be incredibly infuriating.

Some effects can even move the entire page. Loading some ads can cause this. Just as you want to read or click on something an effect or add has loaded and totally move the content you were looking at. This is another pet hate from Google and should be avoided.

Conclusion

Effects can be great if that have a function such as drawing attention to certain content. But they should be used sparingly. Animations should be kept to a minimum and anything that moved or changes the page layout should be avoided.

This article explains how some of these effects can be used to improve your ecommere checkout journey. But I would recommend that you use the sparingly and don't try to use all on the same page as will have the reverse effect intended.