Sliders are the most versatile design elements you can use on your website. They’ve been around for a while, and they’ll always find a place for themselves on modern websites. Maybe the new sliders aren’t traditional-looking and won’t keep sliding anymore, but they are present. There are many different ways to use sliders in 2024 on a website. In this article we’ll see what kind of sliders people use and why.
Misconceptions about sliders in 2024
First, let’s address some of the many common misconceptions you can find about sliders. These are part of the reasons which make lots of people not like them. For example, many say sliders are bad from the UX perspective. Generally, that’s because the sliders rotate automatically. Additionally, they do it so fast that it makes it impossible for the visitor to read the content. Luckily, there’s an easy solution for this problem: allow pausing the autoplay, or don’t use it at all.
I’ve collected the most common arguments people have against sliders in 2024:
1. Sliders are bad for SEO
SEO is an important factor, because everyone wants their site to rank good. If you put anything on your site that’s not SEO friendly, it will ruin your ranking. This includes sliders, but any other elements as well.
2. Sliders ruin UX
People won’t spend their valuable time on your site if it’s not user friendly. Elements that are bad for UX will drive them away sooner rather than later. A typical example is the slider that automatically rotates its slides. Usually, it moves too fast and there’s no way to stop it.
3. Sliders cause banner blindness
Banner blindness means people ignore parts of the website, because it looks like an advertisement. Most people hate ads, and I assume you hate them, too. The only good thing about them is that generally they’re easy to recognize. That’s because they’re full of constantly moving, jumping and flashing elements, and scream for attention. But they rarely get it.
4. Sliders are not responsive
Responsiveness is crucial in 2024, because almost 55% of all web traffic is coming from phones. If your site doesn’t look and perform well on a mobile device, you lose visitors.
5. Sliders are not accessible
Accessibility is always an important factor on modern websites. When you create a site, you need to make sure that all people can browse it. In other words, everyone needs to be able to use it whether they use a mouse, only a keyboard or a screen reader.
6. Sliders are slow
From the technical point of view, sliders need CSS and JavaScript codes to function. As a result, they’ll load some extra CSS and JavaScript codes to your website. Loading extra files can increase the time your site loads.
Also, people tend to overuse images, without realizing the impact they’ll have on the site. For example, when they add static images, they generally only add 1-3 images below each other. But when they use a slider, it’s not uncommon that they add 5-15 images, which can also put a heavy load on the speed.
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After all these negative arguments, you might be wondering why you should use a slider? Firstly, if you choose the right slider plugin you won’t have to worry about the points above. A good slider plugin won’t create serious speed problems for you, and won’t create problems for you. Also, make sure you design your slider carefully to fit the purpose you need it for.
Secondly, sliders have many advantages, and can be used for almost any purpose. Additionally, they fit into any kind of website. I’ve collected some of the most important reasons to use a slider:
1. Sliders save space
This is especially true for product or post sliders, where you can display many items next to each other. As a result, the visitors can get a glimpse of your products or posts. Additionally, they don’t have to scroll too much, or go to other pages and risk leaving your site.
2. Sliders are interactive
Sliders which aren’t auto advancing require the visitor to take action. They need to click on a button to see more slides. So, an interactive slider helps engage users the moment they arrive at your website.
3. Sliders are visually appealing
While they’re more than just eye candies, sliders are design elements. This means they let you get creative and create innovative designs and amaze your visitors. This can result in them spending more time on your site.
4. Sliders make content stand out
Sliders are visual tools, and they can easily grab the visitor’s attention. As a result, they’re perfect for showcasing new content in an attractive manner.
How to create sliders in 2024?
To create good sliders in 2024 make sure you keep the above mentioned points in mind, and do your best to create sliders they don’t apply to. In other words, make sure your slider is SEO friendly, responsive and accessible. Also, make sure you create an eye-catching design that looks nice. Finally, don’t forget to optimize your slider for speed.
Most of these aspects depend on the slider plugin you choose to create your slider. Before settling on a certain plugin, make sure it can create sliders that will benefit your site.
What kind of sliders can you find on modern websites?
Modern websites call for modern sliders. But what does this actually mean? Use sliders with a purpose, and make them valuable assets for your site. Don’t use them only to have something on your page that looks fancy. Sliders in 2024 are more than eye candies that take up valuable space.
Here are some examples on what kind of ways you can use sliders in 2024:
Product sliders are the most common slider types on modern websites. Basically, you can find at least one on every ecommerce website. Sliders can showcase a bunch of products, without taking up too much space. Typically a product slider displays 3 to 6 slides next to each other. It displays an image of the product, its price, category and a CTA button to check its details. Of course, it can display extra information, like the product’s rating.
Bloggers love post sliders. A post slider is a good way to feature the most recent, or most popular articles anywhere on their site. As a result, these articles can get more views, because the visitors can find them more easily.
Showcasing your portfolio in a creative and unique way can help you get more work. There are many photographers, designers and developers out there, and clients can have a hard time choosing. A creative portfolio makes you stand out of the crowd and get more clients. Additionally, it tells your future clients they’ll stand out, too, if they work with you.
Usually you can find a logo slider on websites which sell products or services. They use the logo slider to showcase some of the big name customers they work with. To make it simple, logo sliders are marketing tools, to help increase sales. After all, if someone is good enough for a big company such as Amazon, it’s good enough for you as well.
A thumbnail gallery is another popular way to use a slider. In this case the slider acts as a gallery, rather than an actual slider. It helps to display your images in an engaging way. The thumbnails are great for two reasons. Firstly, you can use them for navigation. Secondly, they indicate how many images you can see. The most common way to display the image gallery is to put the thumbnails to the bottom of the slider. But you can also find thumbnail galleries where the images are on the left or right side.
Seeing satisfied customers of a product or service can help convince hesitant customers to make a purchase. So, they can help you generate revenue. Using a slider is the best way to display testimonials on your site. The potential customers can browse them in a comfortable way, so make sure you take advantage of it!
Every slider tells a story. But interactive sliders, where the users can click on buttons to advance create a memorable experience and visitors will likely come back later.
Video sliders generally don’t contain static images, just videos. You can use them to display tutorials, courses or even introduce your products. They’re one of the best demonstrating tools at your disposal, and it’s worth using it on your site.
If you’re a photographer, you must have lots of images you want to show on your site. Good news: sliders are great tools to showcase pictures, which makes them perfect for photographers. You can create a nice image gallery, add your captions and let your visitors enjoy your photos.
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Conclusion
Are sliders back? Yes they are! In fact, they’ve never left, they just evolved to fit better into modern websites. They have purpose, and they’re not just fancy eye candies anymore. Sliders in 2024 have a solid goal: to help your website. Will you let them do so?
Hi, I’m Ramona and I’m a member of Nextend‘s awesome support team. You’ve probably chat with me if you’ve submit a support ticket. When I’m not answering support emails I read a book or go cycling. I enjoy writing as well, both for our blog and for my private projects.
