Infinite scrolling (popularly seen on social media) can retain attention with a seemingly never-ending stream of content. Is this useful for your website design?

Like with Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds, for example, infinite scrolling takes place when content continuously loads as the user scrolls down on the page. In this way, the page is theoretically endless as content continues to load and display. This approach can work well in certain, but not all, instances as the downward scrolling layout carry with it its own unique set of attributes. Here we lay out the pros and cons of this.  

Pros

Attention Retention

As the scrolling action generates a constant stream of content, your website can capture and retain the attention of those viewing it as they are presented with a renewed feed of information which can comprise text, images, videos, etc.

Space Saving

As the content is in one place and therefore on one webpage, the user experience, and user journey is easily simplified in that everything they need is potentially in one place. This reduces the potential for users to stray into an irrelevant part of your website.

Simplicity

There is a certain simplicity to infinite scrolling websites in that users interacting with them know what to expect and may also know how to navigate them if they are also active on social media. This can have positive connotations in that there is little or no learning curve here to navigate your website.

Cons

Sparse SEO

With the vast bulk of your website content on only one page, it is hard to implement search engine optimization with keywords and phrases that can pertain to this vast amount of content. Due to this, your SEO efforts would have to be very general as opposed to specific.

Restricted Design

As infinite scrolling relies on the action of continuously scrolling downward, this leaves little in the way of design opportunity as a fixed column is required to display the information. This in turn means that your website design will be similar to other infinite scrolling websites.

Information Overload

Those looking for specific content/information can be overwhelmed and frustrated by the amount of variable content presented to them. Due to this, they may opt to visit another website for their needs instead of spending time searching through yours.

Consult with the experts at Ireland Website Design as to if your website can benefit from the infinite scrolling design. Our team talks you through and implements the best online and conversion strategy for your business to ensure that you reach your online business aims and goals with measured KPIs.