What is Parallax Scrolling and How To Use It

What is parallax scrolling?

Parallax scrolling first arrived on the internet in 2011. During the past decade, numerous internet trends have risen and fallen, but parallax scrolling is one that showed up and stuck around. Now, it has become an essential tool that a lot of websites use to grab and hold the attention of visitors.

Parallax scrolling has a specific web design technique that causes the background to move at a slower pace than the content in the front. For example, as you scroll down a website, you may notice that the text leaves your visual field as you continue to go; however, the background image remains in place. In essence, this creates a three-dimensional visual effect that creates a sense of depth and immersion as you visit a website.

Yes, this is considered an optical illusion. The human eye naturally perceives objects that are closer to us as being larger than those that are further away, even if it is not true. You can demonstrate this to yourself relatively easily if you can use the quarter to cover the entire sun. Of course, the sun is the larger object, but the parallax effect can make it look like the quarter is bigger.

You can use the same effect to improve the quality of the browsing experience of your visitors. By taking advantage of the parallax effect, you can focus the attention of your visitors on what matters most while also creating a deep, powerful, and cohesive browsing experience for your visitors.

The benefits of parallax scrolling

There are several significant benefits of parallax scrolling. They include:

Grab your visitor’s attention

You can use this tool to grab the attention of your visitors and stimulate them using different levels of depth. You can create a sense of animation using this tool, avoiding a boring website design. If you can grab and hold the attention of your visitors, you will have an easier time getting them to explore the different areas of your website.

Lengthen page visit time

If you want to improve your online visibility, you need to pay attention to your search results rankings. The more time people spend on your website, the higher your search results rankings will go. On the other hand, if your bounce rate is high, your rankings will suffer. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to the amount of time that people are spending on your website, and you can lengthen the amount of time people spend on your website by using parallax scrolling. This effect will pique the curiosity of your visitors, and they want to explore your entire website.

Demonstrate a sense of professionalism

You can also use this tool to demonstrate a higher level of professionalism and creativity. If you are trying to build a business, this is very important. You want people to feel like you know what you’re doing, and when you use the parallax effect, you demonstrate to them that you care deeply about your website. If you care that much about your website, you probably care about your products and services even more.

Leave a lasting impression

You want people to remember your website even after they leave. People visit a lot of websites every day, and if you want them to remember yours, you need to do something different. You might even be able to convince them to come back to explore other products and services that you have.

For all of these reasons, you need to consider adding parallax scrolling to your website. There are different ways you can create this effect, and you need to figure out the method that works best for your needs.

How to add parallax scrolling to a website

If you want to add parallax scrolling to your website, there are two options available.

Option 1: Use a plugin

The first option is to use a plug-in that can help you quickly and easily add parallax scrolling to your website. For example, you may want to use a plugin, such as the ElementsKit for WordPress websites, that can make it easier. That way, you don't have to worry about your computer coding knowledge. The steps to follow include:

1. Add the Elementor Page Builder

Before you can put the ElementsKit to work for you, you need to install the Elementor page builder. You can find this plugin from your WordPress dashboard. Locate the section for plugins, search for Elementor, and add it to your toolbox. Remember that you will also have to click on the image to install the plugin before you can get started.

2. Add the ElementsKit plugin

Now that the page builder has been added, you can follow the same process to add the ElementsKit plugin. You need to go to the plugins section of your WordPress dashboard, search for the ElementsKit plugin, and download it. There will be a button to install it now, and it should install relatively quickly. Then, you can activate the plugin to get started.

3. Trigger the parallax effect through ElementsKit

After you have installed the Page Field and plugin, all you need to do is open up the parallax effect using ElementsKit. Navigate to the WordPress dashboard. Then, on the far right, you should be able to find the ElementsKit plugin and download it.

Go ahead and click on the icon to open it up. Check out the options panel, and click the modules section. You should see a list of modules there. Then, you can enable the parallax effect. Switch it to the On setting. Then, go ahead and save the changes.

4. Create a new page with the parallax effect

Now, it is time to create a new page so you can see the effect in action. Go to the WordPress dashboard. Select the Appearance option, then Pages, then Add New. This will allow you to create a new website page, which is where you will add the parallax effect.

With your new page opening, you can edit with Elementor, which you should see at the top. This will give you the ability to add the parallax effect to your new page.

5. Add the background image to your new page with the parallax effect

Next, you can look closer at the various background images for WordPress. As you go through the editing process, you should be able to find the parallax effect. All you need to do is add a background image. Select one from the menu bar on the left-hand side of the page. You can drag and drop the background image from the page editor itself. Think carefully about the background image you want to use. There are plenty of options available, so consider the different styles you see in front of you.

6. Add a new image on the page

The next step is to add a new image on the screen using the effects from the ElementsKit. Click on the image icon and choose the image that you want to show. Make sure you show it with animation. Navigate to the Advanced tab of the options panel. Then, click on the Effects option from the ElementsKit plugin. There are several different types of animations to choose from, and you can use this method to add a parallax effect to the images you add to your website.

This is a relatively straightforward method that you can use to add animation to the images on your WordPress website using the parallax effect. You do not necessarily need to download a plugin to add the parallax effect to your website, but it does make everything a lot easier.

Option 2: Manual coding

The other option is to add the parallax effect using manual coding. If you can code using CSS, then you can do all of this yourself. With this method, you will pin the background image in place as the rest of the website scrolls around it. The steps to follow are:

1. Add the code

A basic code snippet for the parallax effect would be as follows:

2. Make sure it is mobile responsive

If you use this code to create the parallax effect on a mobile device, you will quickly realize that your mobile devices will have significant problems when trying to view the image. Therefore, you will need to add a media query to make sure the parallax effect works well on mobile devices.

The coding for that is as follows:

Once you have added this code, mobile devices should be able to view your site.

There are multiple ways to generate the type of effect you want, so figure out what works best for you. If you want to control each individual element of this effect, then you may need some knowledge of basic computer coding to get it done. On the other hand, there is no requirement that you have an intimate understanding of computer coding to get the most out of this effect. You simply need to find the right plugin to make the process easier for you.

Parallax scrolling tips

If you want to maximize the effect of parallax scrolling on visitors to your website, there are several tips you need to follow.

Measure load time

If you use this website design strategy, website loading speed is going to play a critical role. Parallax scrolling is a heavy effect because it relies on not only CSS but also on basic JavaScript. Therefore, it might take the website longer to load than it would without parallax scrolling. If you want to keep your bounce rates low, check your load speed regularly. If you find that your website is taking a long time to load, you may need to adjust your website’s design. That way, you can ensure your website loads quickly even as you put the parallax effect to work for you.

Use parallax scrolling for smaller pages

Parallax scrolling works well for relatively small websites and pages. If you have a larger website, you do not want to use parallax scrolling on the entire thing. For example, if you want to run an online store, you should not use parallax scrolling across the entirety of the store. Otherwise, your website is going to be too slow, frustrating your visitors.

Target first-time visitors

You can use parallax scrolling to make a positive impression on people who visit your website for the first time. They will be absolutely floored by the browser experience, and they will probably want to check out other areas of the website. However, if you have a lot of returning visitors, the page elements are going to get predictable. Therefore, if you envision yourself having a lot of repeat visitors, it may not be the best idea to use parallax scrolling for all of it.

Don’t hijack scrolling

When people visit a website, scrolling will be second nature to them. They have expectations of how a website should behave. If you deviate too much from those expectations, your visitors will get frustrated. Remember that your user experience is important, and you should try to avoid scroll hijacking. Scroll hijacking means that the site defines the speed at which the user scrolls, not the user themselves. If you hijack scrolling, you will inhibit the experience of your users, and they will not want to come back for future visits.

Choose colors carefully

When you have two elements on your page that are moving independently of one another, you need to pick your colors carefully. The background image is going to move at a different pace, or sometimes not at all when compared to the text on the screen. Think carefully about the color of the background image and the color of the text. If they become invisible when they cross over with one another, that is a bad thing. Always make sure the color contrast is strong enough to allow your users to continue reading even as everything scrolls by them.

Give visitors an off-switch

Remember that you are trying to create a good experience for users. Some people, for example, those who suffer from motion sickness, might find parallax scrolling hard to look at. Give your visitors an option to turn off the animation, so if they start to get sick, they don't need to leave the website.

If you keep these tips in mind, you should be able to maximize your application of the parallax effect. You can use this to create an immersive browsing experience for users, which can help you improve your brand identity and online presents.

Build the website you want to see

Parallax scrolling is just one of the many tools you can use to create a more interesting website. Think carefully about how you can get the most out of your background image, as it can make a significant difference between your website and competitors’ websites. Having a creative and engaging website is important to grab the attention of your target market, hold it as you discuss relevant content, and increase your conversion rates.

If you want to put the right tools to work for your website, you need to work with an intuitive, powerful, and customizable website builder. Consider putting Mailchimp to work for you. This is a versatile tool that you can use to build websites in multiple industries.