Website usability: scroll or clicking

An ongoing debate in web design has asked whether websites should use scrolling or click-through navigation.

Do users visiting websites prefer to scroll through a long page or click through to new pages? 2015 possibly saw the demise of non-scrolling websites and for very good reasons.

As studies have suggested, regarding the question of scrolling vs clicking, we can safely say that a consensus has now been reached: people scroll.

Scrolling is much faster than clicking.

On a website, scrolling is much faster than clicking. It is especially easy when using a smartphone or tablet and on a limited or slow internet connection. If your users are accessing your site from mobile devices, you should consider making your content easier to scroll through.

Long-scrolling pages are more user-friendly.

In the world of website design, we are increasingly seeing the use and popularity of long-scrolling pages. Long-scrolling pages are more user-friendly and are more engaging. They allow designers to tell a story and guide the user from page to page until the goal is achieved. Designers can use animations and parallax effects to enhance storytelling. Parallax is an effect that creates a sensation of depth in a 2D scene. Parallax is experienced when the position of an object changes concerning its background.

On mobile, half of the users start scrolling within 10 seconds and 90% within 14 seconds.

Stats from MOVR (published in Luke Wroblewski’s tweet)

Consumers are still highly tuned to site links that offer direct links and quick information. Still, many consumers prefer web content that is easy to scroll through, limiting the number of clicks required to discover new and helpful information.

Good design web design is still the most important thing.

In 2016, we saw more websites that combined their pages into long, scrollable ones. Scrolling has become an accepted practice, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore the importance of good design and that we still need to use intuitive, well-organised layouts with clues to help the user navigate the website. When used correctly, scrolling can enhance your website’s user experience and enrich your brand’s storytelling.