Banner Blindness - It’s A Thing

When our clients ask about a banner carousel or slideshow at the top of their website we recommend they reconsider. While the idea of a cool slideshow in the top fold or your new websites sounds like a good idea, and can be a visual treat, the fact is a feature like this works against your website’s purpose and marketing. Here are some of the reasons why.

Banner Blindness

Think about how you interact with banners on the internet these days. Many websites you visit feature the flashing moving in-your-face ads that Google promotes. And they’re all over social media. As a result of this onslaught, people have developed what is known in the business as banner blindness. Over time, we subconsciously tune out any content that resembles a banner ad.

Case studies have shown that if you put the important information about your business in a sliding banner, it’s very likely your visitors and potential customers will not see it. Banner blindness kicks in the moment your banner moves.

Accessibility

A moving home page banner also has accessibility issues. People read at different speeds. People who are not native English speakers might need a bit more time to absorb your message. And anyone with accessibility issues might not be able to click on a button before it is whisked away. 

Limited messaging

You are limiting the exposure of each banner’s message by having it move out of sight. If a person spends 8 seconds before starting to scroll, how many slides will they see? Few users  will sit and wait for all your banners to slide by. Most of your visitors want to see your full message the moment they land on your site. Or they’re gone!

Sliders have very low Click-Through rates

Many website slideshows have button that invite “Click Here” or “Find out More.” No one clicks on these slides. Visitors scroll away and look for more further down your page. The quickly changing images and multiple offers can make many visitors feel overwhelmed. And there’s information overload as well.

Your users want to feel in control

One of the most important rules in User Experience is “Keep the user in control”.  Humans feel most comfortable when they feel in control of themselves and their environment. This applies to our online experience as well.

The Hero Image - the perfect alternative

The hero image is an oversized banner image at the top of your home page. It’s typically a cool high-rez photo, or even a video, and because humans are a visual species, it can give a wonderful first impression for your business. You can also have text, outlining your company’s primary selling point(s) and a button (call-to-action).

What is the difference between a Hero Image and a Slideshow? Primarily, movement. But also, because there’s only one image, you will likely have all your key information right there, rather than splitting it up among slides.

Time for a change

Many websites older than about  five years will have carousel slideshows and moving banners. In those days it was considered a pretty cool feature. Now we know that it would be a much better idea to replace those carousels with a nice big Hero Image. 

Contact Goodwin Creative Ltd today and let’s talk about updating the top of your website.