Now when the Internet plays a vital role in business, a special emphasis is placed on the quality and attractiveness of websites. The goal here is to make sure that every visitor has a pleasant experience and comes back again. This is easier said than done. The efficacy of some website isn’t just about the user-friendly interface and making it look “pretty”, you also have to provide something unique to keep the visitors entertained. This is where animation steps in. If you take a look at different websites, you’ll see most of them show a hint of movement. When executed properly, CSS animation can be a great way to amaze your customers and stand out at the same time.
Why are animations so important?
Reasons to include animations on the website are numerous. Always bear in mind that the average visitor prefers visual presentations. That is why along with writing high-quality content to publish; you should also upload photos to make posts more appealing. In instances when written content dominates and there are little to no visual clues, animations bring more conversion to your website. Otherwise, visitors wouldn’t stick around much longer and the chances are high they would end up going to the rival’s page and purchase something there. Also, bear in mind that people are more drawn to the animations than the text itself, so adding them is a great way to enhance the importance of content you publish.
User experience, design, and overall visitors’ satisfaction with a website don’t stop with arranging pages in a certain order to opting for a nice template. Although most websites strive to incorporate animation, the truth is this strategy is still unfairly overlooked.
When to use animations?
Now that you know the “why” you are probably wondering when to incorporate animations to your website. Animations should be pleasurable and fun without affecting the usability of your website or even the application. They pose as the perfect addition to your Internet presentation in these instances:
- To make products more shareable and memorable thanks to engaging and entertaining animations. Here, animations serve to create a powerful first impression and draw attention to the offer on the website.
- To create happiness and show the human, personal side of the business. The goal here is to make people feel happy for using your products or services.
How to introduce animations
Okay, animations are incredibly useful, but how to use them properly? Generally, animations can be anything from a simple underline that shows up when you hover over a word to a full-screen video or a background image. As with anything else when it comes to website design, animations can be discrete and subtle or they can be right in a person’s face and difficult to avoid. Here are some tips to bear in mind when introducing animations to the website.
Make it subtle
The “less is more” rule doesn’t only apply to fashion, but basically everything else too. Sometimes the best motion on the website or app is hardly noticeable but still, induces the desired effects. The key here is to make sure that movements happen naturally without distracting visitors.
Realistic
Animations are movements of text, object, or anything else on your website or app depending on the needs and preferences. One important thing to bear in mind when introducing animations is that they should still be realistic. Interactions and actions should mirror reality i.e. digital objects should act like physical, real-world counterparts.
Pay attention to speed
The biggest mistakes occur with timing and speed. Animations that are too fast can make visitors feel uncomfortable, even though they may not determine what is making them feel uneasy at that point. To them, something seems “off”, but it is still enough to consider the experience on the website or app a negative one.
On the other hand, when animations are too slow, visitors or customers feel like they are losing control. Moderation is the key; animations should not be too fast or too slow.
Tell a story through animation
Animations are always a part of a larger movement or a bigger story. That is what you should do with your website. To execute this properly, you should think about your business, the brand itself, and everything it stands for. Animation should only contribute to the overall message you’re trying to convey. Even though animations may seem unimportant here, they play a huge role because of their tremendous impact on user experience.
Focus on movement, not the code
A very common mistake that web developers make is focusing on the codes. Yes, they are important but in this case, they may take away the subtle, seamless animation and lead to the mechanic, forced, and fake movements. Before you even start thinking of a code, consider the animation itself, what should it be, what would customers like to see, and other important factors. Once you define your animation and see it clearly in your mind, move on to the code.
Consider the purpose
The least effective thing to do is to include animations just because everyone else is doing it. Everything on your website should have its clear role or purpose and animations aren’t the exception. What do you want the animation to do? Keep visitors interested during the loading time? Carefully explain new features? Introduce products? Defining the purpose allows you to get the most out of animations you include.
Animation ideas
Animated spinners that serve as loading indicators to keep visitors “less bored” while they wait
Illustration for a new feature or a product to educate user in an easy-to-understand and memorable fashion
Animated error-handling message
Animations to make complicated tasks seem easier and less stressful
Animated interaction messages
Movement during every click to let users know their actions are registered
Pop-up screen (e.g. to subscribe, inform) animations.
Bottom line
Although it may not seem so at first, animations bear tremendous importance thanks to their ability to contribute to the user experience. If you want to introduce it to the website in order to amaze customers, start with the purpose first, have a clear vision, and start working to create natural movements.