I love football, but I do miss baseball. Don’t you?

I suppose this post can be considered a follow up to another one of my posts, “They See Me Scrolling.” In that post, I explore the digital usage trend of scrolling and why that trend should force the old “above the fold” mentality to evolve.

When discussing the topic of homepages or landing pages, there’s always a conversation about a large visual element at the top of the page that rotates. Do you know the one I’m talking about yet? You guessed it, I’m talking about a slider. It’s almost without fail, the first place everyone’s mind goes to when they think about how to best promote content to users is a slider. I mean, you get multiple spots to add content “above the fold” right?

The digital, digital billboard

In theory, sliders are great. Lots of visually strong content at the top of the pages. They’re a real digital billboard in the digital world. Just like the digital billboards beside major roads. You know, like that menu on the screen above the bar that shows what’s on tap, oh wait, now it’s showing the food menu. Wait a second (or 10) the beer list will be back.

Technically these all function the same way. One piece of content appears, then after a few seconds, another piece of content appears and so on. Strategically, there’s a major difference.  The physical world has traffic jams. Bars have lines (or friendly bartenders who will tell you what the rotating menu above the bar says). Since today’s users scroll and make up their mind about a digital property within seconds, there aren’t digital traffic jams or lines that force users to see the items behind the first slide.

If you build it, they will come

If sliders don’t work, why are there so many of them out there?

It’s a great question that I’m not sure has just one answer. During discussions with most of the organizations/brands I work with, the following answers typically emerge:

1. Sliders show the amount of content an organization has.
2. Sliders provide animation and keep pages fresh so that when users come back, they are not always seeing the same content.
3. Active users engage with sliders.

These answers provide a strong foundation for a more detailed conversation about options and the real goal for the slider. Yes, some of the digital properties I’ve worked on use digital billboards. While sliders may not be my favorite approach, I’m not saying don’t use them or write them off. With all of my project I work hard to ensure that my clients know their options (and the pros and cons of each), this allows us to have a real conversation and make informed decisions.

So, what are other options?

1. Amount of content – What about a block or mosaic approach that uses colors and images to draw the users eye?
2. Animation and fresh content – What about a randomizer that could be built to help create a more personalized experience?
3. Active users engage – What about cards or signpost to allow them to interact with more of the content they’re looking to engage with?

You didn’t think I’d spell out all options or the rationale behind them did you?

With digital properties, there are lots of options for every question. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that all choices have pros and cons, which is why it’s important to have a clear strategy. Informed decisions are the decisions that drive organizations forward, so don’t be afraid to explore all of the pros and cons when it comes to how you’re promoting your digital content, especially on your own digital property.