As a publisher, you need to constantly look for new ways to engage your audience, thereby driving increased revenue. This also means that the ad inventory you put out for sale to your advertisers should be a value add to the audience’s browsing experience rather than a discordant distraction. Keeping with this line of thought, one of the most promising trends in digital advertising today is the parallax effect that publishers can add to their ad inventory. Parallax advertising has proven to be one of the most effective formats for advertisers, and as it offers a rather engaging experience for audiences, publishers should consider adding simple parallax scrolling ads to their ad campaigns.
What is Parallax Scrolling?
Basically, this is a web designing technique that has been extended to create engaging ads. In parallax scrolling, the background of the ad unit moves slower than its foreground, creating a visually interesting 3D effect that fosters user interaction. These ads utilize animations with layered images. The effect of the scrolling image is based on an optical illusion, as the human eye perceives objects closer to them as being larger than farther objects, which also seem to move slower as compared to objects that seem closer.
In the parallax ad format, different layers of images appear to have different depths and the full ad reveals itself when a user scrolls, imparting an impression of depth and motion to engage users in a non-intrusive fashion.
Why Ads with the Parallax Scrolling Effect Work
The best examples of parallax scrolling have several benefits to offer, which make them much more effective as compared to other ad formats.
The first and foremost benefit is that ads that use parallax scrolling are visually appealing and can capture user attention in a way that not all traditional ad formats can manage. They also curate interactive experiences as they allow the user to engage with the ad using their mouse or by scrolling. The way people react to parallax scrolling ads on a website can significantly improve engagement rates and ROI, which is a value add that publishers can offer to their advertisers.
In addition, the image scrolling effect of parallax advertising can also be integrated into responsive web designs for mobile advertising, as parallax scrolling is a mobile-friendly effect as well. This means that ads with parallax scrolling can be viewed on a range of devices including tablets and smartphones.
Serving Ads with Parallax Scrolling Capabilities on Your Website
Publishers can use a variety of ad builder platforms, like Airtory, to create the right parallax ads that can be added to their ad inventory with ease. The only crux is that they must have available ad space in their below-the-fold inventory, which is not visible initially when the page loads, as the ad is supposed to be triggered by users scrolling down the page. Another factor that should be considered is that parallax scrolling may not be suitable for all kinds of content and webpages so it is important for publishers to consider their audience. It is true that ads with parallax scrolling capabilities can help generate higher revenue. However, care should be taken to ensure that they enhance the audience experience on the website and don’t annoy the users.
Best Practices for Parallax Ads
The best examples of parallax scrolling have a few things in common, which are the best practices that every publisher about to add parallax advertising into their ad campaigns should be aware of.
Use in Moderation for a Visual Break
If your webpage has a lot of writing and static elements, parallax ad inventory can be set up in moderation in between the narrative to provide users with a visual break. However, when selling such ad inventory, care must be taken to ensure that the advertiser campaigns that get approved for display at these ad spaces are in context to the user’s browsing journey.
Strategic Placements
Along with displaying ads in a visually appealing manner, parallax ads create a more dynamic user experience and as a user moves through the webpage, it can trigger multiple points of activity, generating heightened visual feedback for the user. Some parallax ads can have bog effects while some may be rather muted. It is up to the publisher to set up prudent eligibility criteria for ad units that may be placed strategically throughout the webpage.
Ensure a Responsive Design
When adding any new effect or capability to your website, a responsive webpage design is one of the most important things to ensure. It is also important to remember that these days, most traffic tends to come from mobiles; the parallax effect for ads will not be mobile-friendly unless the webpage has been optimized for the same. Having backups in place for devices with slow internet connections may also be a good idea.
Optimize Page Load Speed
The page load speed is crucial for low bounce rates and for maintaining a website’s SEO. Adding parallax ads to your inventory can affect your page load speed, so it is important to monitor the same regularly and optimize loading as and when required.
If done right, adding parallax effect advertising to the ad inventory can prove to be extremely profitable for any publisher, helping them maximize the revenue-generating potential of their website with ease.
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