If you’ve been surfing the web recently (which we kind of assume you have), you may have noticed that more and more websites have long scrolling home pages. From Pinterest and Flickr to your Facebook newsfeed, you’ll find this trend everywhere you look. That’s because web designers know that more of their visitors are viewing websites from mobile devices where vertical navigation rules the road.
Rather than sit around and wait for page after page of content to load, users (particularly those on their cell phones) prefer to use those thumbs to scroll down one long page of content.
Put simply: Long scrolling websites increase user engagement.
Here at Wix, we make it easy for you to stay in line with the latest web design trends. Follow these three quick tips on how to make a website and an impressive, user-friendly long scrolling site at that.
01. Choose a Wix Template
If you really want to make life simple, try using one of our ready-to-go long scrolling templates. Add in your own text, change out a few pictures and tada – you’ve got yourself a new website that’s totally en vogue. Here are a few of our favorite long-page templates.
Pro tip: If you prefer to create your website from scratch rather than use templates, check out our one page website builder.
02. Keep Adding Content
To create a long scrolling page on your own, choose any template or start from scratch and keep piling on the content to your heart’s content. When you add new content blocks and images to your Wix site, the page length automatically adjusts itself, becoming longer to accommodate the new additions. You can easily drag the bottom-most component in your page downwards in order to extend the page’s height. That means that you can quickly and easily add content to your site at any time.
03. Use Anchors
If you do have a long scrolling page, we recommend adding anchors to your website. Anchor links are a helpful tool that makes it easier for visitors to navigate your site. They enable site visitors to quickly find useful information without having to scroll up and down or move to another page. A single click on an anchor link will take them exactly where they want to go: back to top, down to the bottom or straight to your FAQ page.
You can click here to learn more about adding anchors to your site.
Wondering if a long scrolling site makes sense for you?
While long scrolling sites are very popular, they’re not meant for every kind of business or website. This approach is a great choice for sites that:
Have mobile traffic as a key source of visitors
Have a lot of information that works best when presented on a single page, such as a one page online resume or a magazine
Have content that is frequently updated in a reverse chronological order, such as a blog, a review site or any site with user-generated content
Keep in mind that if your website has tons of photos and videos, you may not want to create a long scrolling page. Large amounts of media can affect loading time and create a frustrating experience for visitors.
Ready to create your own Long Scrolling Site? Here are the templates you should start with:
