How to create a great Slideshow
Slideshows have been an essential part of various types of websites for a long time now. Especially so for online shopping sites! In fact, 8 out of 10 of the most popular UK online stores all feature a slideshow on their homepages.
The slideshow is an indispensable sales tool which will not only increase product visibility but also be a focus point to navigate users to areas of your website that you want them to go. Manage a standout slideshow on your site with these top tips from Amplify.
Stay topical and in touch with your customers
A slideshow highlights your best sellers, promotions and new products. It should reflect the evolution of your special offers and products. Don’t be afraid of changing its content on a regular basis. It needs to be topical, consider adapting it to suit particular times of year e.g. Christmas and sales periods.
Dont forget the link
When you present a product on your slideshow, don’t forget to include a link to redirect visitors to the product page in question. The customer won’t and shouldn’t have to search for promotions or new products in your categories or search engine.
Quality of Design
Your slideshow should make the visitor want to take a closer look at the product and find out more about it. Slideshows on websites such as Argos, Play, M & S, Pixmania are all created by professionals. We suggest you browse these types of website and take inspiration from how effective the slideshows are.
Navigation
Your slideshow should contain navigation controls, especially if it is set to auto-rotate! Your site visitors will process your slide banner information at different speeds, so a forward, back or pause button is very helpful for usability.
Avoid Flash Slideshows
There are several reasons for this. Firstly, flash does not help optimise your natural SEO ranking. Also, if you’re not used to using flash then updating your slideshow can be tricky. Flash is also not supported on certain devices and customers using eg: iPhones and iPads will not be able to view your slideshow.
Tip: The slideshow is a great sales tool as it encourages the visitor to view your best offers i.e. those that increase turnover. It is also a way for your visitor to be clear about your message as soon as they land on your website homepage.
Looking to add or improve a slideshow on your website? Amplify can provide a wide range of slideshow solutions to suit your website, get in touch today to find out more.
