automation-software

Images play a critical role in a visitor’s experience with your site — they can enhance a site’s user experience by showcasing your product or services and reinforce your branding. But if images are slow to load on a website, visitors might get frustrated with the slow load time and bounce before they even engage with your site.

That’s why fast load times are essential for a responsive, seamless user experience (UX). They’re also a key indicator that search engines use to rank results. But adding too many unoptimized images to your site can slow down the UX considerably.

You can strike the perfect balance between visual appeal and performance by optimizing images. To optimize images for the web, you’ll need to compress and resize them to reduce file sizes and improve load times. Let’s explore how to do that, as well as some handy image optimization tools.

How to optimize images for the web in 5 steps

Here are five website optimization techniques to ensure pages load fast and users have an efficient site experience.

1. Choose the right file format

You should use three primary image file types on your site: SVG, WebP, or AVIF. These formats offer transparent backgrounds, allowing you to overlay them seamlessly.

Here’s how to use them:

• SVG is for icons, text, and logos that must appear crisp and colorful on any screen size. Their file size is tiny, so they won’t add much to your load times.
• WebP and AVIF are for responsive, full-color photos like slideshows and carousels. They’re much smaller than PNGs and JPEGs, making them an excellent replacement for large photos that would otherwise slow load times.

2. Compress file sizes

Compression involves removing redundant information to reduce image sizes. Converting JPEG and PNG files to WebP and AVIF is one form of compression. But you can reduce file sizes even further with tools like TinyPNG and Optimole. The plugin ShortPixel can even do it from within your browser window.

Whenever you compress images, pay close attention to the type of compression:

• Lossy compression, like JPEG, significantly reduces the pixel count to create a much smaller file size but results in blurry images.
• Lossless compression, such as PNG, removes repetitive data without degrading image quality. This process retains all the original information from the file — it just makes it more efficient.

If you need to compress many image assets at once, Webflow offers a conversion tool that turns images in your web designs into WebP and AVIF formats. Both formats support lossy or lossless compression.

3. Optimize file dimensions

Most devices feature high-resolution screens with excellent pixel density. These screens often double the pixel count to make images sharper.

To ensure your visuals remain crisp, resize images to double the dimensions of their display container. For example, a 300 x 300 frame (or display area) should contain a 600 x 600 image. This practice ensures pictures appear sharp on high-resolution screens while maintaining responsiveness and fast loading times.

However, this strategy also increases the file size, negatively impacting your load time. To mitigate this impact, use a content delivery network (CDN) to store your files on servers spread around the world. When users navigate to your site, the CDN server closest to them serves the image to ensure it loads quickly. Some specialized CDN services, like Optimole and ShortPixel, compress and resize your images automatically.

4. Lazy load your images

It’s best practice to use eager loading for images near the top of your page and lazy loading for images that users must scroll to see. This typically results in better page load speeds.

With lazy loading, browsers don’t load images until they come into view on the page. This strategy ensures the page loads faster because it has fewer components to load up front.

However, some images should load as soon as the page opens to improve performance scores, which is where eager loading comes into play. This approach tells browsers to load images immediately. This has the added benefit of improving performance scores, like contentful paint.

To mark an image for lazy loading, add the loading=”lazy” attribute to its element. For example:

In Webflow, you can change the way each image loads in the image settings. Images that appear near the top — considered critical assets — can be set to “Load: Eager” so they load as soon as readers open the page.

5. Add alt text

Alt text provides screen readers with text to describe images to visually impaired users. Without it, these website visitors will have a poor UX. Additionally, if an image doesn’t load properly, users still get a description of the visuals.

When writing alt text, use simple language to describe the most important parts of the picture. Explain the image’s main features and list any essential text. With this information, all website visitors can access and understand your content.

Another great reason to include alt text is that search engines prefer it. When users have a great experience, it reflects well on the platform. So, web crawlers scan your page to check for specific search engine optimization (SEO) image optimizations that indicate an excellent UX, and alt text is one indicator they check for. If you use alt text and other accessibility optimizations consistently, search engines will prefer your content over sites that don’t.

Image optimization tools to try

Optimization tools simplify the process by compressing and resizing images automatically. The following three tools offer robust, reliable features that adjust file size, format, and delivery.

1. Optimole

Optimole is an all-in-one tool that’s entirely cloud driven, so it doesn’t slow down your system or server. It’s an excellent option for sites that use many images, like ecommerce listings and digital galleries.

This set-it-and-forget-it tool has several automatic processes that significantly improve load times with minimal maintenance. Optimole compresses files in bulk and marks images for lazy loading on its own. Plus, the platform offers scalable plans depending on your business needs.

2. TinyPNG

TinyPNG by Tinify specializes in lossy compression without visible quality reduction. Their intelligent algorithm uses lossy compression processes but has better color matching and pattern recognition. The end result is a compressed image that looks lossless. Contrary to the name, this platform compresses more than just PNG files — it can also handle JPG, GIF, and WebP.

You can use Tinify’s basic tool for free on their website, but you’ll need to sign up for a subscription to increase your maximum file size. Whether you subscribe or not, you can use their API to shrink images.

3. ShortPixel

ShortPixel is available as a standalone web service, an Android app, and an add-on to Google Drive or Zapier. Perhaps their best feature is the Website Optimizer, which provides a web interface for their API. After you request an API key, you can use the interface to select folders you want optimized. As you add new files to those folders, ShortPixel detects and optimizes them automatically. You can even watch their progress in real time.

Create an optimized website with Webflow

Optimizing your images reduces load times and improves SEO. But most importantly, it makes your site’s UX more seamless and customer-centric.Consider using a powerful web design platform like Webflow to give your website visitors the best experience. Webflow’s responsive images and quality templates accommodate even the most ambitious web designs.

Check out Webflow for your next web design project.

Brand storytelling promotes meaningful associations and connects with your customers on a deeper level by creating a compelling narrative about your brand. A brand story sets you apart in a crowded market where countless companies vie for attention.

Without a compelling narrative, your company might blend into the background, limiting opportunities to build a loyal customer base. Read on to find inspiration from some of the world’s best brand storytellers and learn best practices for sharing your story.

What’s a brand story?

A brand story is a narrative that expresses your company’s history and mission. A compelling business story tells audiences who you are, what you stand for, and why you do what you do. 

This crucial messaging extends beyond advertising and marketing slogans to create a meaningful dialogue with new and potential customers, helping them see the human side of your business. By sharing your brand’s unique experiences and values, you connect with audiences on a deeper level and build a loyal community that relates to your purpose.

Key elements of powerful brand storytelling

Here are the essential characteristics to strive for when creating or enhancing your company identity:

• Empathetic — Demonstrating empathy shows you genuinely care about your customers’ needs, struggles, and aspirations and are dedicated to creating valuable solutions.
• Relatable — Making your narrative relatable helps your audience see themselves in the story, elevating their bond with your company.
• Captivating — Whether you catch audiences’ eyes with a striking loading animation, an informative visual, or intriguing text, the goal is to engage your customers quickly and hold their interest.
• Action-provoking — A powerful company narrative inspires action, whether that’s encouraging people to purchase a product, share your story, or subscribe to a service. In your messaging, include clear calls to action (CTAs) that guide your audience’s next steps.
• Consistent — Be consistent in your storytelling and ensure your message is cohesive across all platforms and interactions. This approach reinforces your brand identity, making your company more recognizable for leads from different channels.
• Authentic — Your story should represent your team’s morals and vision statement. When audiences sense your narrative is genuine and you deliver real-deal solutions, they’re more likely to trust and engage with your brand.

Top brand storytelling examples

The most successful brands tell stories that resonate with audiences, build emotional connections, and highlight a company’s values and mission. Here are some story examples from top-performing organizations.

Nike: Michael Jordan and “Just Do It”

The story. Nike’s partnership with Michael Jordan began in 1984, when the brand signed an endorsement deal with the then-rookie basketball player. The collaboration led to the creation of the iconic Air Jordan line, one of the most successful sportswear brands in the world. 

Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan featuring Jordan’s unique logo captured his rise from a promising athlete to a global superstar. The ads highlighted Jordan’s relentless work ethic, ability to overcome adversity, and passion for the game, all captured by the motivational tagline.

Why it works. Michael Jordan’s story resonates because it revolves around perseverance and triumph — themes that are universally inspiring. Nike’s campaign taps into the emotional and aspirational aspects of sports, encouraging everyone to push their limits. 

By associating with Jordan, Nike built a successful product line and reinforced their brand identity as a champion of athletes and personal achievement.

Spin Master

The story. Spin Master, a global leader in children’s entertainment, began their journey in 1994 with a simple, innovative toy: a nylon stocking-covered head with grass seeds for hair, which generated $1.5 million in sales within six months. 

Over the years, Spin Master became known for creating toys and digital games around beloved children’s brands like PAW Patrol, Hatchimals, and Rubik’s Cube. With 29 offices and over 2,000 employees worldwide, the company’s goal was to unify their highly varied product lines and reclaim their brand equity by integrating these divisions into a cohesive online presence. 

Spin Master’s brand story reflects the brand’s journey of innovation and growth, mirroring the imaginative play experience they create and resonating with both children and adults.

Why it works. Spin Master effectively communicates their brand values by focusing on their rich history and diverse products. Working with Webflow empowered Spin Master’s marketing team to take control of their brand narrative, generating more creative online engagement without relying on developers. 

Results revealed a 400% increase in organic search volume for PAW Patrol, a $500,000 reduction in web development costs, and a faster speed to market with rapid site launches — such as Rubik’s Cube’s new site going from ideation to execution in two months.

Attentive

‍The story. Attentive is a leading text message marketing platform known for collaborating with brands like Urban Outfitters, CB2, and Rebecca Minkoff. As the company’s influence grew, they realized they needed to elevate their brand story to reflect their success and innovation. 

Initially limited by a WordPress setup that required external agency support for any site changes, the design and marketing teams turned to Webflow to realize Attentive’s full brand potential. Their SVP quickly rebuilt the blog over a weekend using Webflow’s intuitive interface. 

This transition sparked a larger rebranding initiative that gave Attentive full autonomy to create a cohesive brand identity through storytelling.

Why it works. Attentive’s narrative reflects a common struggle of many growing businesses: making the story relatable to companies experiencing similar constraints. 

By moving to Webflow, Attentive enabled their teams to take control of their brand story. The change reinforced the company’s commitment to innovation and agility, values that resonate deeply with their target audience and current high-profile clients. 

This strategy also solidified Attentive’s position as a forward-thinking industry leader, crafting a tale of overcoming challenges to improve the organization’s image and offerings.

How to build your brand story: 6 steps

To shape a captivating brand story, you need a methodical strategy that leverages cross-department collaboration to support company-wide alignment and diverse perspectives. 

Here are six best practices to create, communicate, and maintain a successful narrative for your business.

1. Identify and understand your target audience

The more you know about your audience, the better you can tailor your brand story to meet their needs and values. This knowledge makes your narrative relevant and engaging so it’s easier for people to connect with your brand. Understanding your customers also helps you effectively encourage them to take action since you’ll better anticipate their motivators and behavior.

Best practices

• Conduct surveys and polls on social media to collect insights about your audience’s pain points, demands, and motivations.
• Analyze customer data to identify common psychographics and preferences.
• Create detailed audience personas to guide your storytelling and marketing efforts.

2. Create an origin story

Your company’s origin story provides important context and background, explaining how and why your organization came into existence. It describes the journey, challenges, and milestones you faced along the way, helping humanize your brand to make it more relatable.

Best practices

• Create a brand story timeline on your website with videos, photos, and infographics showing key historical moments to make the brand story visually intriguing.
• Share personal anecdotes and real-life experiences from the founders and other key contributors.
• Highlight the problems you want to solve and your brand’s impact since inception.

3. Develop your hero’s journey

The “hero’s journey” concept is a powerful storytelling tool that outlines the adventures, challenges, and ultimate triumph of a character — or brand. It mirrors your audience’s personal journeys, allowing them to put themselves in your shoes through a relatable narrative.

Best practices

• Create a series of short video episodes or blog posts that follow your brand’s journey. Each installment can highlight challenges and victories, keeping your audience engaged over time.
• Show your brand’s growth and evolution through the years, from updated logos to reworked style guides, emphasizing key learnings and the ability to adapt to current trends.

4. Leverage narrative techniques

Use proven narrative techniques like creating character development, emotional appeal, and a clear beginning, middle, and end. Storytelling elements like conflict and resolution humanize your brand, making your story approachable.

Best practices

• Add interactive elements like clickable timelines, embedded videos, and user-generated content to make your story more immersive and trustworthy.
• Use action-oriented language and sensory details (like describing how a product looks or feels) to evoke emotions.
• Include storytelling devices like anecdotes, quotes, and customer testimonials to enhance the narrative.

5. Share your story

Publish your brand story across your website, social media channels, and email newsletters to reach a wider audience. Consistently and strategically distributing your story ensures it reaches different audience segments.

Best practices

• Launch a social media campaign encouraging your customers to share their own experiences related to your company. Use a catchy hashtag to collect and amplify these stories.
• Optimize your brand story for different platforms, ensuring the text and visuals suit each channel.
• Collaborate with influencers and third parties to extend your brand’s reach and credibility.

6. Be consistent

Thoughtful storytelling makes your brand messaging more consistent across all touchpoints. Using the same styles, colors, and tone of voice makes your story more memorable and reinforces your brand personality for your audience.

Best practices

Bring your brand story to life with Webflow

A compelling and authentic brand narrative differentiates your company from competitors and builds a lasting emotional connection with your audience. Your website plays a crucial role in bringing this story to life through design and content.

With Webflow, you can create a visually appealing, engaging website that captures your organization’s unique history and mission. Bring marketing, design, and development teams together with Webflow Designer, which empowers your teams to collaborate on site content without relying on third parties.

Explore Webflow today and start your storytelling journey.

Whether your client specializes in wedding photography, portraiture, or commercial shoots, a stylish website is the best way to show off their work. With a compelling online presence, your clients will have opportunities to connect with audiences and grow their businesses. 

From minimalist designs to bold, artistic layouts, these photography website templates offer the perfect starting point for creating stunning portfolios and designs.

What makes a good photography website?

From intuitive layouts to detailed biographies, here are the essential parts of an effective photography website.

Design and usability elements

Photography is all about aesthetics, so creating a beautiful, functional website is critical for attracting clients. Here are a few components to consider when building your client’s site:

• Visually appealing design — Photography website designs should have high-resolution images, minimalist layouts, and ample whitespace so visitors can focus on the work without distractions.
• User-friendly navigation — Make sure visitors can quickly find galleries, contact information, and other critical sections so they don’t leave the page. To improve navigation, create a well-organized visual hierarchy with a prominent menu and calls to action (CTAs).
• Responsive design — The site must be fully responsive, meaning it looks and performs consistently across all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This responsive design helps potential clients have a similar experience regardless of how they access the portfolio website.
• Fast loading times — Slow web pages can frustrate visitors, causing them to leave the site. Photography websites are image-heavy, so ensure the portfolio loads quickly to retain and satisfy site visitors. Tactics like lazy loading and image compression can increase site speed.

Web page elements

When crafting photography websites, be sure to include the following:

• Portfolios and galleries — An effective photography website has curated galleries showing your client’s best work. Organize these sections into project pages to help people quickly find what they’re interested in.
• About page — An about page builds a personal connection with potential customers. It should include a short bio about your client, their professional background, and a statement about their photography style. This bio gives visitors insight into the person behind the lens.
• Contact information — Like menus and CTAs, contact details should be easy to find. For customers’ convenience, options for direct inquiries should be available through forms, email links, and phone numbers. You can also include online scheduling tools for consultations and bookings to help people reach out.
• Testimonials — Recommendations are a type of social proof that builds credibility and trust. Reviews show site visitors that other people had positive experiences working with your client, which helps convert potential customers.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) — Optimize your client’s website to improve its ranking in search results. Reaching Google’s first page makes their brand more discoverable, leading to more clicks and potential work.

10 inspirational photography website templates

An effective photography website engages potential customers by highlighting your client’s work on a user-friendly platform. Here are 10 templates you can use to kickstart your designs.

1. Elise

Lightning Lab created the Elise template as a portfolio for fictional photographer Elise Hoffman. A quick loading screen shows a portrait of Elise and her name, immediately telling visitors who’s behind the work shown.

A follow-up animation fills the homepage with examples of Elise’s work. “Elise Hoffman” moves to the top of the website, which reinforces her brand identity. On the left, a simple menu provides quick navigation options. And the prominent contact CTA button on the right allows potential clients to reach out anytime.

Scrolling reveals ample negative spacing between sections and elements. Readers can peruse an about section, social media links, and a photo gallery. By clicking on any image, site visitors will land on a separate page with a dedicated backstory to learn more about that specific project. 

This layout keeps the focus on the photographer’s work, encouraging people who like their style to reach out.

2. Hailey

The Hailey photography site template, designed by Daniela Tomanova, has two homepage versions and four project page options to choose from. Both homepages immediately tell you that Hailey Downs is a New York-based portrait photographer. These pages have plenty of whitespace to draw attention to the images, which are static on Version 1 and dynamic on Version 2.

You can choose from four distinct project page layouts: two with dynamic hover animations and two with engaging scroll-triggered movements. Each option features a striking hero image to highlight the collections. No matter what you pick, you’ll offer visitors an interactive and captivating experience that invites them to explore the page further. 

In the sticky menu, the about page also has a short bio with a list of clients and awards. Meanwhile, the contact page has a brief form with input fields, radio buttons, and a large “Submit” CTA button to streamline the form-filling process. 

These flexible layouts allow you to customize the site for your client and make their work the focus of each page.

3. Leap

The Leap portfolio website template, designed by Elastic Themes, follows imaginary photographer James Carter’s journey and services. The site has a clean, minimalist design that focuses on visuals. Full-screen images on the homepage immerse visitors, highlighting the photographer’s work without distractions. Arrows let you browse pictures quickly in a slideshow style.

A hamburger menu and the “Hire Me” CTA in the top-right corner provide convenient navigation options and allow visitors to take action. The solid-color menu with hover-triggered background images adds an interactive element while keeping the design sleek and functional.

This template perfectly balances visual impact with a great user experience, allowing you to showcase photography while converting visitors into clients.

4. Photy

The Photy website template by Milos Knezevic uses a dark theme to create a sleek, modern aesthetic that makes the photographer’s work stand out. 

A single-page design prominently displays all essential information, such as a bio, number of clients, and years of experience. From left to right, a clear visual hierarchy guides the viewer from the brief bio to several image samples.

Clicking the hamburger icon in the corner reveals a sidebar menu with various navigation options, including an about page, a services section, and a portfolio. Under the portfolio page, the grid-style gallery lets readers filter images by category for quick navigation. 

The services section breaks down these categories further by showing the photographer’s focus on wedding and car photography, which attracts visitors searching for this style. The template includes a dedicated blog so your client can share their knowledge with potential customers. All these elements combine to make a layout that’s perfect for highly specialized photographers with an in-depth understanding of their niche.

5. Mirro

Designed by GKDC, the Mirro photography website template doubles as a portfolio and ecommerce store. With this layout, your client can both showcase their work and sell prints. 

The homepage has a portrait of the photographer, James Mirro, with space for a solid personal introduction that can build an immediate connection with visitors. To create a consistent visual identity across the site, GKDC uses consistent branding elements like varied serif and sans serif typography, a soft gradient-like color palette, and rounded UI cards.

Scrolling reveals a well-organized services section outlining the photographer’s offering. The ecommerce elements Presets and Prints have dedicated sections appealing to buyers. 

6. Toronto

The Toronto photography site template, designed by Azwedo Templates, instantly engages visitors with its unique scrolling mechanism. Three photo columns move in opposite directions to create an interesting browsing experience while focusing on the photographer’s work. Each image is a gateway to a dedicated project page, offering more context and details to help potential clients decide whether the photographer’s style suits their needs.

Upon clicking the hamburger icon, a minimalist menu design appears, outlining a straightforward navigation path that doesn’t distract from the visual experience. Since the menu only features three options, it keeps the focus on the photography.

7. Focal Photography

Daniel Vaszka designed this Focal Photography template, which features the fictional character Max Cooper’s personal portfolio. The website’s looping video immediately grabs attention by showing Max working with a model, humanizing his services and creating a personal connection with potential clients.

A short about section appears under the video, providing insight into Max’s creative approach with information on completed photoshoots, years of experience, article features, and awards. Scrolling further reveals a section of Max’s best work as a fashion photographer. The images are monochromatic, but hovering over a thumbnail colorizes it, bringing that picture into focus. Clicking on a photo takes readers to an expanded project version with more details.

The rest of the site’s structure follows a logical flow, guiding visitors through dedicated pages on Max’s credentials, featured work, and contact information. Daniel also uses large, bold text to effectively communicate messaging and a grid layout so readers can filter images by category.

8. Arete

‍Arete is a cloneable website template created by Ivan Grozdic. This single-page layout’s background focuses on a dim video of someone adjusting a camera’s settings, and the rest of the page highlights navigation options. Using minimalist design techniques like this ensures an immersive user experience centered on the photographer’s work. 

Simplistic design choices allow visitors to navigate between wildlife, portrait, and landscape photography. For instance, to help visitors access essential information without distracting from the primary visual elements, text navigation for the about and contact sections appears in small, vertical font. And using a dark theme with contrasting text and negative spacing highlights essential information while placing the photos at the center of attention.

As a final, professional touch, each section has details about the photographer’s camera and settings. This snippet of authoritative content aims to reinforce the photographer’s expertise.

9. Visionary DB

Visionary DB by Digital Butlers is a monochromatic photography website with plenty of whitespace. To create a modern aesthetic, the site uses minimalist design techniques, like sharp edges, sans serif text, and black-and-white images. Hovering over the pictures in the gallery sections colorizes them, drawing attention to the photos.

Testimonials and a list of high-profile brands lend credibility and show the photographer’s experience as a collaborator and artist. The fictional photographer’s name, Matthew Smith, appears in the header and footer, reinforcing their brand identity. A contact form and social media links in the footer also make the site an effective marketing tool, encouraging potential clients to reach out for work.

10. Aerials

The Aerials website template, made by Over Sight, opens with framed images against a gray background. This layout makes the photos look like they’re hanging on a wall, giving site visitors the feeling of observing the photographer’s art at a gallery. 

Following this homepage banner, an interactive carousel shows past projects. Hovering over these images makes red overlays appear, highlighting the project titles and model names. Similarly, when you hover over different photography styles, a related image appears and gently wobbles. 

These dynamic elements give the site a playful edge, making the photographer seem more approachable. And Over Sight pairs these animations with a monochromatic theme and detailed package information to create a fun yet professional brand identity. 

Show off your clients’ styles with Webflow

A photography portfolio puts your clients on the map, allowing them to collaborate with like-minded professionals and land customers. While they focus on taking pictures, you can access Webflow’s visual website-building tools to bring their work to life.

Jump-start your design process with Webflow templates, or build portfolios from scratch using the Designer tool. Our SEO features help Google index your client’s content and improve their SERP rankings. And as their portfolio grows, you can make real-time updates to their page with edit mode.

Find everything you need to create, manage, and launch photography websites with Webflow.

Many traditional web design elements are interactive, from menus and buttons to icons and animations. But none are as immersive as gamification — where gaming meets UI/UX design practices.

Gamification transforms mundane tasks into enjoyable online experiences by leveraging the intrinsic human motivation for achievement, competition, and reward. Read on to discover how to implement gamification tactics throughout your website to turn entertained visitors into loyal customers.

What’s gamification?

Gamification applies game-like mechanics —  like points, leaderboards, achievement badges, and rewards — to non-game environments to create immersive interactions and encourage participation. You can use gamification to integrate these elements into your website to turn routine interactions into fun experiences. 

Making a task or interaction that people might otherwise overlook — like completing a survey or signing up for a newsletter — into a rewarding challenge encourages prospects and existing customers to engage more deeply. Gamification also helps nurture leads by converting casual visitors to loyal customers. Those who enjoy gamified experiences will likely return for similar or new experiences that emotionally connect them to your brand.

Core gamification elements

Here are a few gamification techniques that make websites more engaging:

• Points are quantifiable indicators of progress, giving people instant feedback on their actions and achievements.
• Badges are symbols that people earn through specific interactions or milestones. They reward the user and incentivize further activity to earn more badges.
• Leaderboards are publicly displayed rankings that foster competition among users by showing the game’s top performers.
• Levels are tiers that participants can achieve based on accumulated points, with each increasing level representing a higher degree of achievement. Higher levels often unlock new benefits or content.
• Rewards include products, discounts, and access to exclusive content. These rewards encourage people to engage more actively and consistently.
• Avatars are personalized, graphical representations that people can create to express themselves. Participants can change their avatar’s facial features, hair, and clothes to create a virtual identity.
• Challenges are time-bound tasks people must complete in return for rewards. They can range from simple to more complex activities, adding excitement and purpose to the site experience.

The benefits of gamification in marketing

Gamification is an excellent way to turn your website into a lead generation and product promotion tool. Here are a few benefits of adding gamification elements to your site to gain customers:

• Higher customer engagement — Gamification turns passive website visitors into active participants. People will more likely spend time on your site and engage with your content if you reward their interactions.
• Stronger brand loyalty — Adding game mechanics to your site creates a competitive environment where people become emotionally connected to your brand. This connection strengthens loyalty as participants will likely return to platforms that entertain and reward them.
• Enhanced customer education — Gamified learning experiences like quizzes and interactive tutorials make educational content more enjoyable and hands-on. They also help potential customers understand the value of your products and services by interacting with them.
• Increased customer retention rates — Continuously offering new challenges and rewards keeps people interested in your content over the long term, which is crucial for retaining customers and encouraging repeat business.
• Social media exposure — Gamification strategies encourage players to share their achievements on social media, often in exchange for additional rewards. This strategy allows them to boast about their victories while boosting your brand’s exposure through positive word of mouth.
• Precise customer data — Gamification encourages people to keep competing for rewards, giving you more behavior-based customer data to work with. You can analyze this data to improve marketing strategies and existing gamified elements.

Effective gamification marketing strategy: 8 tips

Here are eight techniques and best practices for adding gamification elements to your site to improve your lead generation efforts.

1. Determine player types

Different rewards and challenges motivate different user profiles. Identifying player types helps you customize gamification elements to suit varied preferences, ensuring a more personalized experience for all participants.

Use surveys and data analytics tools to categorize your audience into different types, like “achievers” and “socializers.” Achievers respond well to points-based systems, while socializers prefer community-based activities.

2. Offer badges

Badges are visual symbols of a player’s accomplishments. They’re immediate rewards that incentivize users to continue engaging with your platform to achieve more milestones.

Design visually appealing badges for different achievement levels and link them to rewards or privileges. For example, you could award a “Content Creator” badge to those who comment on multiple blog posts. Similarly, a badge for completing all tutorials could give users access to exclusive content or discounts on their subscription.

3. Set up challenges and competitions

Challenges and competitions tap into an audiences’ competitive instinct and desire for recognition, encouraging them to outperform other participants. Leverage these emotions by creating time-bound challenges encouraging people to achieve specific goals or complete tasks faster than others. 

One idea is to host a monthly contest asking social media followers to submit creative user-generated content (UGC) for you to publish on your website’s home page. After the deadline, public voting decides the winners, who receive rewards like a discounted service.

Chef does something similar, encouraging followers to post videos of themselves learning new recipes and trying out cooking techniques. You can receive points and compete in challenges with other home cooks to earn a place on the site’s leaderboard.

4. Leverage audience demographics

Understanding your audience’s demographics allows you to design gamified elements that resonate with their cultural, linguistic, socio-economic, and age-related backgrounds. Tools like Google Analytics offer demographic data that highlights trends and preferences, which you can use to segment your audience into different user profiles and implement gamification accordingly.

If your audience primarily consists of young professionals, for example, design gamified elements that suit their tech-savvy skills and include social media shareability features for more exposure.

5. Follow flow theory

Flow theory involves creating experiences that keep users in a “flow” state, where tasks are neither too complex nor too easy. This balance optimally engages visitors during gamification, allowing them to fully immerse and enjoy themselves during challenges without feeling overwhelmed.

Balance the difficulty of your site’s gamified elements to match the user’s skill level by adjusting the challenges as they progress. For example, you could introduce progressively harder tasks as they climb levels or increase a quiz’s complexity for those who consistently achieve high scores.

6. Incentivize online engagement

Nothing gets people to interact like a reward. Hand out points for sharing website content on socials, commenting on blog posts, and watching promotional videos. This incentivization means visitors will consume and share your content, in turn boosting brand awareness and increasing the chance that they take action and become customers, because they’re exposed to more content and CTA buttons.

Fairway, for instance, has a gamified section on their website asking you to quickly fill out 10 questions to find the best home loan for your needs. You have 60 seconds to complete the challenge and answer these multiple-choice questions. In the end, the site rewards you with a tailored consultation process.

7. Align gamification tactics with organizational objectives

Implementing gamification elements solely for visitor entertainment won’t help you achieve your company’s broader goals. Ensure your gamification strategy is purposeful and contributes to measurable outcomes, like increasing website engagement or boosting sales.

Create challenges promoting new products and services, and award points for sharing with friends and family. This approach achieves multiple goals simultaneously, like improving reach, engagement, and revenue.

8. Use gamification to showcase a new site

Gamification is a great way to launch a new or greatly reworked website, as it teaches users about the site and your offering in a fun and engaging way. 

Implement elements like progress bars that fill as users navigate your site, rewarding them with exclusive content upon completion. You could also introduce mini-games or scavenger hunts that encourage visitors to explore various sections of your site, uncovering new products and features.

Gamify your website with Webflow

Gamification makes websites more fun, making it an excellent strategy to market your company’s products and services all while entertaining site visitors.

With Webflow, you can seamlessly integrate game-like elements into your website. The scalable architecture handles fluctuating traffic, content-heavy pages, and complex game mechanics without compromising performance. And you can bring designers, editors, and marketers together in one visual-first platform to make changes as you learn about gamifications’ efficacy on your target audience.

Try gamification for your website today to turn visitors into customers.

Parallax scrolling elevates a website from a collection of pages to an engaging, multidimensional space. With the background moving at a pace different from the rest of the page, every scroll allows visitors to view content from a fresh perspective. This effect also makes elements more visually appealing and guides attention to where you want it most, like bold headings and calls to action (CTAs).

Read on to discover 11 websites that incorporate this effect to engage viewers while still highlighting important information.

What’s a parallax effect?

The parallax effect is a visual design technique where a website’s foreground images move at a different speed or direction than the background. Scrolling creates a sense of depth and motion, similar to a 3D effect.

While parallax scrolling can make websites feel more immersive and dynamic, excessive movements within parallax effects might affect people with vestibular disorders. The illusion of movement and depth can cause dizziness or disorientation.

Before adding parallax effects to your site, follow these accessibility guidelines to ensure every visitor has an enjoyable browsing experience:

• Keep parallax effects to a minimum — Effects shouldn’t distract people from important information or cause disorientation.
• Restrict movement to small areas of the screen — Use parallax effects sparingly and place them throughout little pockets on the site for design variation.
• Include an option to toggle parallax effects — Add a slider or button so visitors can turn parallax effects on and off.

By following these best practices, you can thoughtfully integrate parallax effects to improve your website’s aesthetics without compromising accessibility.

11 examples of parallax websites

Now that you know how to implement this effect in a user-conscious way, here are 11 examples that balance parallax and presentation to inspire your next design project.

1. Recap After Use

One of Louie Sellers’ many talents as a forward-thinking user experience (UX) designer is an eye for interactions. In Louie’s website portfolio, Recap After Use, the site starts with a pen that uncaps and comes back together as you go from the top to the bottom of the page. This creative play on words takes an innovative approach to opening and closing a website.

The parallax starts with the pen and cap staying consistent on the screen’s sides. As you scroll, subtle parallax effects show up on each featured project. Hovering over a project fills out the outline with details and shifts the image, giving it a sense of three-dimensionality.

Foreground images moving against a solid background color makes them more prominent than when left static. The parallax effect brings attention to the surface-level elements and encourages you to click to learn more.

2. Jordan Gilroy

Jordan Gilroy’s personal portfolio website has a large, stylized “G” in the center of the page that highlights Jordan’s surname initial to boost brand recognition and awareness. A sticky menu in the top left provides navigation options throughout the browsing experience, while the other corners give you a glance at Jordan’s work to immediately showcase his expertise.

Scrolling splits the page open, revealing the first parallax effects as portraits of Jordan and his family overlap the background text. Jordan’s picture occupies the middle of the screen, providing a personal touch as he virtually introduces himself. 

Below this picture, the section showcases Jordan’s work with thumbnails separated from blurred backdrops — another example of scroll-triggered parallax animations, as the blurred imagery brings foreground elements into focus. Toward the bottom of the site, the giant “G” returns in the background, creating a final parallax effect before a prominent “Connect” message encourages you to contact Jordan for work.

3. The Goonies

This website pays homage to the ’80s movie “The Goonies.” Designed by Joseph Berry, it opens up with a stunning parallax that makes you feel like you’re peeping out from the bushes and zooming into the Oregon coastline where the film took place.

The parallax effect here doesn’t involve much complexity, either. White text modestly appears over the dark background, with the colors coming from images and cutouts to provide variation. By applying different speeds to the foreground and background images and enlarging them as you scroll, the site creates an attention-grabbing 3D effect while telling the story of “The Goonies.”

4. Okalpha

Published by Okalpha’s founder Grant Campbell, the creative design agency’s website makes a bold statement by pairing extra-large typography with loud color choices that are accentuated by the parallax effect: the elongated 3D square at the top of the website zooms in and out as you scroll, separating itself from the text covering it. Meanwhile, a 2D circle at the bottom of the page reveals contact details for prospective clients who want to hire Okalpha to create similarly vibrant designs for their brands.

The square and circle sandwich the rest of the content between the interactive design elements, like videos, services, and team members’ pictures. These shapes evoke specific emotions while adding a vibrant visual appeal to Okalpha’s website.

5. Jomor Design

Jonathan Morin revamped the old Jomor Design website to create a new, minimalist design portfolio that follows modern design trends. But Jonathan retained the best part of the old site — parallax scrolling effects.

A lot is happening here. The large text blends into the changing images as you scroll, with backgrounds shifting from light to dark mode to full-screen photos. You can even toggle the colors with the button in the bottom-left corner.

Despite the many elements, the parallax effect brings everything together, making the site visually stunning without being overwhelming. Bold statements like “We’ll help you stand out & make all your dreams come true” pair with smaller-sized text like “As long as your dreams revolve around something like being the proud owner of a spectacular website,” subtly showing Jonathan’s fun side.

6. Parallax template

This parallax template by Jerome Bergamaschi includes a brightly colored scene: green fields, magenta cliff sides, and orange and pink clouds slowly moving across the screen. Upon scrolling, the dark grass at the bottom appears to move up, changing the website’s background to dark shades of purple and revealing Jerome’s portfolio.

It’s an excellent example of fluid parallax scrolling done well. The attractive visuals grab attention and encourage you to scroll before transitioning to the designer’s details and testimonials for those considering hiring Jerome.

7. Cerámica Colibrí

Cerámica Colibrí’s website, created by Sergio Martos, uses parallax scroll effects to highlight and market their products. “Colibri” translates to “hummingbird,” and scrolling down reveals a fluttering hummingbird that attaches itself to the text to complete the logo and highlight the company’s brand front and center. 

Continued scrolling showcases a string of parallax effects, with text disappearing behind product images that move, creating an immersive, three-dimensional experience. Each product, from vases to vessels, has a title and description. While the descriptions are static, the products overlay the text to produce a parallax effect — and a more engaging browsing experience. You can also interact and change each product’s color.

A sticky timeline on the left side tells you where you are on the page and allows you to jump to any section quickly. Overall, the parallax effects, interactive colors, and practical navigation make Cerámica Colibrí a well-crafted business site.

8. Avenir Creative

As soon as you start scrolling through Avenir Creative’s homepage, the text in the centered top menu shifts to a 45-degree angle and spreads apart to make room for the Avenir logo. The floating menu sits at the top of the page as you proceed further down to provide navigation options whenever needed.

What’s especially impressive is how this parallax effect translates to mobile devices. Rather than crowd the smaller screen with the large logo among the menu items, the text in the menu slants but doesn’t spread out to accommodate the Avenir logo. Instead, the logo disappears while the menu remains sticky at the top of the page — a technique worth considering for mobile-first parallax designs.

9. Plink Webflow Rebuild

Plink’s official website caught the eye of developer and designer Bjorn Encuțescu, who decided to recreate its parallax effects in Webflow. Bjorn rebuilt the site for educational purposes and made the project cloneable for anyone who wants to experiment with it.

In addition to the parallax, you’ll see 3D illustrations and animation effects with text vibrantly popping into view. The parallax scrolling makes it feel like the site has two layers, each sliding over the other and appearing in turns as you browse.

10. Bake 003

Kai Jolly from the Finsweet team created Bake 003 as part of a collection of web design elements. This template showcases parallax scrolling using shapes and a three-color white, dark gray, and green combo.

With a diverse array of shapes and space for your content, this design is an excellent one to clone for free and play around with. You can also change the colors and customize it for your own designs.

11. Hard West II

The banner on the Hard West II website, designed by Psychoactive Studios, depicts four silhouetted characters charging toward a demon-like figure with skull-shaped smoke surfacing from its head. 

As you move your cursor, the characters on the screen shift accordingly. These elements immediately tell you what kind of game Hard West II is — dark, combat-heavy, and action-packed — while making you feel part of the action. The demon-like figure is the banner’s background element and moves independently from the foreground. Scrolling brings the demon closer as if it’s charging toward you, the viewer. 

Below, background screenshots and videos of in-game action provide a sneak peek of the gameplay while maintaining the engaging parallax effect. Meanwhile, a horizontal scrolling section protrudes from the shadowy background, allowing you to learn more about each playable character.

Getting started with your own parallax scrolling designs

Don’t settle for static sites. Instead, explore Webflow’s visual development platform to create fun and engaging websites — with or without writing code.

You can start designing immediately by choosing from thousands of cloneable templates from Made in Webflow. Plus, our blog offers guides for learning web design with modern UI/UX design examples so you’ll never run out of inspiration.

Traditional form designs can be monotonous, with plain boxes occupying valuable real estate on your client’s website. Whether conducting feedback surveys or encouraging visitors to get in touch, forms are essential for converting casual browsers into action-taking customers. 

With a few thoughtful design tweaks, you can turn static forms into high-converting design elements. Here are form design best practices and innovative patterns to inspire you.

4 web form designs for your next project

Effective forms capture user information you can leverage in your marketing strategies. But to encourage users to fill out your forms, you need to design them thoughtfully for optimal function and engagement. Here are four primary form patterns to consider.

1. Boxless forms

Boxless forms are minimally designed without conventional input fields like rectangular-shaped boxes. Instead, they use subtle cues like lines to tell visitors where to enter information. This design gives a website a sleek appearance, encouraging engagement without overwhelming people with busy elements.

While surrounded by a traditional box design, Zoe Tang’s Instant form validation website has boxless input fields indicated by subtle lines. Each field’s text has clear labeling to guide you and left-aligned labels to maintain a consistent visual flow.

Interactive elements like the drop-down menu for “Select options” and the radio buttons for “What is your priority?” add functionality without overloading the viewer with information. The blue “SUBMIT” button stands against a neutral background, indicating the form’s completion. 

The input fields create a logical visual hierarchy and reduce cognitive load by condensing complex, multiple-choice answers into predefined choices.

2. Step-by-step (procedural) form design

Step-by-step forms are divided into multiple stages, presenting only a few input fields at a time. They’re ideal for long or complex forms as they don’t overwhelm people with excessive information at once. 

Dividing the form into manageable steps improves user focus and guides visitors to completion. With a clear path to follow, people are less likely to make errors while filling out the form.

Philippe da Ponte’s Multi-Step Form design combines procedural elements with a boxless design. The form presents only one input field at a time, helping you maintain focus while filling out the form. Each step provides explicit instructions so you understand how to complete it, providing feedback in case you make errors. 

The navigation buttons, such as “Previous,” “Next,” and “Submit,” are also prominent to support smooth transitions between steps. With a clean, black background and high-contrast white text, the form is easy to read and navigate. These design choices reduce input error and increase completion rates.

3. Animated forms

Animated forms bring movement and life to the form-filling process. They add fluid motion and dynamic transitions to guide users through input fields, making the experience more interactive and less mundane.

Animations also reduce perceived wait times and draw attention to essential elements, encouraging visitors to take action. By adding a touch of creativity to these interactions, form-filling becomes enjoyable and engaging, making people more likely to submit information.

There are two types of animated forms:

• Slide in from the bottom or side — These forms slide into view from the bottom or side of the screen, creating a smooth transition that catches attention without being overly intrusive.
• Full-screen form — Full-screen forms occupy the entire screen, eliminating distractions and focusing the visitor’s attention solely on completing the form. This format helps visitors focus on detailed or long forms, improving conversion rates and avoiding errors.

Flowbase’s Multi-Step Form uses animated elements to bring a step-by-step form to life. Each step provides several inline options. Choosing an input type highlights your selection in green, providing immediate visual feedback and validation and confirming that the site registered your choice correctly. 

Proceeding to the next step shows a subtle animation where the form slides in from the bottom — the question appears first, followed by the interactive elements to create a smooth visual hierarchy.

4. Natural language forms

Natural language forms present questions in a conversational tone. Instead of the usual labels and boxes, these forms allow visitors to fill out forms as if responding to a series of questions from another person. Natural language forms reduce friction by mimicking real conversation, making form-filling feel more personalized and user-friendly.

Flowbase’s Onboarding Form follows natural language principles by presenting questions in a conversational tone. Each step asks a straightforward question — like “Let’s start with your name” or “What best describes you?” — so the process is more like a dialogue than a traditional form. This format makes visitors feel comfortable and more willing to fill out information.

This form also has a step-by-step format with animated transitions to keep people focused on one question at a time. Purple action buttons — like “Next Step” and “Complete Submission” — contrast against the white background to guide visitors through each question.

How form designs boost the user experience

Effective form designs are crucial for encouraging visitors to take action. Here are a few benefits they provide to elevate the user experience.

Improved clarity and focus

Designs like step-by-step forms break information into digestible sections, reducing visitors’ cognitive load. They can focus on one task at a time, and the sales funnel becomes narrower and more straightforward.

For example, a multi-step registration form for an online design tool subscription might first ask for personal details, followed by account settings and payment information. In these scenarios, use text fields with clear instructions to guide visitors, ensuring they know what to enter and don’t feel overwhelmed by multiple fields at once.

Increased engagement and interaction

Interactive elements, like those in animated forms, capture attention and break up static elements on the page. Components that keep people engaged also encourage interaction, making people more likely to complete the form.

For example, a subscription form could subtly slide from a blog’s side to grab attention without disrupting the reading experience. Adding animated transitions and action buttons, like “Buy now” or “Sign up,” also incentivizes visitors to interact.

Streamlined aesthetic

Boxless forms use minimalist design principles to create a clean appearance with flat elements. Their simplicity makes them inviting, especially on visually sophisticated sites where the surrounding content can be overwhelming.

Say you have a portfolio website with creative typography and vibrant project thumbnails. You can use boxless forms with underlined input fields instead of traditional boxes to distinguish the form from these sections and help it stand out.

Personalized interaction

Natural language forms turn form-filling into a more conversational experience, making it feel personal and less robotic. By asking questions in a human tone, these forms make visitors feel more comfortable and willing to provide information.

For example, you can create feedback forms with questions like “How can we improve your experience?” or “Tell us what you liked about this product!” You can also add radio buttons or checkboxes for quicker, more convenient responses.

Better content organization

Organizing form fields into logical sections creates a visual hierarchy. A well-composed design is more intuitive to work with, ensuring visitors can quickly navigate to forms, understand them, and provide information without other elements distracting them. 

Grouping related fields in a contact form, such as personal details in one section and a message in another, helps visitors find and complete the necessary information with minimal fuss.

Build high-converting websites with Webflow

Incorporating innovative form design techniques, like boxless layouts, step-by-step animations, and natural language, can significantly improve your client’s conversation rates.

With Webflow, you have the tools to bring these designs to life. Learn how to customize forms on Webflow University and take inspiration from the design community to find new ideas and cloneable templates.

Build top-performing websites for your clients with Webflow.