The numbers aren\u2019t much better<\/a> for \u201cfancy\u201d carousels that rotate on their own. Auto-rotating carousels receive a bit more attention, but again, the first slide dominates, receiving 40% of all clicks. The second and third positions receive 18% and 11% fewer clicks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While it may seem like a good idea to use a carousel, the numbers simply don\u2019t back it up. The click-through-rate (CTR) on carousels is abysmally low, with the lion\u2019s share of clicks being gobbled up by the first slide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, if you\u2019re using a carousel, you\u2019re wasting incredibly valuable above-the-fold real estate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, all these statistics raise a critical question: why are image carousels so ineffective? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, they seem like an appealing solution for displaying products from a visual design perspective. They look slick and attractive. So why do they perform so poorly? And what are better alternatives to a carousel? <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this Insight, we\u2019ll take a closer look at: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s dive in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, let\u2019s make sure we\u2019re on the same page regarding exactly what an ecommerce carousel is. There\u2019s often confusion around the topic, and they\u2019re called by different names such as \u201csliders\u201d or \u201ccontent modules\u201d. In the design community, all three terms are interchangeable and mean essentially the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two common types of carousels that we see ecommerce websites using: <\/p>\n\n\n\n So why do major ecommerce brands use carousels if they perform so poorly? There are three relatively simple reasons that can explain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First and foremost, they believe that showing off more products will lead to more conversions. The companies believe that customers will see one of the products highlighted in the carousel and be moved to purchase it. It\u2019s the whole, \u201cMore is better,\u201d mentality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, there\u2019s also an \u201ceveryone is doing it\u201d mentality surrounding carousels. When companies see their competitors implementing carousels on their websites, they assume that it must be working for them, so they follow suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, different departments and managers often want to get their particular message across on the homepage. Using a carousel allows all the interested parties to get a piece of the above-the-fold real estate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The honest truth about image carousel is that they\u2019re effective at being able to tell people in Marketing and Senior management that their most recent idea is now being featured on the home page. Aside from that, they\u2019re valueless for the user and are often skipped over because they appear as advertisements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And yet despite evidence to the contrary, many ecommerce companies continue to implement carousels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several key reasons why image carousels aren\u2019t effective at converting site visitors. Let\u2019s take a closer look at the rationale behind why a consumer chooses not to interact with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Users are constantly bombarded with banner advertisements. If you open up almost any well-known informational website (Forbes, Entrepreneur, Mashable, etc.), you are immediately confronted by multiple advertisements and banners. In order to consume any of the content, you need to spend several moments closing the banners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This constant assault on the senses has led consumers to start ignoring banners altogether, and the reality is that carousels are nothing more than a glorified banner. It\u2019s common for users to completely ignore the carousel and look below it to find the products they\u2019re seeking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adam Fellows put it this way<\/a> in a discussion on UX Stack Exchange:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Almost all of the testing I\u2019ve managed has proven content delivered via carousels to be missed by users. Few interact with them and many comment that they look like adverts and so we\u2019ve witnessed the banner blindness concept in full effect.<\/em> In terms of space-saving and content promotion, a lot of competing messages get delivered in a single position that can lead to focus being lost.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example from IKEA, rotating between three separate carousel images and three completely different offers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a user visits a website, they want to feel like they <\/em>are in control of the browsing experience. A carousel, with its images rotating every five seconds, makes users feel like they\u2019re no longer in control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Products and deals are automatically sliding past, and if a user happens to be interested in one of them, they have to act fast before the offer disappears. This perceived loss of control can be particularly frustrating for those who have difficulty with motor skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Joshua Porter made a great point<\/a> about this when discussing UX design: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
What Is An Image Carousel?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"patagonia](\"https:\/\/thegood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Patagonia-screenshot-1024x729.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy Don\u2019t Image Carousels Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Banner Blindness<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Ikea](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/3cEPUp-89_8SD7IGYfqGWWOPsy032h4qIPJVZ2MIC8nXdUKuEOYvW8mH6aYNsr3g77cOqccau8W0X7ysfnsRc4b-FuVtRwTU9-SQ1TO4ZIGOXTLk44--1qbSe19Yg1Han7kVFkpi\")
Loss of Control<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n