Websites have been around for more than a decade now, so they do not stun people and get their attention unless they offer something unique and new. Adding long paragraphs of information on your web pages will not please the users and keep them engaged as you might expect. On the contrary, it might repel them not to visit your site again as they will have to dig deeper even to grab a simple piece of information.
This is the time period of animations, and they are the best mean of keeping the user engaged and entertained at the same time for a long time. However, you cannot just randomly add animation to your website but have to be quite detailed and cautious while doing so. Getting detailed knowledge about web animation techniques as well as their pros and cons, can decrease your hassle.
Dig deeper into this article to explore all you need to know about web animation techniques and make sure to benefit from them in your practice.
Top 6 Web Animation Techniques and Their Pros and Cons
The web is full of thousands of types of websites. Some of them are super popular among users, and some even hardly get a hundred visits in a year. The content of the website is to be blamed for it; however, its design, development, and appearance are the bigger culprits. So, if you want your website to become super popular among users, using web animation techniques is the best option. Before that, you need to beware of the pros and cons of using the techniques efficiently.
Here are the major web animation techniques and their pros and cons that you should be aware of before adding them to your website.
1. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
The most common and popular web animation technique used in the current times is the GIF. It is quite simple, fun, and easily available. The pro point is that it does not require any plug-in support; however, the con is that it can be bigger in size, which can create issues. This is the major reason that compels interested people to consult a web design company in Dubai and let the experts include GIFs in the website smoothly.
2. APNG (Animated Portable Network Graphics)
Animated portable network graphics, commonly termed APNG, is another important web animation technique that you should know about. APNG can handle better bit color as compared to GIF, due to which the image appears smoother, transparent, and bright. The pro point of APNG is that it supports the alpha channel. On the other hand, its con is that it is not supported by most web browsers, due to which your website may not be functional or perfect for many users.
3. Flash
The next web animation technique that you should be aware of is Flash. This web animation technique relies on vectors, due to which it is faster and more interactive as compared to other techniques and styles. The pro point of Flash is that the exported file can be quite small, which makes it faster. However, the con of Flash is that it is no longer supported by a majority of the platforms, so you might have to reconsider your options.
4. HTML
The most popular web animation technique is HTML. It is quite simple and easy and supports transitions, transformations, etc. the pro point of HTML is that it runs smoothly on mobile devices. On the other hand, the con of HTML is that it has limited animation properties and is dependent on other techniques for optimized support.
5. SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)
Another effective web animation technique that you should know about is SMIL. It is a compact technique that is capable of handling various properties of animation. The pro point of SMIL is that it preserves the SVG when embedded as an image. On the other hand, the biggest con of the SMIL web animation technique is not supported by all browsers. So, the users will not be able to enjoy and experience it if their browser does not support it.
6. JavaScript
The last and most critical web animation technique that you can follow in your website is JavaScript. The pro point of using JavaScript is that it makes web animation quite easy by using image sequences from the animation library. On the other hand, the con of using JavaScript is that it does not preserve the embedded images. You can consult a web development company in Dubai and let the experts take care of the animation while limiting the cons.
Pick your technique wisely!
If you want to distinguish your website from that of competitors, adding animation is a great solution. However, you cannot randomly add animations and have to rely on some technique. Make sure to get the support of experts to add smooth, attractive, and functional animations to your website instead of doing it without much thought and earning a loss.