Ah, the website carousel.

That spinning, sliding staple of modern web design. They promise to elegantly showcase multiple messages in one neat package. They whisper sweet nothings about keeping everyone happy. You’ll often hear cheers from marketing, sales, or leadership if they hear you mention one.

But are they actually helping your users, or are they just glorified distractions that slow down your site, kill engagement, and tank your SEO? Let’s look at the cold, hard data before you commit to that slider fight in your next website redesign meeting.

The Allure of Carousels

Carousels (sliders, rotators, the bane of my existence—whatever you want to call them) are designed to squeeze multiple pieces of content into a single, high-visibility area. They seem like the perfect compromise: instead of choosing just one feature, one promotion, or one value prop, why not display all of them?

On paper, they sound great—until you see what actually happens when users interact with them.

The Cold, Hard Data

Here’s where things fall apart. A study from the University of Notre Dame found that only 1% of visitors clicked on a carousel feature. And of that 1%, a staggering 84% of clicks were on the first slide. Plainly, this means no one cares about the rest of your carefully curated rotating content.

And it gets worse. Studies also show that static images consistently outperform sliders because people instinctively ignore anything that looks like an ad, a phenomenon known as "banner blindness.". If your most important messaging is hidden in slide three, it might as well not exist.

Performance Pitfalls

Carousels don’t just suffer from bad engagement, they actively slow your site down.

• Slower Load Times: Studies show that nearly 50% of users expect a site to load in two seconds or less, yet sliders can add 0.4 to 5 seconds to page load times.
• SEO Penalties: Google’s Core Web Vitals focus on speed and usability. Elements that sliders notoriously disrupt. Layout shifts caused by carousels can actively hurt your rankings.
• Increased Bounce Rates: Users don’t wait for slow pages. If your site drags, they’re out.

In short: sliders can wreck your performance, which kills engagement, which kills conversions. Not a great tradeoff for some flashy homepage movement.

User Experience Considerations

Beyond speed, let’s talk actual usability. Carousels sound user friendly, but they often do the opposite:

• Divert Attention: Moving elements hijack focus, pulling users away from key CTAs.
• Reduce Control: Auto rotating carousels remove user agency, frustrating for people who like to move at their own pace.
• Accessibility Issues: Sliders are a nightmare for users with cognitive or visual impairments, making them a poor choice for inclusive design.

If you must use a carousel, respect your users’ autonomy and don’t force movement they didn’t ask for.

Best Practices (If You Absolutely Must Use a Slider)

Still want a carousel? Fine. But at least do it right:

✅ Limit the Number of Slides – The fewer, the better. If it’s buried in slide four, it’s wasted.
✅ Avoid Auto-Rotation – Let users control navigation, improving engagement and accessibility.
✅ Optimize for Performance – Compress images, lazy load content, and minimize scripts.
✅ Provide Clear Navigation – Use visible, easy to click controls (no cryptic tiny arrows, please).

So, What’s the Alternative?

If you’re ditching the carousel, here’s what actually works:

• Static Hero Images: A single, well-designed hero section with a clear CTA will always outperform a slider.
• Featured Content Sections: Give users scannable, structured information without forcing them to wait for a slide to change.
• Personalized Content: Dynamic sections that adapt to user behavior are smarter than a one size fits all rotating banner.

Final Verdict: Are Carousels Worth It?

If you care about engagement, site speed, accessibility, and SEO, carousels probably aren’t worth it.

If you’re just using one because everyone else is doing it, stop. There are better ways to guide your users toward what actually matters.

Want help figuring out a better approach for your site? Let’s chat. House of Giants is here to build fast, user-first, conversion-driven digital experiences that don’t rely on tired design trends. 🚀