1. Demonstrate Craftsmanship
People do notice the details. Attention to animation can make the experience feel crafted. When apps/sites create a visually stimulating experience it brings a level of excitement to the user.Load Screen Animation
Loading animation is one of the oldest uses of animation which is supposed to distract the user from loading times. But even this type of animation can demonstrate that your product is great. For example, when a user launches Uber app they immediately notice an animated drop that is turning into the pin on a map. This animation isn’t purely delightful, it also influences a user’s eyes and control where users should focus. This quick opening moment makes a clean first impression and entices the user to interact further.![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am1.gif)
Signature Animation
Some companies go even further and use animation as a distinctive feature of the brand. MailChimp is one of the companies that use animation in such way. The company fulfils a fairly technical niche, creating and sending email campaign, but using animation it transforms this dry task into an inviting experience. The service adds small and delightful surprises throughout the user journey and makes sending e-mails a lot more fun.![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am2.gif)
2. Better Deliver a Key Message
Animated effects help get your message across more clearly. Using animation you can take complex ideas or processes and make them easily digestible in a fun and graphic way.Interactive Animation
Animation is able to highlight a product’s strengths. Bellroy is a company that sells wallets. They say that strive to create a slim design to reduce pocket bulk. In the example below, you can see how animation used in Bellroy clearly indicates a product’s behaviour and demonstrates its benefits.![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am3.gif)
Hover Animation
Hover animations are very practical for delivering additional information about your products. This type of animation makes the revelation less jarring and provides an opportunity to add some delightful character to your site.![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am4.gif)
Storytelling Animation
The storytelling potential of animations can add an emotional connection to an otherwise dull interface. Some common examples of story-telling are pages that will show off a new product by “assembling” it before your eyes. For example, the page dedicated to the Mac Pro on Apple’s website shows you exactly what’s under the hood as you scroll down:![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am5.gif)
![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am6.gif)
3. Engage users to take further steps
The use of animation will influence the eyes of your users, and it can control where they focus their attention on your page. A human eye is naturally attracted to motion and this makes animation the perfect tool for controlling your visual hierarchy.Direct User Attention
Moving elements are a powerful tool to attract users’ attention. If the goal is to draw the user’s attention to a single element out of several or to alert the user to updated information then an animation will do the trick. As long as there are not many other competing elements on the screen, even the slightest bit of motion will grab attention. Seattle’s Space Needle site takes advantage of this subtlety. The site draws attention to the instructions with a minor—but effective—animation in the up arrows.![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am8.png)
Encourage User Action
Fine animation and interactive effects encourage users to click. Look at the design used for the “Chekhov is Alive” site below. The design begs you to click to find your character.![](https://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads7/selling-with-animation/am9.gif)
Things To Consider
Animation is a double-edged sword. Incorrectly used, it can ruin user experience. Avoid animation which distracts the user from their task. In the world of online sales and marketing, distraction can be death. A very important aspect to consider when designing an animation is the frequency with which it would likely occur within a single user session. The animation might be nice the first time a user sees it, but after 100th attempt, it can get annoying, especially when it has no purpose other than being “fun”. There are plenty of UI elements you could animate in both fun and down-to-business way. But remember one thing, if you want to create marketing animation you should set a goal of creating an animation which has both style and purpose.Nick Babich
Fireart Studio is a design studio passionate about creating beautiful design for startups & leading brands. We pay special attention to nuances all the time to create professional while cool products that will not only meet all expectations, but exceed them.
Read Next
15 Best New Fonts, July 2024
Welcome to our monthly roundup of the best fonts we’ve found online in the last four weeks. This month, there are fewer…
By Ben Moss
20 Best New Websites, July 2024
Welcome to July’s round up of websites to inspire you. This month’s collection ranges from the most stripped-back…
Top 7 WordPress Plugins for 2024: Enhance Your Site's Performance
WordPress is a hands-down favorite of website designers and developers. Renowned for its flexibility and ease of use,…
By WDD Staff
Exciting New Tools for Designers, July 2024
Welcome to this July’s collection of tools, gathered from around the web over the past month. We hope you’ll find…
3 Essential Design Trends, July 2024
Add some summer sizzle to your design projects with trendy website elements. Learn what's trending and how to use these…
15 Best New Fonts, June 2024
Welcome to our roundup of the best new fonts we’ve found online in the last month. This month, there are notably fewer…
By Ben Moss
20 Best New Websites, June 2024
Arranging content in an easily accessible way is the backbone of any user-friendly website. A good website will present…
Exciting New Tools for Designers, June 2024
In this month’s roundup of the best tools for web designers and developers, we’ll explore a range of new and noteworthy…
3 Essential Design Trends, June 2024
Summer is off to a fun start with some highly dramatic website design trends showing up in projects. Let's dive in!
15 Best New Fonts, May 2024
In this month’s edition, there are lots of historically-inspired typefaces, more of the growing trend for French…
By Ben Moss
How to Reduce The Carbon Footprint of Your Website
On average, a web page produces 4.61 grams of CO2 for every page view; for whole sites, that amounts to hundreds of KG…
By Simon Sterne
20 Best New Websites, May 2024
Welcome to May’s compilation of the best sites on the web. This month we’re focused on color for younger humans,…