Although the Total theme includes slider elements and even comes bundled with Slider Revolution, sliders aren’t always the best choice for your site and are generally discouraged. The plugin was originally added over a decade ago when sliders were in high demand and web design priorities were very different.
In this article, I’ll explain why sliders aren’t always a great idea, along with some alternative design solutions. Feel free to share this with a client who insists on using sliders on their site!
TL;DR: Sliders may look modern, but they often hurt usability, SEO, page speed, accessibility, and conversions. Most people don’t interact with them, which means your important content can get buried. Sliders can slow down your site, especially on mobile, and they make it harder for users with accessibility needs to navigate.
Instead of sliders, use more effective alternatives like static hero sections or single-feature layouts. These approaches are faster, clearer, and far more user-friendly; resulting in better engagement and higher conversions.
Table of Contents:
- Reasons You Shouldn’t use Sliders
- Slider Alternatives
- When Sliders Can Be Effective
- Deleting Slider Revolution
- Conclusion
Reasons You Shouldn’t Use Sliders
Sliders might look appealing at first, but they come with several drawbacks that can hurt your site’s performance and user experience. Below are the main reasons why you shouldn’t use sliders.
Hidden Content
By design, sliders hide part of your content behind navigation arrows or swipes. This means users have to actively interact with the slider to see everything. Most won’t bother unless they’re very interested, so valuable information can easily get overlooked.
Hiding content is also bad for SEO. Google prefers visible, crawlable content. Not text and images tucked away in a slider that might be skipped or ignored. Important messages hidden in slides could hurt both engagement and rankings.
Mobile & Accessibility Issues
On mobile, sliders can be awkward to use. Small touch targets, accidental swipes, or inconsistent navigation can frustrate users. For people relying on accessibility tools like screen readers or keyboard navigation, sliders are even more challenging, often becoming barriers instead of features.
Page Speed
Sliders usually require extra CSS, JavaScript, and image preloading. All of this adds weight to your site, which slows down load times. A slow website hurts SEO and drives visitors away before they even see your content.
Would you rather have a flashy slider, or a site that loads instantly?
Lost User Focus
Sliders rotate content, which can dilute your message. Instead of highlighting one clear point, you end up with several competing slides. This makes it harder for users to focus on what’s most important.
It’s better to display your key content directly on the page where users can see it, instead of hiding multiple messages inside a slider.
Higher Bounce Rates
Sliders can distract more than they engage. If users don’t interact with the slides, or get annoyed trying to, they’ll often leave quickly. That increases your bounce rate and lowers conversions.
People don’t want to click through slides or wait for them to change just to find the information they need. They expect content to be fast, simple, and easy to digest.
Lower Conversion Rates
Sliders often bury critical information that could influence buying decisions. If your best product features or offers are hidden in slide two or three, many users won’t see them at all.
Keeping content visible without extra clicks or swipes ensures visitors get the full picture and makes it easier for them to take action.
Overused Design Trend
Sliders became popular because they look slick and make it easy to fit multiple messages in one space. But they’ve turned into an overused design crutch. Many designers still use sliders out of habit, not because they improve the user experience.
Instead of following the trend, choose more thoughtful layouts that prioritize clarity, usability, and performance.
Slider Alternatives: What to Use Instead
If you’re convinced sliders aren’t the best choice, here are some alternatives that will serve both you and your visitors better:
- Static Hero Sections: Place your key message and CTA front and center without rotation, so everyone sees it immediately.
- Video Backgrounds: If you just want to bring some animation to a hero section, using a video background can be better. See the consultative demo for an example. Just make sure your video is short and optimized for the web.
- “Show More” Buttons: Display a few items upfront, then link to a dedicated page for users who want more details.
- Grid or List Layouts: Simple, scannable formats that let users browse without distractions.
- Horizontal Scrollbars: If you must present overflow content, a native horizontal scrollbar is lighter, faster, and more accessible than a slider.
- Single Featured Section: Highlight your most important content in one bold, static block. Yes, I’m saying this again as this is the best solution!
With these alternatives, your site will load faster, be easier to navigate, and convert more effectively.
When Sliders Can Be Effective
Sliders aren’t always the enemy, they just need to be used thoughtfully and with purpose. While they shouldn’t be your default design choice, there are certain situations where a slider can enhance the experience instead of hurting it.
Here are a few examples where a slider makes sense:
- Product Galleries: Great for showcasing multiple product images without overwhelming the page.
- Portfolio Showcases: Perfect for designers, photographers, or creatives to display projects in a clean, format.
- Before & After Comparisons: A slider works well for side-by-side transformations (e.g., home renovations, photo edits, design mockups). These would generally only feature 2 images and you can also instead use the Before & After element rather than a slider.
Whenever possible, stick to using the built-in theme options or existing plugin functionality (such as WooCommerce) when adding sliders to your site. Large third-party plugins like Slider Revolution can add unnecessary weight and require frequent updates to maintain security and compatibility.
Deleting & Completely Disabling Slider Revolution
If you decide not to use sliders on your site, it’s a good idea to delete the Slider Revolution plugin entirely. In fact, it’s best practice to remove any plugins you’re not actively using, since they can add unnecessary bloat or potential security risks.
Keep in mind, Total will continue to remind you that Slider Revolution is included, so you can install or update it at any time. If you’d prefer not to see those reminders, simply disable them from the Theme Panel. For step-by-step instructions, check the documentation on disabling bundled plugin notifications.
Conclusion
Sliders aren’t always the user-friendly, conversion-boosting design element they’re made out to be. By choosing simpler, more effective alternatives, you’ll create a smoother experience for your visitors and better results for your business.