3D websites are a huge new field that is still unknown to most people, companies and even designers and developers, but it’s constantly growing and getting bigger and bigger. Many false assumptions often come from bold statements that take advantage of this circulating ignorance.
Most people have completely different ideas about what 3D websites are like. Is it suddenly a huge virtual game world that is supposed to replace my homepage? 3D websites are incredibly expensive and also extremely harmful for SEO? - The truth often couldn't be further away, let's get to the bottom of it!
1. 3D websites are only for Gaming and Entertainment
Yes, gaming and entertainment hold great potential for 3D websites, but no, they are by no means the only area in which they can be used sensibly. To make it clear, most 3D websites primarily aim to make experiences more user-centered and increase retention and engagement. These promised benefits are not only relevant to gaming and entertainment, as almost every industry can benefit from them.
Here is a list of industries where 3D web experiences are widely used and have proven to be extremely valuable:
- E-commerce
- Tech & software
- Art & entertainment
- Gaming
- Automotive
- Music and Festivals
- Architecture and Real estate
- Education and training
- Travel and tourism
- Museums and Cultural Institutions
- Healthcare
- Events and Conferences
- Clothing
- Food and drinks
2. Developing a 3D Website is always expensive
A 3D website presents us with new challenges in contrast to the development of traditional sites and yes, this additional effort costs something. To say that 3D websites are expensive is a gross generalization, because they come in different variants for different purposes and cannot simply be viewed as a replacement for a traditional website.
The way you use 3D on your website, for what purpose and whether you are developing a completely new site or adding 3D to a traditional site ultimately determines the price. But let's also remember that 3D websites are an investment that, if designed correctly, can prove to be very valuable for our business. So how much is it worth to you to invest in something that is profitable? And what's expensive if you can't compare it to a normal website because it serves a different need?
The truth is that like any other segment, there are “cheap” and expensive “solutions”, although these are always subjective statements. The only real question should be how much value certain 3D web solutions can promise your business.
3. 3D websites are incompatible with mobile devices
Another interesting rumor - 3D websites only work well on desktop PCs.
I can reassure you that most mobile devices are so powerful that they have no problems with 3D websites. If you think that it's not possible to fit all the 3D and UI on such a small screen, then take a look at how successful apps and games are that let you immerse yourself in an entire 3D world, which, by the way, don't only run efficiently but also look awesome.
The reality is that mobile compatibility is purely a design challenge to be overcome during development, not a codified impossibility.
4. Users need VR Headsets to access 3D Websites
VR/AR experiences are constantly increasing, but are generally not a prerequisite for 3D website experiences. It's the other way around, if there is a complex 3D web experience, then these are increasingly being made compatible with VR and AR headsets to expand the possibilities of experiencing the experience.
Basically, all common 3D websites are compatible with all known devices such as desktops, tablets and mobile devices.
5. 3D websites negatively impact SEO
Another untruth that was simply formulated in a diabolical way. Depending on the type of 3D experience, it may be difficult to optimize a 3D website for SEO, but it certainly won't negatively impact the overall website.
3D enhanced websites can be optimized for SEO just as well as any conventional website. The options for more complex 3D types are more limited, but since these can often be viewed as a mere extension of a website, SEO should not be a priority here.
In general, search engines are not yet able to meaningfully index 3D websites. Hopefully this will change in the future. Nevertheless, there is no problem integrating a 3D website and/or associated 3D experiences in such a way that all common SEO practices continue to be implemented successfully at the same time.
6. 3D websites are slow to load
The loading time of a website depends on the amount of files to be downloaded via a server when you access it with your device. Because 3D websites contain rich graphics and extensive elements, there is a common assumption that they will load very slowly.
Well, 3D websites can also load quickly. By reducing graphics and code to a minimum, further optimizing them and being able to retrieve files from the cloud only when they are needed, 3D websites can become just as fast as normal websites.
Again, it's a challenge that needs to be mastered. It's true that many 3D websites out there take ages to load, not because it's not possible, but because the experiences simply aren't well designed and optimized in this regard.
In some cases it may happen that a slightly longer loading time is accepted because it can be assumed that the target group is willing to wait this amount of time. But that is not the rule. 3D websites can load quickly if they are specifically designed and optimized for this from the start.
7. 3D websites are only for large corporations
You've probably heard it before and maybe you've seen a highly complex 3D experience from a billion-dollar corporation that amazed you and left you with the thought: These 3D websites must only be for large corps.
Well, while that may be true for that one experience you saw, it certainly doesn’t apply to all companies. 3D websites come in different shapes and variants to benefit a huge range of industries and company sizes. Let me give you one example:
It turns out that a funded startup can benefit from e.g. a 3D scrollytelling experience because it will allow them to present their product concept with higher perceived quality, increase user engagement and thus positively affect purchasing decisions from early adopters.
Now this fresh new company can and should invest in a 3D experience!
As you can see, it is always a question of whether a particular 3D experience is a sensible investment in this particular situation and helps to achieve greater goals. If it turns out to be that way, then why shouldn't it make sense to go for it - regardless of the size of the company?
8. Users require advanced skills to navigate 3D websites
Another statement that is unfortunately highly generalized and incorrect.
Like any type of website, 3D good experiences are designed intuitively and, depending on the type, do not differ at all from conventional pages. This means that they are neither more complex nor require any previous experience or technical skills.
3D enhanced websites and scrollytelling follow this principle, in which users scroll and click through certain pages as usual, while the content and animations differ from normal websites.
There is one exception, these are immersive experiences, the structure of which differs fundamentally from every other website and is individual. As in many gaming experiences, intuitive design and support through a kind of tutorial or labels help to make the experience easy to navigate.
9. 3D websites are a passing trend
3D websites are not a trend that will just pass us by. 3D in general provides many benefits as it satisfies the basic human needs to make experiences more realistic and engaging. Simply put, 3D allows the digital world to come one step closer to physical experiences and make all sorts of experiences more natural.
It’s an important and successful development in how we consume content in the digital world and a big step forward in building more human-centric experiences.
3D websites will find a permanent place in the internet and will be with us as long as the web exists.
10. 3D websites are unsecure
3D websites are no more or less secure than normal websites and have little to no influence on this aspect. The same requirements and standards apply to protect against hacker attacks, penetration attacks or other problems.
It also depends very specifically on the type of experience and what functions it makes available to users and whether it is a pure frontend solution or whether it is linked to a backend. It's best to ask a creative agency in this area, who will be able to advise you on these topics.
11. 3D websites are bad for informational content
I can only repeat that there are different 3D website types that meet different requirements and this statement is just as generalized.
With the same structure and structure as normal websites, 3D enhanced websites do not create any bottlenecks in order to make information clear and highly accessible. In fact, they even manage to present the information in an exciting way and thereby sustainably increase engagement.
Other 3D experiences may have a different focus, such as an interactive storytelling experience. This type of experience is not suitable for compressed and quickly accessible information because it is not designed for that.
Final words
Unfortunately, there are many rumors and untruths that often lead to false statements and false opinions that result in poor decisions. I hope I was able to clarify the most important ones in this article and provide more insight.
I can only advise you to educate yourself more around this topic and be careful if you come across strong and generalizing statements. Due to the huge diversity of 3D websites and in how many ways they can be used, these statements often lack context .
3D websites are an area that has great potential and is definitely worth dealing with as a company present on the web. If, while reading about these prejudices, you came across some related topics that sparked your interested, then feel free to read on and arm yourself with some knowledge against future prejudices.
