When Creating a Website, Less is More

 

The Facts Of Clean, Simple Website Design

When people seek out a business website, they are so excited with making a site unique and exciting that they tend to overlook the value of keeping a website design simple.  This isn’t just my opinion, it is science. In a 2012 study, Google found that users spend a fraction of a second deciding how much they like a website and that visually simple websites consistently rated as more beautiful than complex websites.

Since the birth of the web, constant innovation has allowed websites to incorporate more complex elements and technologies. While making way for some eye-catching sites, this trend has not necessarily translated into improved Search Engine Optimization, conversion, or increased sales for businesses. As a result, simplicity has become the current trend and simple websites are now perceived as more innovative than their busier counterparts.

Follow the Greatest Companies in The World to Design The Best Website

The concept of simplicity in great web design has worked well for brands like Apple, where clean and minimal design made way for a successful merchant website, and carried into the design of unique retail stores throughout the world. Even business logos and icons now are rendered with a more minimal flat design style, further suggesting that the trend of simplicity continues to take hold. Simplicity is easier for your clients to understand. By not becoming disoriented after landing on your homepage, your clients can quickly get their bearings and find what they want on the page. They will more quickly connect with your business, and understand the service you are providing.

Simpler Sites Are Faster Sites and  Higher Ranking

On a technical level, simple websites contain less code, less data, less content and will typically load faster. Shorter load times mean less impatient and frustrated customers. Site speed can even impact a site’s placement in search results as Google considers site speed in its ranking algorithm. Simple sites can also be more easily adapted to mobile platforms and responsive website design.

Cognitive Fluency Increases Calls

What is it about simplicity in site design that appeals to customers and clients on the web? Humans instinctively experience cognitive fluency. Our brain prefers to spend time thinking about things that are easy to think about. Your brain practices prototypicality, creating an idea of how websites should look and feel. If your site is able to fall into your clients’ expectations, they will like your site more.

Simplicity should play a role in every element of your site’s pages. Use of more white space or a single punch of bold color draws more focus to key elements on your site. Relying on proper typography and well chosen images to communicate your story can reduce the need to clutter your page with explanations. Efficient layout reduces visual complexity which will allow the eye to work less hard sending information to the brain. If your client is focused on complex design or poorly written content they will become disengaged and lose focus from what really matters. Focus on branding, content, and navigation and lose anything that distracts from these elements. With only seconds to win your ideal client’s attention and focus, less is more.

Simple is not easy. At authenticWEB, we have a team of designers, developers, and writers that can help you create a simple and powerful web presence. Contact us today to learn how we can help you use the web to tell your authentic story and reach your ideal clients.

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