Web Design Simplicity…
One of the many driving forces behind the development of the Internet has been the idea of making things easier and more convenient – from communication and shopping to entertainment and business management. But as things have moved on, many parts of the Internet have become much more complex, with some webmasters far too keen to show off what they can do not because they need to, but just because they can.
Complex, showy websites seldom win customers – quite the opposite in fact. A website that is chock full of bells and whistles can be quite distracting, and if the user is unable to achieve what they want quickly – find information, buy a product etc –there’s a really good chance that you’re going to lose them in about seven seconds flat. They’re also very unlikely to come back at a later date, either.
The smart webmasters and designers are realising the value of simplicity, and it may just be that it could benefit your website too.
Less is more…
An excess of complexity in your web design can bamboozle your online audience and dilute the purpose and practicality of your website. Simplicity, on the other hand, can enlighten and persuade, giving your site a refined clarity of purpose and, most importantly, enabling users to click or swipe through your website with ease and locate the content they’re after.
How to simplify your web design
There are numerous ways to simplify your website, and many of them, predictably, involve taking things out of your design rather than putting them in. Here are a few ideas for simplification in 2014.
- Ditch the fancy background – It’s your website, not an art competition. Consider whether your current background adds anything positive to your design, and whether it might actually make your text harder to read.
- Reduce the number of pages – Check to see if there are any pages on your site which do not serve a useful purpose, or if any of them duplicate the function of another page. Consider combining pages to reduce the total.
- Refine your navigation – Make sure that your navigation buttons and menus are easy to understand in an instant.
- Use easy to read fonts – Save the fancy lettering for your Christmas cards and round robins. Use only fonts that are easy to read on a screen, such as Arial.
