Why improve content overloaded websites? According to the Guardian, 41% of the internet users feel daunted by the amount of choice.
The balance between enticing and overloading is often delicate. A website can be like a beautiful woman’s dress. It carefully reveals some details and attracts you to find out more.
This will inspire you to improve your web-content
Less is often more.
Highlights on this page
Why this matters for our content too
Simplicity helps our readers think better
Simple fonts make people reason clearer. It helps us process information better.
Does it make people smarter? No, but it doesn’t impair so much. (Study APA)
We all prefer visual regularity and simplicity
Simple websites are more inviting than overloaded ones. We decide within fractions of a second if we will stay or not. (Study Basel).
Difficult writing makes us look stupid
A study showed, as text gets more complicated, readers estimated the author’s intelligence lower.(Oppenheimer, 2005).
Simplicity makes clients spend more
We prefer simple options. Easy options increase the chance of spending money.
Loving your content a bit too much?
Most of us agree that content overloaded websites are crushing. However, for our own website, we may tolerate it. Maybe because we are so in love with it.
How You Can Improve Your Content
Let’s look at two common ways to deal with information.
The “bit-by-bit” approach is most common. However, you will risk losing your reader after a few clicks.
The “all-at-once” is impressive, but may overwhelm the reader.
12 quick cures for bit-by-bit presentations
- Prioritize your content. Give your reader what she needs up-front.
- Present fresh content. Don’t impress with old stuff.
- Study the readers journey on your site and simplify it.
- Borders, boxes & grids will help separate the information visually.
- Descriptive images are helpful for visual orientation.
- Drop-down menus help for quicker orientation.
- Sticky search bar to find specific information.
- Enticing thumbnails guiding to the goodies.
- Visual consistency for repetitive content types.
- Highlighting to focus on the most important.
- Different fonts and colors for different content types.
- Use landing pages to guide readers to the right content instantly.
The challenge of this approach is structure
Cleaning up your content will attract more readers to stay and take action.
Well managed web-content overload – www.theverge.com
No more content overloaded websites
8 quick tips for an "all-at-once" presentation
- White space gives your content space to breathe.
- Gentle borders separating the information carefully.
- Short & easy-to-read articles.
- Excellent use of sub-headings allowing skim reading.
- Background offset to create subtle segments.
- Consistent graphic accents to separate unique content types.
- Visual consistency to recognise repetitive content.
- Overview areas guiding straight to the desired information.
The challenge of "all-at-once" is minimalism
Why not try a minimalistic approach with an extensive blog? Have a look at the following design.
An inspiring single page design – all-at-once: www.paulineosmont.com
What's your approach for your content overloaded website?
The transition may not be easy. However, once you started, you know there is no way back again.
Your readers will thank you for your efforts.
Conclusion
Make sure your content is clear, convincing and reassuring. Use a well-thought structure. This will lead your readers to action.
TIP: The Secret Weapon of Copywriting For a Better Call to Action
You decide which way to go, to get the best possible organic traffic.