Why Less is More: Creating a Streamlined Website
Have you ever visited a streamlined website and noticed how much easier it is to find what you're looking for? Compare that with trying to make a simple change to your own website, only to find that it's far more complicated than it should be. Perhaps you want to update a bit of text, change a layout or add a new service, but end up spending far longer than expected trying to work out how everything fits together.
I've seen first-hand how an overcomplicated website can make even the simplest updates a real headache. I once worked on a client website that had become so complicated behind the scenes that making changes was taking far too much time to be practical. It was a good reminder that a website needs to work for the person who owns it, not just look good when it first goes live.
It's easy to assume that more features, more pages and clever design effects will make a website better, but that's not necessarily the case. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is strip things back, focus on what your visitors actually need and make sure the website is straightforward for you to manage, too.
Why do we overcomplicate websites?
When you're building or updating your website, it's tempting to keep adding things. You might want to showcase every service, include every testimonial, try the latest design trend or add a feature you've spotted on another business's site. Before you know it, you've got a website full of different elements, but you're not entirely sure whether they all need to be there.
The problem isn't that having lots of pages or features is always wrong. Some businesses genuinely need a complex website, particularly if they sell products, offer online bookings or have a wide range of services. The trouble starts when we add things without thinking about what they're actually achieving, or when we make a simple task more complicated than it needs to be.
A good website should make life easier for your visitors and for you. If something isn't helping either of those things, it's worth asking whether you really need it.
A streamlined website is easier to navigate
Think about the last time you visited a website and struggled to find what you were looking for. Perhaps the navigation was confusing, there were too many options on the menu or you had to work your way through several pages to find a straightforward answer. It's frustrating, and it's often enough to make you leave and look elsewhere.
Your own visitors shouldn't have to work that hard. They need to understand what you do, whether you're the right person to help them and how they can take the next step. Clear headings, straightforward navigation and well-organised content all help people find their way around without having to think too much about it.
This doesn't mean your website has to be bare or that you should remove useful information just to make it look minimalist. It's about being thoughtful with what you include and making sure the important things aren't getting lost amongst everything else.
Your website needs to work for you, too
It's easy to concentrate on how your website looks to potential customers and forget about what it's like to manage behind the scenes. Yet, if you're running a small business, you'll probably be the person making changes, updating your services and keeping everything current.
That's why my experience with that complicated client website stuck with me. What looked fine on the surface was much harder to work with behind the scenes, and even straightforward changes could turn into a time-consuming job. When a website is built with unnecessary styling, complicated layouts or features that don't serve a clear purpose, maintaining it can become far more difficult than it needs to be.
Your website shouldn't become another job on your to-do list, and you shouldn't have to rely on a designer every time you want to make a small update. Of course, there will always be changes that need specialist help, but the everyday tasks should feel manageable.
This is one of the reasons I like working with Squarespace. It gives small business owners the tools to manage their own websites without needing to understand code or learn a complicated system. The way a website is designed and set up still matters, though. Even a user-friendly platform can become frustrating if the website itself is unnecessarily complicated.
Five signs your website could be streamlined
Sometimes, it's difficult to see the wood for the trees when you're looking at your own website. You know how everything works (or should work), so you might not realise how confusing it is for someone visiting for the first time, or how much harder it is to manage than it needs to be.
Here are five things I look out for when designing or reviewing a website that could be simpler and easier to manage..
1. There's more content than your visitors need
It's natural to want to tell people everything about your business, especially when you've put so much time and effort into building it. But when pages are packed with information, repeated messages or services that are no longer relevant, it can become harder for visitors to find what they're actually looking for.
A well-planned website brings the important information to the forefront, helping potential customers understand what you offer without having to wade through everything else.
2. The design feels inconsistent
Different fonts, competing colours, mismatched buttons and layouts that change from page to page can make a website feel disjointed. Individually, these things might not seem like a big deal, but together they can make a website harder to navigate and maintain.
A consistent design doesn't mean everything has to look the same. It means the pages work together, the branding feels cohesive and visitors can move around the site without having to figure things out afresh each time.
3. Visitors struggle to find their way around
If your navigation has grown to include more and more pages, or important information is buried several clicks away, your website may be making life harder for potential customers. Visitors shouldn't have to guess where to find your services, work out how to get in touch or hunt for the information they need before deciding whether to work with you.
Good website design puts the visitor first, with a clear structure that makes sense for your business and the people you're trying to reach.
4. Your pages are competing for attention
When every section seems to have a different message, button or call to action, it's difficult for visitors to know what matters most. A services page, for example, should help people understand what you offer and how to take the next step, rather than send them in several different directions at once.
Giving each page a clear purpose helps create a more focused experience, so visitors can find the information they need and understand what to do next.
5. Making changes has become a headache
Perhaps the biggest sign of an overcomplicated website is how difficult it is to manage behind the scenes. Small updates take longer than they should, adding a new page feels daunting, or you're reluctant to change anything because you're worried about breaking something else.
Your website should support your business as it grows, not hold it back. Sometimes the problem lies in how the site was designed or built, and a more considered approach can make everyday updates much more straightforward.
If you're wondering whether your current website needs a rethink, I've also written about why every website needs an audit before a redesign.
Does a simple website have to be boring?
Not at all. A streamlined website can still be full of personality, reflect your brand and look completely different from your competitors' websites. Simplicity isn't about removing everything that makes your business unique or settling for a generic design; it's about making sure the design works for you rather than getting in the way.
You can have beautiful imagery, thoughtful layouts, engaging content and useful features without making everything complicated. The trick is knowing what to include, what to leave out and where to focus your attention.
Sometimes, adding a feature is exactly what's needed. Other times, removing something that's distracting from the main purpose of a page will make a much bigger difference. It's about making sensible decisions based on your business and your visitors, rather than adding things simply because you can.
Does your website need simplifying?
If your website feels cluttered, confusing or difficult to update, it may be time to consider whether streamlining your website could make things easier. Review your content, check your navigation and consider whether the features you've got are genuinely helping your business. You may find that a few straightforward changes are all you need to make things feel much more manageable.
And if you're planning a new website, it's worth thinking about this from the beginning. You don't need to build every possible feature into your website straight away or plan for every eventuality. Start with what your business needs now, make sure the foundations are right and leave yourself room to grow as things develop. If you're planning a new Squarespace website, I've also put together a guide explaining what I need from you before we start.
That's the approach I take when designing Squarespace websites. I want you to have a website that looks good, works for your business and is straightforward to manage once it's yours, without adding unnecessary complexity along the way.
If you're ready for a new website that does exactly that, take a look at my Squarespace Website In A Day service to find out how we can create a website that works for you.
