‘Clean’, ‘simple’, ‘reductive’ and ‘uncluttered’. These are some words that come to mind when we think about minimalist website design. Minimalism is defined as a style or technique characterised by extreme simplicity and sparseness. When done properly, your website becomes impactful, meaningful and understandable.
We all know that websites are a key brand identity element, an essential brand marketing touchpoint between the business and your consumers. Like it or not, website design plays a key role in retaining users, as a recent survey shows. Some 48% of users believe that website design is the number 1 factor when judging a business’ credibility. And 38% of visitors will stop browsing a website if the layout is unattractive.
Since first impressions are vital, the demand for less clutter on websites has risen. More and more websites are moving towards a minimalist web concept. It portrays one thing: most users love the results of this artistic invention.
Blank spaces, daring compositions, huge sharp images, and clear distinctions are giveaway points for a minimalist web design. The idea is to boost essentialism by removing any unnecessary components.
Minimalism started in the 1960s, first gaining popularity in the field of visual arts. It has since grown into most design disciplines, and over the years taken root in web design.
So, what is it about minimalist web design that makes it more desirable? We take a look at some of the reasons.
The Pros
Minimalist designs are user-friendly
You have probably come across websites that are chaotic combinations of various elements, such as flashy images, videos, too much text near the top of a page, or confusing drop-down menus. Such websites typically confuse the visitor and fail to convey a clear message. As a result, these visitors never convert and instead bounce to another website. Sticking to a minimalist website design is the safest option, as it enhances the user experience. It makes navigation easier and tells the customers where to go and what to click.
Minimalism makes you stand out
Don’t avoid minimalist designs because your competitors’ websites are full of colours and videos. In fact, it should be a cue for you to choose a minimalist design, as it will make you stand out and be more noticeable. Minimalist designs will allow you to clearly deliver your message and give the precise information that your visitors are looking for.
Minimalist websites are attention-grabbing
Contrary to the idea that only bright colours grab attention, minimalist websites are more visually appealing. They are monochromatic and simple, and that is where they drive their power from. In the white background, your red-coloured text saying “discount for first-time users” stands out. This offer allows you to make more sales, and your minimalist design ensures the visitors never miss to grab it. Since only the essential details are highlighted, they hold your visitors’ attention easily.
Minimalist websites are SEO-friendly
Here’s a benefit that is often overlooked: minimalist designs are Search Engine Optimisation(SEO)-friendly and help your website attain a higher ranking. How is that so? Simple. Since your website has minimal components, it loads faster. And a faster loading time is one factor that determines your search engine rank. Therefore, by loading faster, your minimalist website gets a higher rank. However, this concept of minimalism should not carry over onto your website’s content. Content is and always will be king with SEO, and if you do not have enough content, your website will suffer in rank compared to a full, descriptive and highly informative website. It is the careful balance of where to put content and how to incorporate it into an effective and minimalist design.
The Cons
Though minimalist designs are a great vehicle for conveying your message clearly, and impressing visitors along the way, they are meant for every type of business. There are many businesses whose marketing requires them to be a little more exuberant and colourful – like how a minimalist website wouldn’t be the best option for a business offering party organising services.
Also, minimalist websites may appear too bland if not done right, and customers may even translate that to the company’s lack of effort or low-quality services.
Another possible disadvantage of minimalist designs is their potential to be insufficient for your business’ needs when your site grows. Your needs may be vastly different from time to time. However, this problem can be overcome with careful planning at the starting phase of designing the website. Simple sites are not exactly inflexible. Avoid the problem of insufficiency in site functionality by building elegant minimalism over a heavy-duty website framework that can be scaled up as your business progresses.
Attracting the right audience to your website
In a world where everyone wants more, minimalism found a way to win people’s hearts. Minimalism does not just create a clean and neat look, it also boosts your website’s SEO efforts. That said, this style doesn’t always apply to all businesses, and a website can still look neat and good even without applying minimalism.
Need assistance in creating a minimalist website? Contact a creative design agency with the know-how. I Concept Singapore is here to help. Talk with us today, and allow our team of UI/UX designers to journey with you to create the most suitable website for your brand.
Communicate the right message to your customers through a dynamic, engaging and user-friendly website.
