Creating a business website means a balancing act where you include large amounts of information without overwhelming visitors. Keep your sites clutter-free, I say. With the right navigation and content organization, you can say all you need to say without overwhelming your home page.
The following animal rescue websites have the kind of clutter-free home pages that any organization would benefit from. Let’s take a closer look.
The Definition of Clean Web Design
When people say a website has a “clean” layout, they mean that the site isn’t too crowded with text, images, and other design elements. A clean layout has the right amount of white space, and the page doesn’t go on forever.
To see exactly what I mean, take a look at the Sterling Animal Shelter website:
Notice the way your eye comfortably rests on the top left of the page. This area is critical home page real estate, which means you want to put your most important information here without too much distraction. The clean layout has allowed the site to stay focused.
By the way, I love the tagline—Every nose deserves a home.
Write Obvious and Motivating Headlines
The clutter-free homepage content of the ASPCA website makes it easy to see that fundraising is priority number one.
Once you land on the site, it only takes a second to notice the well-written headlines encouraging donations. Here are a couple of my favorites:
Don’t let more animals fall victim to cruelty
Give a little and help save lives
Three reasons these headlines work:
1. The headlines are talking to YOU. Notice there is no mention of “we” the staff.
2. The headlines start off with action words. In headline writing, there’s nothing to be passive about.
3. The site is clutter-free. The ASPCA home page does contain quite a bit of information, but the design makes it so the headlines do not compete with other content.
Quick Tip for Removing Clutter from Your Home Page
Website usability expert Jakob Nielsen says, “…if you emphasize everything, nothing gets focus. Keep the number of core tasks small (1–4) and the area around them clear.”
Simple enough. Identify the most important bits of information and make them stand out with headlines, images, and video. This way, website visitors can find exactly what he or she needs to know and has an easy path to make the next step.
What do you like about the websites you see here?
About Sara Lancaster
Sara is The Condiment Marketing Co.’s founder and creative director. She oversees client relationships, strategic marketing plans, as well as a bit of copywriting and social media management.
