Web design directly impacts brand success.
Data shows that consumers form impressions about brands within milliseconds of landing on a page. They judge an organization's credibility and competence based on web design and browsing experience. And they have almost zero patience for sites that don't display or perform well enough to allow them to solve their pain points.
Naturally, there are numerous web design strategies to avoid these hiccups. One of them is using AI-powered web-building tools, like Unicorn Platform. These allow you to create a stunning and functional digital presentation for your products and services, making it easy for your ideal customers to connect with your brand.
However, if you want to take things a step further in creating the most spectacular site for your brand, it's worth freeing up room for a bit more white space.
Why Use White Space?
Removing webpage elements from your design may seem counterintuitive.
After all, the purpose of a great site is to engage your target audience with relevant content, communicate all the benefits of your solutions, and showcase your brand's authority and trustworthiness.
But here's the deal. Doing all of those things requires a significant amount of content. And while maximalist design can appeal to some web visitors, it usually falls flat. Why? Because too much content in a small space looks like nothing but clutter. Plus, it can lead to information overwhelm, which actively delays consumers' purchase decisions.
That's why your website design needs sufficient breathing room. IT will not only give web visitors a respite but also help regain control over how your webpage elements look and perform in their environment.
White space (or negative space, as it's often referred to) has long been used by designers to improve user experience and to communicate messages more effectively.
It has several functions in web design (which we'll cover in this guide). Moreover, it often elevates the aesthetic appeal of sites and landing pages, which is a plus considering that consumers judge brand trustworthiness based on website aesthetics.
Note, however, that white space doesn't necessarily have to be white. In general, it includes any area of a website void of elements, although colored and visual backgrounds are also often used as negative space.
Are you looking for tips on harnessing the hidden power of white space in brand success? Read on to learn how to incorporate it into your design to grow your business.
Simple and Predictable Design Simply Works
One of the strongest reasons why negative space benefits businesses looking to use their online presence for growth is that consumers love minimalist sites.
According to a Google study, sites that are highly predictable and have low complexity often outperform those that embrace maximalist design. Furthermore, data suggests that more than 60% of web users prefer minimalist websites compared to their cluttered alternatives.
So, when exploring ways to make your landing pages more attractive, consider choosing minimalism.
A pared-down aesthetic will look clean and calm. It might add a sense of luxury to your brand's identity. Additionally, this design tactic will prevent your brand's online presentation from appearing sloppy or unprofessional, making it far easier for you to earn your prospects' trust.
For example, the Aesop homepage actively utilizes negative space to create a minimalist and serene browsing experience. The design perfectly aligns with the brand's identity, resulting in a digital presentation that reflects the brand's core values and the type of customer experience this company offers — that of understated luxury.
Guiding User Attention Toward Relevant Webpage Elements
Another benefit of incorporating negative space into your website design is that it allows you to actively guide web visitors' attention toward relevant webpage elements.
Essentially, white space is a physical signal. It indicates that web users need to stop and consider the highlighted content.
So, if you want to add a bit more structure to your landing pages through visual hierarchy, do it with negative space. It can be a simple yet effective indicator that your web visitors need to look towards certain elements. Plus, it can prevent your prospects from getting distracted while interacting with high-value web components.
One of the most common strategies for using negative space to guide web visitor attention is when brands use it to surround their value propositions and CTAs.
If you look at the Ever After Weddings homepage, you'll see that it's rather simple, with tons of white space surrounding the primary elements. This simplicity has a purpose.
The USPs, CTA buttons, social proof elements, and how it works sections all stand out against the white background. The result of such a design decision is a pleasant and intuitive browsing experience that gently directs visitors into the sales funnel and toward a conversion.
Encouraging Web Visitors to Think About the Benefits of Your Offer
One of the more commonly overlooked benefits of white space in website design is that it improves cognitive processing.
Surrounding your value propositions with negative space encourages visitors to stop and think about them. Plus, it makes them more likely to understand how your solutions work, which automatically elevates their purchase intention.
There are several effective methods to incorporate white space into your web design to engage your audience and make them more receptive to your claims.
For starters, creating physical separation through white space enables you to chunk information in a way that results in a more logical information consumption flow. The borders created by white space help buyers navigate website content. And they provide them with important signals on where to look next or where to stop and go deeper into the content.
However, you could also use negative space in a way similar to Brain Ritual. Knowing that it sells a complex and innovative solution, this brand employs a combination of visual elements along with white space to effectively communicate the diverse benefits its product provides. By creating a physical separation between the words "fuels," "protects," and "hydrates," Brain Ritual effectively shows that these are three separate pros of its solution and that each one is equally important in solving migraines through medical food.
Allowing High-Value Conversion Elements to Stand Out
Some brands can't opt for a minimalist web design. This can be due to their identity, which necessitates a bit more character. Or, they might have an extensive inventory that requires them to populate each page with hundreds (or more) elements.
In these cases, white space can help ensure that high-value elements (such as "add to cart" buttons, sign-up forms, or conversion-supporting content) stand out from the noise.
Look at the B&H Photo website. You'll see that the design uses sufficient padding around its CTA buttons. Plus, the eye-catching green color makes it super easy for web visitors to notice these elements. These simple yet effective design choices heighten the brand's customers' chances of adding an item to their carts. Consequently, they allow B&H to maximize on-site conversion rates through the use of white space.
Ensuring Accessibility — Particularly on Small Screens
Did you know that the majority of websites (98%, to be precise) fail to meet basic accessibility standards?
Now, you may think that investing in this aspect of UX is just a gimmick. However, research suggests that accessibility (and readability) are crucial for information understanding, which is a prerequisite for purchase intent.
So, if you're wondering how adding more white space to your website could contribute to reaching your growth goals, remember that making pages easier to interact with and your content more accessible directly benefits your conversion rates.
For inspiration on how to use white space to boost site accessibility, check out Cappello's. This brand smartly employs a white background and uses a high-contrast black color for its website copy, knowing that this combination works best in terms of accessibility. The design choice makes the text easy to read. The simple and large font looks just as good on big screens as it does on smaller devices. Plus, the handy accessibility feature in the bottom left-hand corner of the site allows web visitors to make additional adjustments to guarantee a more enjoyable browsing experience.
Final Thoughts
Although your initial impulse for improving your website's performance might be to add more elements, it's sometimes worth taking a step back and seeing if you could remove something instead.
White space, though commonly overlooked, is a hugely effective method to elevate web visitors' browsing experience. It can boost information understanding. It guides user attention and encourages high-value interaction. Plus, it looks clean, which is something that a lot of consumers expect from brands.
So, try to see if you can incorporate some of these design tips in your conversion-boosting strategy. They're highly likely to contribute to your brand's growth and success. Plus, you can guarantee that a bit more negative space will make your site look and perform better than it ever has.
