Minimalism — and its main byproduct, Millennial grey — may slowly be going out of style. But the fact is, there’s one characteristic of this design direction that will never lose its importance. Yes, we are talking about white space.
Even though it’s commonly misunderstood, white (or negative) space plays a huge role in allowing a website to reach its full potential. Not only does the old “less is more” adage genuinely apply to web design — in some cases, white space can take a site’s KPIs from average to exceptional just by removing clutter.
So, if you’re looking for tips for making your site stand out, attract prospects, and convert more customers, here are a few reasons why white space may be the key to achieving your goals.
Aesthetic Appeal
One of the biggest pros of including more negative space in your site’s design is that it can effectively enhance its aesthetic appeal.
Consumer behavior data shows that 59% of people prefer to interact with beautifully designed content rather than something simple and plain. Nonetheless, if you dive into scientific research on what makes a website attractive, two characteristics stand out: a low level of complexity and a high level of predictability.
In other words, if you want your site to appeal to your target audience, don’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, stay true to tried and tested design rules — such as using sufficient negative space and reducing clutter.
Remember, white space doesn’t necessarily have to be white. It just needs to provide a big enough margin so that the elements you want web visitors to notice stand out.
Check out how Armra uses imagery and color as white space, knowing that both allow the primary elements — the copy and product shot — to stand out from the background.
Conversion Potential
Using white space isn’t just about reducing clutter to make something more aesthetically appealing. Going for fewer web design components on your key pages also allows you to highlight elements with a high conversion potential.
Essentially, if you want your site to be effective at conveying your solution’s value, encouraging visitors to convert, or establishing your brand’s trustworthy reputation, you have to guarantee that visitors notice the copy and visuals on your site. And something as simple as providing ample negative space around these elements can be a super easy way to reach your goals.
For instance, creating a compelling CTA isn’t just about the design of the button itself. You have to pay just as much attention to three key factors:
- how you position it
- how it appears in relation to its surrounding elements
- whether it contrasts enough with the background
Check out how Chilipad uses negative space to highlight key conversion elements. The homepage design provides sufficient padding between the components to ensure they’re spaced out enough for maximum impact. Additionally, the CTA button shows off a smart design decision, contrasting the black background color with a white button and black microcopy.
Readability
Another benefit of including more white space in your website design is that it can help elevate readability.
Now, this may not seem that vital for engaging and converting customers. Nonetheless, how easy your copy is to understand directly influences web visitors’ willingness to interact with your site (and their ability to comprehend the benefits you offer).
In fact, if you look at web user behavior research from the NN Group, you’ll discover that 79% of people don’t read online. Instead, they scan text until their eyes land on a piece of content (usually a phrase or word) that seems relevant to the pain point they’re trying to solve.
Fortunately, there are several ways to elevate your website copy with design decisions.
In addition to actively choosing simple language and using formatting techniques to highlight key concepts, you can further boost readability by ensuring sufficient padding between text lines.
For example, check out the Amalfi Coast Villas page on Soprano Villas. In addition to minimizing the amount of text and using visuals to communicate key rental characteristics, the brand also uses white space to make the information easier to find and understand, easing the process of finding a good fit for customers looking for specific types of accommodation.
Accessibility
Another benefit of enhancing your website design with white space is that it can elevate accessibility.
Although it may not seem that important at first glance, web accessibility is essential for reaching every segment of your target audience. Furthermore, accessibility is crucial in guaranteeing that all potential customers have the chance to understand why your solutions may be the best choice for them.
The problem is, however, that most websites don’t do well in terms of accessibility. In fact, research shows that 96% of all websites have accessibility issues.
And, sure, solving all of these might take time (and a close look at the guidelines from W3C). Still, an easy way to make accommodations for your web visitors is to at least add sufficient white space to your pages. This will help create a clear separation between content clusters. And it will allow your prospects to easily consume that content without becoming overwhelmed by clutter.
The Buyer’s Journey
As you explore the importance of white space in website design, it’s essential to remember that the primary role of your online presence is to help guide your prospects through the buyer’s journey.
Yes, strategically leaving sections of your site blank is a great way to maximize aesthetic appeal or help conversion elements stand out. But it’s also a great technique to ensure web visitors always know what to do next to solve their pain points.
It doesn’t matter whether that action includes clicking on a visual element, choosing the right navigation button, or interacting with your site’s UI elements. What’s essential is that this path is easy to recognize and interact with (regardless of screen size).
By ensuring that all website components have sufficient negative space around them, you can make them easy to find and use (especially for traffic that comes from mobile devices). Moreover, you can use negative space to actively direct web visitors’ attention toward the elements you want them to notice.
For example, check out the StackBlitz homepage. It expertly employs negative space to establish a clear visual hierarchy and to compel visitors to scroll. If you look at the end of the first screenful, you’ll see that the design features a section of negative space that frames the first content cluster (that communicates the brand’s value proposition). But, quite intelligently, the design also provides a small preview of what comes next. That’s a great signal that web visitors should scroll down and explore the additional benefits StackBlitz’s solution can offer.
Or, for a slightly more complex webpage design implementation, check out Business for Sale’s Melbourne collection page. Here, the brand doesn’t just want visitors to scroll through the offer. It also wants to help them find the ideal match for their needs, which is why it uses layout and negative space to highlight the Filter UI element in the top left corner of the page.
Cognitive Overload
One of the biggest challenges of using web design to boost product understanding — and consequently conversions — is that saying too much too soon can harm user experience.
Scientific research has proven that information overabundance leads to two main negative consequences. Firstly, it can decrease processing ability due to information overload. Secondly, it can lead to a dip in motivation due to message fatigue.
In other words, one of the biggest benefits of white space in web design is its ability to reduce cognitive effort by minimizing clutter. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses that sell complex solutions, multiple similar products, or simply have a large inventory of items.
By using negative space to create buffers between these options — like Transparent Labs does on its Pre-Workout Series collection page — you can allow web visitors sufficient time to consider each of your solutions, quickly identify their main benefits, and decide whether they want to learn more about that item or continue the evaluation process until they’ve found a better match for their pain point.
Brand Perception
Lastly, as you consider the benefits of including more negative space in your website design, don’t forget that consumers actively judge brand credibility based on design quality.
So, if adding more white space can help you leave a better visual impression, then it will also, indirectly at least, help establish your business as a trustworthy, competent entity.
Moreover, a more aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly website design can add to the overall appeal of your solutions. You’ll find that sophisticated, innovative, and particularly aspirational brands regularly rely on white space to make their products seem more exclusive.
Take a look at the Watches page on the Chanel website. You’ll see that it consists of a total of three product images, with ample white space between them. What does this do? It doesn’t just embody luxury. It also reflects the exclusivity of Chanel products, effectively communicating that these are rare items that only a select number of people can afford (or even be allowed to buy).
Final Thoughts
Reducing clutter and including more negative space in your website design is always a good idea — regardless of whether you’re trying to boost conversions or just make a few tweaks to improve user experience.
Of course, don’t force simplicity if it’s not something your audience expects. Yes, clarity and ease of use are crucial for converting customers. But if those things don’t align with what your prospects expect from your business, then they’re not going to help you reach your goals. In that case, find your brand’s ideal visual identity and boldly apply it to every aspect of your online presence.
