Leonardo da Vinci coined the famous mantra, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” The phrase has been a favorite of leaders around the world for years, thanks to its easy application to just about everything under the sun, especially when it comes to business.
When you sit down and start planning your website design and structure, keeping this phrase in mind could give your company a serious competitive advantage. It is easy to get caught up in the seemingly endless possibilities with your site, instead of focusing on your customer’s goals.
Don’t forget, most users are visiting your site to achieve a specific outcome. To maintain a competitive advantage, be sure to focus on creating a simple experience that lets your customers get the job done.
What are customers looking for
Consumers are likely not trying to spend precious time and energy exploring your website. For many visitors, your website is simply a means to an end of learning the information they need. As you envision your site, think about it in terms of what your customer is going to the site to discover, not what you want to showcase.
Make it as easy as possible for your customers
Your content should be laid out in the most obvious, easy-to-navigate fashion because customers are looking for the easiest and quickest solution to their problem on your site.
Think about one of the most innovative and successful companies in recent history: Amazon. One of the most influential factors in their online success is their patented “One-Click Ordering” checkout systems. Customers no longer have to take the time to enter in their information on multiple pages. By cutting down on the number of steps that their customers had to go through, Amazon cemented its competitive advantage in the online retailing industry.
Users do not want to have to interpret your website, and they certainly do not want to learn how to use it. They came for a reason, and they want to satisfy that reason fast. Think like Amazon in terms of simplicity and cutting down on action steps for your users.
Less is more
Don’t get carried away!
In web design, it can be tempting to make an elaborate, impressive site filled with extra features and endless pages of carefully crafted content.
However, most of these combinations will only serve to complicate the end user experience. Instead of getting caught up in all the bells and whistles, make sure that the word “simple” is central to your strategy.
