I have to be real. I cannot stand clutter. I don’t like it in my home or vehicles. I don’t like it out in nature or in public places. The environment becomes overwhelming and I tend to shut down. All the same, I can’t stand clutter on websites. Maybe it’s just me and my personal preferences… is anyone else like this?

I can tell you web browsers like google chrome, and hosting services like site ground dislike clutter too. Too many design elements clutter a website and you can think of it in the same way too many elements clutter the users experience . It takes very little effort to make a messy website. Don’t think about the users experience or the mess and plaster whatever wherever you want. Archaic navigation without consistent patterns. Images without consistent formatting. Web copy with random font sizes and colors. Misaligned structures and columns. Multiple colors that change on a whim. While you might think it’s pretty and “fun” it can make for trouble overtime.

When google serves up a website it’s trying to give it’s customers (that means you) the best possible experience. In that regard it tries to surface the best websites with the best relevancy that site visitors will like. Google is paying attention to your website’s design. There’s a reason this website is minimal, because I want it to rank well over time. I also want my site visitors to enjoy their experience, the users experience. I have to focus on a few different things.

Speed of my website. If it’s slow it’s going to be a horrible experience. I handle this through multiple ways. The first is good hosting. The second is focusing on content and value, not wavy colors and unnecessary animations that use a lot of javascript. The third is leveraging clean code and a well put together WordPress Theme. I used this same theme on a house plan design website. That website and this website score 100% across the board. You might be thinking there’s nothing on that website but some blog posts but in the coming weeks a huge directory will be published along with extensive articles and large high resolution images of house plans. I can guarantee you it will load just as fast then just like it does now.

What will this get me? Users. Top tier search engine rankings. And ultimate paying members of that website. Because the website will work immediately, the content will be well archived, the experience will be delightful enough to warrant social shares and drive even further traffic. With a slow website I wouldn’t be able to achieve any of that.