Even the most amazing website theme can easily become overly complicated in a relatively short period of time. Something that may seem to be visually attractive can quickly become visually unpleasing, for example, if you do not focus on simplicity. Whether you build your theme from scratch or select a pre-made concept, there are several ways that you can effectively simplify each theme accordingly.
Invest in Quality Technical Support
Many people make the mistake of rushing to develop free websites for their businesses in order to save a few bucks while still establishing an online presence. The problem with this approach is that most free websites come with a drastically limited amount of technical support and customer service. It is more of “when” than “if” with regard to technical glitches and other issues occurring within your website. Having a superior level of support available to work through these bugs as soon as they arise is a worthwhile investment regardless of the size, type or nature of your business. Even if you have to pay a little more upfront for these services than you might prefer, the long-term benefits will far outweigh these short-term expenses.
Match the Theme to Your Niche
Working with a website theme that is not specifically designed for your respective niche or industry is a fatal mistake made by many more people and professionals than you might think. This is especially the case when it comes to choosing the perfect option from a list of pre-made choices and designs. Keep in mind that industry-specific themes are designed and developed with the needs and expectations of that particular industry in mind.
There are features and capabilities integrated and programmed within those particular sites that could be perfect for one business but problematic for another, based on their respective industries. It is important for you to make sure that you stay on the appropriate side of this relatively thin line, according to the Houston Chronicle. For example, there really is no need to invest in a product gallery filled with thumbnail images if your eCommerce business doesn’t sell any products. Having the mentality that you can just delete the pages and features that aren’t necessary is the wrong approach to take if simplifying your theme is your desire.
Make Your Web Pages as Clean as Possible
Cluttering your web pages with content may seem like the most effective way to relay information to your target audience but the exact opposite is actually the case. To create a beautiful online store you don’t need to have any technical or design experience. Shopify allows you to customize you online store, add products as well as accept payments.
When finding the proper balance between readable content, images and white space within each web page, maintain the same mentality you would if you were creating the layout of a traditional, brick-and-mortar store.
If your website was a traditional store in a shopping center, for example, cluttering the sales floor with an overabundance of merchandise and other relevant accessories would overwhelm your customers and drive them away. The best approach to take in this regard is to ensure everything used within your website has valuable content, and eliminate everything that does not meet that requirement.
Find Clever Ways to Highlight Call-to-Action Graphics
Keep in mind that as soon as a prospective customer reaches your website, every second that passes actually pushes them another second closer towards leaving your site for one reason or another. The most favorable result is that customers will leave your site because they’ve already finalized their purchases. With a shopping cart abandonment rate of more than 65 percent, this is definitely not the most common result. Therefore, it is important for you to highlight your call-to-action graphics as effectively as possible within your website layout in order to basically push your customers to the check-out page as quickly as possible. Making sure that you use bold colors and make each graphic visually pop out more than anything else on each page will allow you to achieve this goal.
Use White Space Wisely
When you look at any amount of blank, white space on your web page, keep in mind that not all of these spaces need to be filled. Just because a web page has white space does not mean something is wrong or that the web page is unfinished or underdeveloped. White space can actually be used effectively to simplify your website theme and, as a result, make your website much more appealing to the average unique visitor. Using white space enhances customer interaction by eliminating potential distractions from your layout.
Your prospective customers will easily be able to find their way from Point A to Point Z throughout your website, because white space makes it much easier for them to find their way. Since you are already looking for effective ways to highlight your call-to-action buttons and graphics, using white space wisely will allow you to achieve that goal and many others along your journey to simplifying your website theme.
