As writers and content builders, we enjoy the creative process. So much so, that we often fall into the “if some is good, more is better” trap. As we know, this is rarely true. Finding the right balance between content length, simplicity, and clarity is essential in satisfying your audience. Our task is to place limits on the creative process and embrace a “Less Is More” mindset.

Is there such a thing as the rightamount of Content? Of simplicity? Of clarity? As with all writing concerns, the right answer requires more than a prescriptive, one-and-done response. So much is audience dependent. Human nature is amazingly complex and sometimes confusing; it requires us as creators to explore each creation subjectively, mindful of each audience’s expectations.

One thing we do know: bombarding website visitors with walls of text, over-explained content, or a confusing website structure is a sure-fire way to deliver them an unpleasant experience. In this blog, we’ll explore why a “less is more” approach – with the right balance of content, simplicity, and clarity – is essential to effective content creation and management. You will find tremendous value in simplifying website content while simultaneously prioritizing quality.

Over-explanation: What’s the Point?

Give your readers credit where it’s due; they understand more about a topic than you imagine. It can be difficult as a writer to know how to communicate to a general audience without making assumptions about their experience with your chosen topic. Oftentimes, it can be especially hard to not try to cater to a wide range of readers, especially with public-facing website content. After all, visitors from all over the world might be reading your content. Narrowing your target audience and leveraging research to anticipate their needs are preferred as opposed to padding your writing with unnecessary, obvious, or too much information.

Think about what needs explaining – I call this my “Once upon a time” theory. What happens in a classic fairytale? The narrator describes time, place, characters, and the significance of their situation. Website content may not be the same as a work of fiction or a type of narrative, but we can extrapolate these principles and use them to our benefit. Think: What does my audience need to know in order to understand what I’m writing about and where this piece of content is going? How can I best communicate this content to my readers?

Removing Obsolete Content

When was the last time you took a good, hard look at your (or your client’s) website content? Have you ever gone on a website and wondered, “Hmmm….I wonder why they left that there.”? My sense is that the website admin probably forgot to review the site and purge obsolete website content. It’s easy to let a website’s content go unchecked without a clear and actionable process for review. By consistently reviewing content for accuracy and timeliness, website admins and writers will ensure that readers are provided with relevant, up-to-date, and correct information.

It’s important to review a website with an open mind, especially if you created the content. It’s also tempting to view the removal of something you spent your blood, sweat, and tears on as a personal affront. However, content is an ever-changing and evolving life force, and removing content that isn’t essential for a site’s functioning is not a personal failure (as much as it can feel that way).

Analytics are a great resource when considering whether your content has exceeded its shelf life. Website analytics, including how many visitors a website has, the location users access your website from, and the average amount of time users spend on your site, offer helpful insights regarding what they find useful or interesting. Is there a webpage you notice is rarely used by site visitors? What are the hot spots for traffic on your site? Your audience’s site usage sends an important message about what content is necessary and useful, and what content is redundant and not needed.

Simplifying Your Site

Giving site visitors the freedom to choose their own path brings them a sense of independence and an opportunity for discovery. However, an excessive number of pages, content pieces, and links frustrate what could easily be an intuitive site and a pleasant experience. Users benefit from ease of navigation, instinctive search functions, and refined clarity. Imagine you’re reviewing a dinner menu at a local restaurant; do you prefer making your selection from a limited list of excellent options? Or flipping through a chain restaurant’s 30-page menu? Most welcome a more limited list of alternatives, as many become overwhelmed or stressed by an excess of choice.

While a webpage is certainly not a restaurant menu, we can apply the principle of simplicity to both examples. It’s important to consider the content you can remove from a website without adversely affecting the visitor experience or their ability to understand the products and services a company is offering. A colleague of mine refers to this as “condensing content without diluting the message.”

Likewise, managing a site with fewer pages makes administrative work less burdensome, allowing a smoother pipeline for removing obsolete content as the site ages. Time is a precious commodity, and it’s a demonstration of respect for your audience to deliver content in a meaningful, thoughtful way. Producing original, well-researched content enhances your authority and reputation in your field.

SEO Benefits

In the highly competitive online space, good SEO placements on Google are extremely important. Google prioritizes high-quality content over high-quantity content. By consolidating pages and removing excessive or otherwise unnecessary content, you can improve your site’s SEO ranking, which generates more visibility for yourself or your client (after all, isn’t that what we’re chasing here?). There is a delicate balance between SEO and user experience, so including important keywords while prioritizing the site’s usefulness is key in satisfying both.

Sharing appropriate, relevant text on your home page and other key webpages helps to increase the importance of your content on search engines. Keyword bloating and working to push your content to the top of SEO rankings can prove to be counterintuitive, as, while your site may end up at the top of the results list, users will not want to parse through repetitive or confusing statements. Frequently updating and revising content will help your site gain favor – content quality and organization are essential to a website’s success. Annual (even semi-annual) content audits are a great place to start.

The Simple Facts

If you’re feeling stuck with your website, it’s high time to take a deeper look at the roots that hold it up. Are the roots twisting, overlapping, and creating an overall confusing visual and content management tangle? If so, simplification will fast become a great friend to you and your audience. Understanding what your visitors need to know will aid you in delivering relevant and engaging content. Simplifying the website experience respects your audience’s time and enhances your authority as an authority in your field. Less is more when it comes to delivering interesting, clear, and helpful information, and an organized webpage will lead to a truly delightful user experience.

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