by Skellie
As of this evening I’ve reviewed 21 blogs with a focus on heightening simplicity and reducing clutter. It has been a privilege to interact with a wide variety of interesting bloggers and to survey the results of the changes.
When receiving feedback I was occasionally asked why I had suggested the removal of a certain element. This was useful as it forced me to encapsulate the rationale behind web simplicity in a few short words.
I thought it would be worth reproducing their essence here, particularly for those who wanted a little more background to the suggestions in their reviews.
I work part-time at a bakery. We regularly put taster boxes of products we’d like to sell on the bakery counter. Today, the product was sweet, iced buns. I placed the box of bun pieces on the counter and surrounded the box with buns, so that customers could try the product and grab a bun immediately if they decided they liked it.
A few hours passed and the bun pieces remained untouched. This is a product which usually flies off the counter, so it seemed strange to me. I stopped to think: “What is different about the way I’ve presented them today, as opposed to what I usually do?”
I removed the wrapped sweet buns from around the taster box and left the box alone, surrounded only by clear counter-space. The rest of the counter was now empty, except for that one small box.
Guess what? The box emptied in under an hour.
Your readers, like customers at a shop, only have so much attention to give. If you present them with less, they have more attention to give each element. Less social media icons means more attention given to those you do have. Fewer elements in your sidebar mean more attention given to the essential elements that remain.
For me, web minimalism and simplicity mean emphasizing what is essential and important to your readers. Every non-essential or unimportant element you remove is one step towards doing just that.
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14 Comments, Comment or Ping
Morten
Ahh, what a great way to make your point!
Maybe not new stuff, but half the websites I open remind me of why we have to say it.. again.. and again.. and again..
Sep 7th, 2007
skellie
Thanks Morten — I agree. This idea is still one that hasn’t taken hold of all sectors of the web.
Some sites look simple but aren’t. Facebook, for example — I couldn’t think of a more effective start page, yet the rest of the service completely undermines this foundation by providing about a million options — few of them good.
Sep 8th, 2007
Ankesh Kothari
Thanks Skellie. Question out of curiosity: by how much did the sale of the buns increase in that hour?
Here are a few more things you could try in your bakery as well as on blogs:
1. Add a board that provide a “call to action.” Its amazing what a few 10-12 words placed strategically can do.
2. Make sure that the presentation doesn’t look too perfect. If your buns presentation is asymmetrical so that people think others before them have already bought some of them, more of them would end up buying.
Sep 8th, 2007
skellie
Hi Ankesh, I’m not sure exactly as I work with someone else and they may have made some sales, but I do think we sold a few more than usual. The conversion rates are pretty low on the tasters, mainly I like to put them there because it makes the customer experience more positive.
Thanks for those two tips. I’ll try them next time :).
Sep 8th, 2007
Annie Walker
Hi Skellie,
I’m a new RSS reader, and loving your content!
I was very drawn to the “bun analogy”, as it made me think in a different direction, but one that has an equally valid point for site design.
I wonder how many of the prospective tasters were put off because the “free” product was hemmed in and surrounded by a “paid” product? No amount of “free taster” signage will trump a user’s first impression, and if the first impression is “extra cost”, you’re onto a loser. The user thinks that the purchase of a bun is almost implicit in the tasting.
By giving your tasters the option of something with no strings attached, it gives them the freedom to make the choice to spend.
Or maybe my brain just works strangely
Sep 8th, 2007
skellie
Hi Annie, you raise an interesting point. I’m not very marketing-minded, so I never considered that possibility. That may also have been a factor.
I have noticed that the less items we place on the counter the more likely those items that are left will sell, so I think simplicity plays a part. But your observation might indeed be another contributing factor. Good thinking :).
Sep 9th, 2007
Dar
Hi, Skellie!
I’ve been enjoying your posts for a few weeks, so thank you. I still think of myself as a newbie when it comes to blogging, and I’m finding your blog posts really helpful.
Love your bun analogy!
Sep 9th, 2007
skellie
Hi Dar, I appreciate your compliments, and I’m really glad you’re enjoying the blog
As soon as the bun scenario played itself out I thought: “That’s exactly what I’m getting at. I’m going to have to blog about this!” It’s always nice when real life illustrates a point.
Sep 9th, 2007
Jane
Interesting point, I will have to give it some thought and maybe redesign some of my websites…
Thanks for posting that
Sep 9th, 2007
hairball
I didn’t know where to share this, but I felt that I must share it somewhere, one of my favorite quotes of all time. (though it requires some visibility so you’ll have to do a little more work since i’m not sure if i can use html in this comment)
“simplicity. simplicity. simplicity” (with the first two simplicities crossed out.
As quoted by Gordon MacKenzie in “Orbiting the Giant Hairball” a must read for any creative mind.
Dec 19th, 2007
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