Website Widgets often do more harm than good – Unclutter your website to increase conversion, visitor retention and engagement.
Why aren’t visitors coming back?
There are so many websites I’ve only visited just once. Not because I no longer need services or products but simply because I was very annoyed at my experience navigating through the clutter of the website.
Modern day Press Systems
WordPress has risen to be one of the most popular and powerful blog and e-commerce platforms ever created. It didn’t reach this level of popularity for lacking in functionalities but instead because it offers endless customizations and tweaks to enhance the users’ experience.
Greater demand for apps
Indeed the demand for more interactive web components has grown exponentially over the years as when I started Hi5 Jamaica Services back in 2005, it was drive. By PHP Nuke which was the big thing then. It had its limitations but with effort you could produce clean designs.
But let’s hold that thought. While WordPress and many other systems like Joomla, Dolphin and Drupal etc have these many advanced functions, developers must use strategies and thought in their implementation to avoid “Website Clutter”.
What I’m referring to are those websites where you attempt to read a blog post and you simply wish you could find it!
The post is covered and hidden by multiple pop overs, side widgets at all four corners, multiple advertising blocks within the post and then another pop over.
While I’m a developer myself, I’m a user too and though I know and appreciate where the web developer was going with his designs, I still find it overbearing an excessive.
A duplication of efforts
There are many schools of thought that say to increase the possibility of your post being shared you should post multiple floating sharing buttons all over the page.
This I believe is now considered a duplication of efforts as most Smartphones are embedded with the ability to share posts on webpages to all popular media site with a single touch.
The truth really is, if a visitor finds your information enriching and they want to share it, they will. There is no need to clutter the interface with widgets.
I don’t think I’m alone on this matter of having cleaner and more relaxed website designs to increase engagement and visitor returns.
Ads pay the bills
I’m fully aware that ads pay the bills for many websites on the internet but remember that traffic attracts advertisers so if traffic goes down because visitors aren’t returning, you’ll lose those ad revenues to come aswell.
We need to think more long term when we structure our web designs to integrate more clean straightforward white designs that are pleasing to visitors and posts are easy to find and read.
Happy Coding!
I am, Leighton Brown