Overwhelmed by Content? 3 Ways to Simplify Your Site

by Gina Armstrong, Lead Designer

Insights / Website Design / Overwhelmed by Content? 3 Ways to Simplify Your Site

When designing a website, managing large amounts of content can be challenging.

We know that users scan sites rather than spending lots of time reading, so it’s crucial to minimize text where you can. If you’re faced with content-heavy pages (and text that cannot be reduced), it’s important to find creative solutions to condense that information.

Here are a few design methods we like to use.

Expanders

You’ve probably expanders (also called accordions) in action if you’ve ever visited a website’s Frequently Asked Questions page.

They keep a list of headers visible, allowing users to click to reveal additional information. In the example above, expanders are used to organize details regarding contributing money to a fund.

Keeping the lengthy text hidden creates greater scannability and simplifies the user’s search for answers.

Sticky Modules

Using sticky modules allows text and/or images to move through a single area on the page without taking up too much vertical space.

It’s a good way to feature narrative-driven content, since users move through the content in order. It also works well for lists of information, such as your services.

In the example above, there is a brief description of each industry and a link to learn more. You’ll also notice the list of titles on the left side, which puts control in the hands of the user, who can easily navigate to the specific information they need.

Using the sticky module means less scrolling is required and there’s more room for other content on the page.

Tabs

Tabs are a classic way to condense areas of heavy text or lists of information. They work like folder or browser tabs at the top of the page, with clickable titles that change the content displayed.

In the example, you can see the tabs are used to manage the forms and other documents related to a specific program. Since these documents don’t need to be accessed by the majority of website users, it makes sense to organize them in this way.

When utilizing any of these methods, it’s important to be mindful that users may not click through each tab or expand each accordion – so be sure not to hide any critical information. If you do need to include lots of information without hiding anything, you might consider a table of contents instead.

If used correctly, these methods encourage users to engage with your site, giving them a better sense of control and creating a more satisfying experience.

Not sure if they make sense for you? Reach out to us for help!