Minimal website design is a big trend these days. A lot of brands have hopped on the bandwagon, but it may not be the best choice for them. It is not always possible to summarize our information into small blocks that fit nicely on the page. Some websites need strong, powerful content to create value for their visitors, and that can mean – a content-heavy website. However, a content-heavy website doesn’t really mean that you need to sacrifice on the styling quotient. With new, content-rich design techniques, it is now possible to achieve beautiful, sophisticated design without appearing cluttered, even if your site is content-heavy. Here are a few tips for designing a content-heavy website.

Plan Your Layout Carefully

A lot of careful planning is required to execute any good idea. You may have the written content ready and have a website that’s already live. But, it would be best if you created detailed page layouts. You can sketch them with pen and paper, use a wireframing tool, or a graphics program. No matter which medium you use, it should allow you to turn your thoughts and ideas into tangible concepts.

Carefully consider and include white spaces when planning the layout design. Since your site is already content-rich, you will need to incorporate as much white space as you can, and in a manner that maximizes your aesthetic appeal. Another critical step is to break your content into small chunks – under subheadings and lists, or other elements such as visuals or boxes. Categorize all your information and get a firm idea of how you would like it to be displayed on the page.

With the amount of text you have on your site, it is incredibly important to take due care in choosing what that text will look like. Readers need to be able to read your content and leave with a takeaway. If a user does not consciously notice the layout of your text, you have achieved your goal. Users should not have to think about your text or notice that it is too small, too jammed, or too hard to read.

Support The Text With Imagery

Pictures are a reliable medium of communication and create a profound, meaningful impact on readers. One of the ways to efficiently use images is by breaking up your information into a photo collage, with each photo a clickable link to some part of your website. Use pictures in a way that it makes your page look aesthetically pleasing while still including as much content as you need to. You can also choose a photo grid system layout, which is similar but makes use of space as well as the collage aspect.

Another idea to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your content-rich website is to take the simple approach and do a hand-drawn sitemap for your front page, with doodles or exciting animations that bring users to certain areas of content. If you don’t like the college or hand-drawn approach, you can keep your site clean and simple with monochrome backgrounds and plain graphics. Or, you can make your top-priority content take the form of more significant photo links, with smaller, less important information on the side.

Keep It Elegant And Tidy

There is nothing worse than pairing text-heavy content with sloppy design. If you are going to fit all the necessary information you need into one website, you need to make it easy for users to navigate. The key to simple navigation with content-rich websites is to stick to a rigid main structure, such as a tiled layout with titles and minimal subtext.

Loading all your content onto the front page or even have a welcome page with a pull-down menu of options can confuse your visitors and make them wander around without retaining anything they read. Instead, keep your site clean and organized. Reveal your content a little at a time, enticing the user and making them want to learn more.

Information overload is a massive roadblock for content-heavy websites. A few smart web design techniques, such as implementing ample white space and using boxes or borders to categorize information can help in removing these roadblocks. 

Use Various Forms of Content

Written content is not the only form of content. There are other forms, like video content, that are trending in today’s time. Video content is steadily on the rise, especially across mobile devices. Creating eye-catching videos is easier than ever before, with plenty of helpful resources for every level of expertise.

Responsive content is another significant step towards improving a content-heavy website. The content changes and evolves according to what the user wants. On top of responsive design, mobile users are also leaning toward simplicity and elegance in web design, as well as other mobile design trends.

Using video or photo content that is relevant to your text is a great way to hook users and keep them interested. It helps in increasing conversion rates and spreading brand awareness organically, while not losing any of your content.

Use of Visual Aids

The common factor in every standout content-rich website is the use of visual aids. Stunning photography backdrops go a long way in making your site user friendly and keep bulky contextual information away from the main draw. Once users are intrigued, they are much more willing to explore your site and see what other stunning visuals you have to offer.

Whether you make one beautiful image your backdrop or break your layout into multiple photo options, using photos to get your message across is just a part of what makes a website visually stunning. You also need to understand how different colors affect user reactions and the many color theories surrounding web design. There are helpful tools available if you don’t know the first thing about color theory. 

Let’s take a look at the 7 most commonly used website layouts that highlight content in a great way

No doubt minimalistic websites are trending, but that doesn’t mean you need to follow the trend blindly. It also doesn’t mean that you cannot create an aesthetically appealing, content-heavy site. These tips will help you in designing stunning, user-friendly, and impactful websites that are content-rich. Talk to our team of experts for more.