White space in your business... I mean your website

Commentary by Nikki Bisel, Owner, Seafoam Media

Have you ever visited a website that is so clean, so minimal, and so succinct that it actually instilled in you confidence in that business?

Let me explain.

I see a certain clarity of purpose when I visit a company's website and it's so direct and simple that there's no question what they do.

Part of this cleanliness and clarity is white space.

We usually only refer to white space as a component of good website design.  A nice layout should have plenty of it.  There should be white space around any important aspect in a design be that a headline, a call to action button, or a logo.

White space actually draws attention to those important components.

Likewise, clutter is distracting and de-focuses the person you're trying to communicate with.

What I'm interested in, though, is how this whole white space concept applies to your business.

• Do you have a singular defined purpose or is your mission so chaotic that there's no focus?
• What would happen if you applied the rules of white space to your business?
• How would a bit more simplicity affect the power of your purpose statement?
• When you get down to it, is there any white space at all around what your company does and who your company is?

I'm not suggesting that you should eliminate half the products or service your provide or downgrade your website to a single page (although that very well could be a good move for some businesses).

I'm merely inquiring about how focused your company is.  Where are you headed?  Why do you provide the services you do?  What, at a core level, is your purpose in existing in the marketplace?

And, of course, would adding a little white space around that purpose help clarify it and instill more confidence in your customers?