Simplicity as a design principle still occupies the same charm for designers when creating a website. It draws on the most basic things in a design but results in the creation of powerful and user friendly sites. But before we move further to explain the various advantages of going simple with a web design, let us make it clear that simplicity is not to be confused with minimalism, though they may share certain characteristics. A minimalist site can be considered simple but not all simple sites can be called minimalist in nature. Thus it can be said that,

"SIMPLE is not being MINIMALIST"

Benefits of Simplicity in Web Design

• Allows Easy Navigation - A simple website makes it easy for the end users to navigate through site and go through its content. This is because it contains only information relevant to the user and is designed to offer a clear navigation path. By doing so it increases the usability of the site.
• Simple Websites are Easier to Understand - As users are often in a hurry while looking for information on the web, they don't read rather scan the content. Simple websites by presenting a clean layout and distinguishable features allows them to get a quick understanding of the site and thus allow a friendly experience. In sharp contrast to this a complex site requires users to spend considerable time to get a clear idea about it.
• Enables Fast Loading - A simple website doesn't make a user wait long to see the content as it loads faster. It happens because it contains files which are smaller in size and doesn't send too many HTTP requests. It is a great advantage from the visitors' point of view as it saves their time.
• Lays Emphasis on Content to Make it More Prominent- While applying the principle of simplicity, a designer eliminates the trivial elements thus making the content more visible and dominant. This helps in driving the users' attention to the main content which is the prime motive of a designer.
• Simple sites require less server space and bandwidth - As simple sites have files that are smaller in size, they occupy less server space and bandwidth and the advantage is that it helps minimizing the hosting cost.
• Makes Modification and redesigning easy - It is much easier to carry out changes or redesign a simple website than a complex one as it contains a few essential elements which can be worked upon easily.

Having understood the advantages that prompt designers to try various ways of simplifying their designs for the web, let us now take a look on some useful tips.

Tips to Simplify a Web Design

• Stay Concentrated on Essential Elements - To keep a design simple, a designer must keep the focus on those key elements that matter. It is best to prepare a list and then starting the designing process as it helps to stay focused on the desired elements. One can also follow the 80/ 20 rule, which emphasizes that a designer should make 20% of the content appealing enough to drive the users to read the rest of 80%. It helps in simplifying a web design to a great extent.
• Remove the Unnecessary Elements - As mentioned above that the focus should be on essential elements, it is also important at the same time to avoid those which are unnecessary and may distract the user from the real purpose. These include extra images, sidebar elements, too many social media sharing widgets etc.
• Restrict the Number of Pages - A large number of pages on the site may confuse the visitor who may then not be able to make efficient use of the site. To avoid this happen it is better to find what pages are really required and restrict the number to include those only. There is no need to fill the site with unnecessary pages.
• Carefully Select the Color Scheme - Too many colors on site may create a repelling effect and drive away the visitors. In a simple design, it is important to select color theme which is suitable to the content. It is advisable not to use more than 2 or 3 colors in websites meant to be simple.

These are some of the ways which designers can use to enjoy the benefits of simplicity in web design and create simple yet successful websites.