Let’s Not Reinvent the Wheel: The Art of Simple Website Structure in Web Design
Category: Website Usability / Web Design Tips
By Elwyn Davies
Why This Matters
Let’s get something straight right from the off: the quickest way to make your client regret hiring you is to hand over a site that looks clever but feels baffling. If users can’t find what they need within seconds, they disappear, usually to a competitor, possibly to the local pub, occasionally after sending you a fizzing complaint. Overcomplicated web design isn’t just an aesthetic crime. It wastes time, money, and good will.
We’ve all seen it. A new client calls and asks, “Our website looks modern, but nobody is using it. Can you fix it?” Translation: they paid for creative genius and got a museum piece. Their traffic graph plunges. Sales plummet. All for the want of a simple structure that works.
The good news is that web design doesn’t need to be a try-out for a Dali exhibition. It should guide users to answers, products, or the all-important contact form faster than you can say, “minimal navigation.” Save the esoteric layouts for your personal portfolio. In business, function always wins.
Common Pitfalls
Let’s call out the usual suspects because this isn’t a mystery novel and the villain is always lurking in plain sight:
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Overcomplicating for the sake of looking clever
We’ve all had the urge to wow, to show off every jQuery trick in your arsenal and every colour you’ve found on Coolors. Unfortunately, your average visitor just wants to click on “Contact” and get on with their day. -
Believing that unique means convoluted
Breaking the rules is fine if you’re Picasso. For the rest of us, odd navigation, mystery icons, and hidden menus cause nothing but misery (and higher bounce rates). -
Hiding the main content behind clutter
Pop-ups, auto-playing videos, four font families in a single header. Don’t do it. If your design gets between the user and what they came for, you’ve built a wall not a bridge. -
Prioritising aesthetics over usability
Form is vital. Function is essential. A stunning website nobody can use is about as much use as a glass door on a submarine.
If you’ve ever watched someone frown at a menu, click three times to find your home page, or close a tab before the first scroll, you’ve committed one of these sins. Don’t worry, you can fix it.
Step-by-Step Fix
There’s no need to draft a Magna Carta for every website. Here’s how I keep things delightfully and profitably simple.
1. Be Ruthlessly Clear on the Site’s Purpose
Before you fire up the colour palette, ask: what is the point of this website? And don’t settle for “to look good.” Is your client selling widgets or expertise? Collecting email addresses? Explaining something technical to pensioners?
If you’re not certain who will land on the homepage and what they want to do first, stop and find out. This will guide everything that follows. If you get it wrong, you’ll be patching leaks for months.
Write out the top three actions your ideal user wants to take. Stick them on your monitor. Every page must help achieve one of those actions. If it doesn’t, scrap or simplify.
2. Map Out the Content Hierarchy, Then Cut the Fat
Web designers love a sprawling sitemap, but more pages usually means more confusion. Sketch out your site structure with old-fashioned pen and paper (or, if you’re fancy, Miro). Start with bare essentials: Home, About, Services, Contact. Everything else needs a reason to exist.
Once you have your rough architecture, cut 20%. Yes, really. Most websites double up on information, add micro-pages nobody reads, or stuff FAQs in four locations. Be ruthless. Less really can be more, especially when it comes to click paths.
If you can’t tell someone where to find something in fewer than 10 words, the structure isn’t clear enough. Try it out loud. Bonus: it’s a fun party game for design nerds.
3. Build Navigation That Even Your Nan Can Use
The gold standard is a navigation menu so obvious that nobody even notices it because it just works. Stick to clear, familiar terms: none of this “Get Inspired” nonsense for your portfolio, or “Synergies” instead of “What We Do.” Save the poetic for your blog.
Use logical grouping. Limit your main menu to 5–7 items. Put phone or email in the header if calls are the goal. And always, always make the logo link home. Forget that and the universe collapses (or at least your credibility does).
Test your navigation on a friend or family member who doesn’t care about web design. (Tea and biscuits usually required as bribe.) Watch them try to find a service or the contact page—no guidance allowed. If they get lost, you’ve got work to do.
4. Let the Content Breathe
People don’t want more 600-word paragraphs or ten-point lists. Design with whitespace. Use short, punchy headings. Break up content with images, but only if they add meaning or relief.
Legibility is necessary. Choose fonts and font sizes for grown adults with middling eyesight and mobile phones, not for toddlers with magnifying glasses. Contrast is key (looking at you, pastel-on-pastel enthusiasts).
This is about making sure every bit of information stands out when users need it. People will appreciate a site like this, even if they don’t say it.
Use a tool like “UseContrast” or built-in accessibility checkers to make sure your text stands out enough. If you squint and struggle, so will your visitors.
5. Prioritise Mobile, and Still Check Desktop
Everyone claims their site “works on mobile” until you open it on an actual phone and the menu takes up the whole screen. Start your layout with mobile in mind, but check on a big monitor too. Here’s a quick trick: design at 1280px and 400px widths from the outset. Avoid side-scrolling at all costs.
Keep elements tappable, images optimised, and don’t let pop-ups hijack the experience. People browsing on phones are usually multitasking, so make it easy to get what they came for.
If you have a dog, try your designs one-handed while holding the lead. If you don’t have a dog, borrow one. Real-world testing beats any simulator.
6. Test It Like a Human (Not a Designer)
You are not your user. Nor is the client. Get fresh eyes on your work before launching. Watch people try to complete basic tasks such as finding pricing, filling out a form, or just reading the About page.
Don’t explain or hint. Just watch. Make adjustments when someone pauses, gets lost, or mutters, “Why is that there?” If grandma clicks the wrong button, so will a paying customer. Scrap jargon, trim the clutter, and keep in mind that every extra step halves your conversion rate.
Set up a simple user recording tool like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity for five days after launch. Review real user sessions. The most painful moments are your new roadmap for refinement.
What Most People Miss
There’s a subtlety to great simple design that gets lost amid big trends and louder colleagues. Simplicity doesn’t mean basic and isn’t code for “template.” True simplicity happens after making hard choices and focusing on what matters most.
Plenty of designers spend hours gilding the lily, convinced that unusual interactions or wild navigation will make their portfolio stand out. In reality, clear hierarchy, obvious navigation, and content brought forward handle the most important work.
A better mindset is to start by asking how you can make things easier for the user, instead of trying to impress your peers. If you’re not slightly embarrassed by how obvious your structure is, you’re probably still overthinking it.
The Bigger Picture
Now, let’s bring it together. Ruthless simplicity in your web structure helps users, controls editing costs, lowers training time, and means fewer panicked calls from clients who hide menus somewhere in the footer.
Simple structures adapt well, work for new content, survive staff changes, and still function when trends have come and gone. Most importantly, they do what they’re meant to do with fewer headaches. This builds a reputation for websites that deliver results. That’s the kind of credibility and client loyalty that gimmicks can’t buy.
Brands like Coca-Cola are successful because they stick to what works. Their only major change was convincing the world Santa wears red. Otherwise, very little has changed in decades.
Wrap-Up
Rescuing people from confusing websites may not be glamorous, but users rely on designers who keep things clear. When you’re staring at a blank Figma canvas, remember that innovation for its own sake might earn an Awwwards badge, but it doesn’t necessarily help your client pay their invoices.
Our job is to make web experiences quick, painless, and sometimes a little delightful. If you forget everything else, remember to keep it simple whenever you have any doubt.
Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.
Need More?
If you found this useful, you might enjoy:
- Navigating Hero Section Hurdles: 5 Web Design Challenges
- Selling Web Design Services: Strategies for Success
- Unleashing Web Design Potential with Pixelhaze’s Workshop Model
FAQs
How can I ensure my website is both visually appealing and easy to navigate?
Stick to simple structures, keep navigation logical, and never hide core pages behind gimmicky labels or nested menus. When in doubt, give it the nan test.
What’s the best way to highlight important content?
Use clear headings, consistent layout, and make sure every page guides attention to the core action you want users to take. Kill off distractions.
Is it possible to build a unique site without making it complex?
Absolutely. You can be unique without confusing users. Focus on clear layouts, sharp copy, and purposeful design touches. Add personality, not friction.
Jargon Buster
- User Experience (UX): How easy (or infuriating) your website is to use.
- Hierarchy: The order of importance for info and sections on a page.
- Bounce Rate: The percentage of people who leave the site after seeing just one page.
- Whitespace: Blank space that helps content breathe (and eyes rest).
- Conversion Rate: Percentage of visitors who take a desired action (buy, sign up, call you).
Elwyn Davies
Founder, Pixelhaze Academy
Elwyn has spent the last two decades building websites that work, managing projects, and nudging designers away from “clever” layouts. He enjoys simplifying web challenges for business owners and knows that anyone can design a successful site with enough tea and the right systems.