{"id":1274,"date":"2025-08-13T17:23:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T17:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/?p=1274"},"modified":"2025-08-13T17:31:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T17:31:28","slug":"white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/","title":{"rendered":"White Space &#8211; the Forgotten Website Design Element"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_1275\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1275\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1275 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/perception-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"visitors perception of your website\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/perception-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/perception-512x362.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/perception-211x150.jpg 211w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/perception.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1275\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Visitors perception of your website?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Successful websites, in other words \u2013 sites that receive lots of relevant traffic, incorporate measured amounts of white space to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ensure legibility &amp; readability<\/li>\n<li>Enhance attractiveness &amp; professional image, and<\/li>\n<li>Solidify brand awareness<\/li>\n<li>Promote conversions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#Cross_Industry_Tips\" >Cross Industry Tips<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#White_space_balance\" >White space balance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#White_space_helps_navigation\" >White space helps navigation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#Readability_and_legibility\" >Readability and legibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#How_does_white_space_brand_your_product_or_service\" >How does white space brand your product or service?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#My_Recommendation\" >My Recommendation<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#BROUGHT_TO_YOU_BY_PROLIMEHOST\" >BROUGHT TO YOU BY PROLIMEHOST<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#VPS_SERVICES_LIGHTNING_FAST_SSD_VIRTUAL_SERVERS\" >VPS SERVICES: LIGHTNING FAST SSD VIRTUAL SERVERS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#DEDICATED_SERVERS_BACKED_BY_A_999_SLA_NETWORK_UPTIME_GUARANTEE\" >DEDICATED SERVERS: BACKED BY A 99.9% SLA NETWORK UPTIME GUARANTEE<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/white-space-the-forgotten-website-design-element\/#ASIA_OPTIMIZED_SERVERS_IMPROVING_CONNECTION_SPEED_AND_QUALITY\" >ASIA OPTIMIZED SERVERS: IMPROVING CONNECTION SPEED AND QUALITY<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cross_Industry_Tips\"><\/span>Cross Industry Tips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>White space is any space that isn\u2019t occupied by other visible elements. This can be the space between characters, words, lines, paragraphs, images, and sections of your website. Whereas the direct mail industry leans to big, bold and in-your-face (minimal white space) because that\u2019s what works for them, this strategy doesn\u2019t work well for desktop websites. On mobile sites, Google actually looks for ample space between hyperlinks. Why? Fat thumbs! Ensuring that your website is easily navigable is huge.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1277 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Newspaper-industry-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Newspaper industry\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Newspaper-industry-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Newspaper-industry-512x338.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Newspaper-industry.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>The newspaper industry has a term called \u201cabove the fold.\u201d I used to be newspaper reporter (long ago), for a small weekly published in Pensacola, FL. In terms of value, everything on the front page was gold. Who wants their story buried 6 pages back? Websites share that dilemma as well. Everything displayed without scrolling gets seen first, and of course first impressions leave lasting impressions.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"White_space_balance\"><\/span>White space balance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>While a large part of the battle is just getting prospects to your site, the next battle is keeping them there. If you use too little white space, your site may appear cluttered, and too much white space, seem empty. White space is an important facet of a website\u2019s design, as it compliments your site\u2019s content, helping to emphasize your products or services.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"White_space_helps_navigation\"><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1278 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Structured-content-300x261.png\" alt=\"website navigation\" width=\"300\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Structured-content-300x261.png 300w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Structured-content-512x446.png 512w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Structured-content-70x60.png 70w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Structured-content.png 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>White space helps navigation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Active white space, or white space that\u2019s intentionally added, can help visitors to your site navigate easier, by providing structure for your navigation bar, content, header, and footer. Content that is structured and follows a predictable pattern throughout your site helps visitors find the information that brought them to your site from search queries or other marketing strategies.<\/p>\n<p>Passive white space, on the other hand is not so clearly defined. Some say it\u2019s the product of poor layout design. Others contend it\u2019s more about modifying space to improve the readability of your content \u2013 type family, letter spacing, line length and leading (space between the lines). These directly tie into readability and legibility.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Readability_and_legibility\"><\/span>Readability and legibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You can have the best, well thought out and researched content, but if it\u2019s not easily readable, your visitors will move on to other sites. If your selection of color schemes \u2013 font versus background colors clash, your visitors will move on to other sites. If you write in long unbroken blocks of text, your visitors will \u2026. you get the point!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_white_space_brand_your_product_or_service\"><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1279 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Branding-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Online Branding\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Branding-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Branding-1-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Branding-1.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>How does white space brand your product or service?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Hard copy newspapers are expected to have dense content, but they still need to be readable. Websites, on the other hand, need an industry specific blend or balance of white space. Generally, the more upscale your product is, more white space is used to portray its value. Overlaying images of products on your website with cluttered or in-your-face bold text diminishes the perception of its value.<\/p>\n<p>A number of developers either design their sites around SEO narratives or facts &amp; figures. The end goal of business sites really is about either branding or conversions, so perception is the key element. First, your site needs to be perceived as professional, current, value add and have an effective call to action. For all of that to happen, it needs to be readable and eye catching.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_Recommendation\"><\/span>My Recommendation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>First, research what your competitors are presenting online. Why? Because your visitors either just came from their site, or will visit their site after leaving yours. Comparison shopping on the Internet has never been easier.<\/p>\n<p>What will set your site apart, aside from your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? Optimizing your site for the right balance of white space may not seem important, but image or the perception of value is so much more important than it used to be.<\/p>\n<p>Selling on price alone rarely works long term. Branding your business image helps you own your niche in the industry.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/08\/unnamed-e1408122780935.jpg\" alt=\"ProlimeHost Cheap Dedicated Servers\" \/><\/figure>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"BROUGHT_TO_YOU_BY_PROLIMEHOST\"><\/span>BROUGHT TO YOU BY PROLIMEHOST<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>We\u2019ve been in the web hosting industry for over a decade, helping hundreds of clients succeed in what they do best and that\u2019s running their business. We specialize in Virtual Private Servers (VPS) and dedicated servers, with data centers in Los Angeles, Denver &amp; Singapore.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VPS_SERVICES_LIGHTNING_FAST_SSD_VIRTUAL_SERVERS\"><\/span>VPS SERVICES: LIGHTNING FAST SSD VIRTUAL SERVERS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>Our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/ssd-vps-server\/\">Virtual Private Servers<\/a>\u00a0all feature high performance Xeon processors and SSD storage in a RAID10 configuration to optimize your server\u2019s performance, which dramatically enhances visitor experiences on your site.<\/p>\n<p>That speed is backed by unparalleled 24\/7 support, featuring both outstanding response AND resolution times to maximize your uptime.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Now is the time to join the ProlimeHost virtual private server revolution.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DEDICATED_SERVERS_BACKED_BY_A_999_SLA_NETWORK_UPTIME_GUARANTEE\"><\/span>DEDICATED SERVERS: BACKED BY A 99.9% SLA NETWORK UPTIME GUARANTEE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>We only use enterprise-class hardware in our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/los-angeles-dedicated-servers\/\">dedicated servers<\/a>\u00a0and offer a four (4) hour hardware replacement. Throw in IPMI for remote management, support for public and private networks, free operating system (OS) re-installs, and SATA, SAS &amp; SSD (including NVMe) storage. Call 1-877-477-9454 or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/contact\/\">contact us<\/a>. For everything from gaming, AMD and GPU servers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/discounted-dedicated-server-deals\/\">cheap dedicated servers<\/a>, we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ASIA_OPTIMIZED_SERVERS_IMPROVING_CONNECTION_SPEED_AND_QUALITY\"><\/span>ASIA OPTIMIZED SERVERS: IMPROVING CONNECTION SPEED AND QUALITY<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>Procuring an Asia optimized server improves the connection speed and quality between the server and the users in Asia or China. This can reduce latency, packet loss, jitter, and bandwidth issues that can affect the performance and reliability of the server and the applications hosted on it. For more information, please call 1-877-477-9454 or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/contact\/\">contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Successful websites, in other words \u2013 sites that receive lots of relevant traffic, incorporate measured amounts of white&hellip;","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10],"tags":[207,236,120,228,123,225,24,107,113,198,214,227,139,232,33,116,115,114],"class_list":{"0":"post-1274","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-geneal","8":"category-tutorials-tips","9":"tag-ai-servers","10":"tag-amd-serverf","11":"tag-asia-optimized","12":"tag-california-servers","13":"tag-china-optimized","14":"tag-dallas-servers","15":"tag-dedicated-servers","16":"tag-dedicated-servers-usa","17":"tag-gaming-servers","18":"tag-gpu-servers","19":"tag-la-servers","20":"tag-nyc-servers","21":"tag-prolimehost","22":"tag-utah-servers","23":"tag-vps","24":"tag-web-development","25":"tag-website-design","26":"tag-white-space","27":"cs-entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prolimehost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}