Is junk getting in the way of your communications?

I recently discovered the term Chartjunk. According to Wikipedia:

“Chartjunk refers to all visual elements in charts and graphs that are not necessary to comprehend the information represented on the graph, or that distract the viewer from this information.”

Synonyms include:

• embellishment

• excessive annotation

• decoration

• extraneous elements

• unnecessary ornamentation

This struck a nerve with me because a lot of what I do for my clients when I redesign their websites is get rid of elements that do not contribute to the overall conversion of their site visitors.

When people build a website they know they need some copy, images, and maybe a video. The problem is that they don’t necessarily use them all intentionally.

Building a website is like writing an essay. Every word, sentence and paragraph in your essay should be supporting your thesis.

When it comes to websites, your primary call to action (CTA) is your thesis. Therefore, every word, image and/or video should be driving people to your primary CTA. If you are not sure what your primary CTA is, here’ a hint, it is how you make money. Selling a product, booking an appointment or getting people to start a trial are common CTA’s.

Chartjunk refers to how designers add a lot of extra elements, like colors, gradients or 3D elements to jazz up their presentation. The problem is that these techniques actually obscure your message.

The same is true for your website. Simple websites work better. Make sure to get rid of any Webjunk on your site.

And if you need help taking out the trash, let me know.