09/02/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/02/2024 05:19
Published: September 02, 2024
In my experience, making a website complex or fancy isn't a prerequisite. Often, simple is best. As you'll learn from this post, intuitive user experience, digestible font, and effective branding are key to a website's success.
In this post, I'll share some of the most beautiful simple website examples I've found on the internet to inspire you as you craft yours.
And when you want to get started building your own simple website, give HubSpot's Free Website Builder a try to craft your site. The drag-and-drop builder comes with free themes, templates, and more.
Ready to dive right into my favorite simple website examples?
I've pulled websites from several industries with various purposes to show that you can build a simple website that gets visitors' notice no matter what industry you're designing for.
When you land on Ollivere's website, the company immediately introduces you to its mission: "Great design. No nonsense." Keeping the homepage simple aside from mindfully placed copy makes visitors want to learn more about the brand's story. As you scroll down, parallax scrolling further brings that story to life with visually appealing sketches and compelling examples.
Ollivere demonstrates its commitment to producing outstanding design without nonsense on its own straightforward yet eye-catching site.
Ink's homepage is text-centric but is mindful of how much copy it uses. Instead of overwhelming visitors with a daunting paragraph of text, Ink keeps its copy sparse to hold its visitors' interest.
Ink's menu is a small dot in the top right-hand corner. Because of its clever placement, users can infer this is the menu without using any text. This simple yet visually engaging website uses parallax scrolling features to bring it to life.
In addition, I like how the website uses bold imagery to highlight the company's projects.
The Shine App's website opens with an image, a brief copy, and an acknowledgment of an award the company has won. When you scroll down, the brand's signature colors will meet you. The entire site is relaxing and easy to navigate, which echoes the app's purpose.
Although this website hasn't been updated in a while (because Headspace Health acquired Shine App), it is still a shining example of what simple website designs can be.
When you scroll down on the homepage, The Shine App offers a demo of what the app looks like when you download it onto your cell phone.
Such a demo whets a user's appetite and makes them eager to download and use the app.
The Nate Smith website is unique because it features a mobile phone-looking animation. When you click through, the phone changes into a computer. I love the parallax scrolling feature this site uses.
Nate Smith's site features sparse but effective copy. Instead of telling visitors what he does, he shows it.
Cocokind offers visitors everything they're looking for in an ecommerce site: clear branding, clear calls-to-action, beautiful brand photography, and easy navigation. Plus, I love how the brand shows products when you click on the menu, so you can easily use a shortcut to add fan-favorite items to your cart.
Cocokind makes excellent use of neutrals while adding pops of color to accentuate its pages.
Pro tip: This site employs a quiz, which is a great method for an ecommerce site and can help boost user engagement and generate more sales, matching prospective customers with products.
Motto is another example of a website that taps powerful fonts to create a gorgeous, visually attractive, simple site. The homepage presents information to visitors in a digestible manner, starting with the brand mission and then introducing a video.
Motto's site is modern and uses strong shapes, hard lines, and bold fonts to punctuate that. I like how the site showcases social proof through client logos, testimonials, and case studies.
Pro tip: Notice how Motto's site also showcases their case studies? This is a great way to get visitors to learn more about your company's offerings, past projects and clients, and build social proof. I highly recommend adding this to your website if it fits your business profile.
This interior renovation group proves that if you're in a creative field, it's essential your website is up to par with your creative services. Doubble's simple yet unique website slowly unfolds the brand's story as you scroll and uses moody, dark colors that feel elevated and bright, easygoing neutrals.
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Who said your simple website has to stick with neutral colors? Doubble proves it's possible to use darker shades exceptionally well. I like how the brand reinforces its logo throughout the website while not distracting visitors.
Next, we have Grounded Plants, which puts colorful plant photos at the center of its website landing page. As you scroll down, you are invited to book a consultation with a plant specialist who can help you by answering questions regarding your Grounded plant purchase. By showcasing this unique feature, the site stands out.
I love the gorgeous product photography and the artful use of the brand colors throughout the page, and the design also feels intuitive.
Pro tip: Grounded Plant's simple homepage makes mention of their company blog and a scheduling tool to select a time to chat with a professional. While the blog helps showcase your brand, your content, and also strengthens SEO, the scheduler is more functional. I think both are great options to add to your website, depending on your needs. Remember, your website might be simple, but it needs to suit your needs and solve for your customers!
When visitors arrive at the Los Feliz Engineering site, they are greeted with information regarding how many clicks the site has received. Then, the text unfolds in a typing-esque manner that details what the company does.
This website looks a bit too simple at first glance. However, as you click on different elements, the site becomes fully fleshed out, and you can see how unique it is.
When it comes to portfolio websites, simple is often best. Such is the case for creative Adrián Gubrica, whose portfolio site offers a healthy dose of personality while keeping it simple. From just a glance at the home screen, visitors can understand what Gubrica does.
Gubrica infuses personality in their font by adding hints of italic letters. The website is also concise, with most links pointing towards pages where it'd be easier to contact Adrián for work.
Kobu's homepage features a massive, thick text reminiscent of a magazine cover. Add that to the semi-grainy images, and you'll get that feeling of a time gone by. The nostalgic effect makes the site feel like a dreamy step into a different time or dimension, which is effective as the brand advertises hotel getaways.
The photography is exceptionally cohesive with the rest of the branding. I also love the mix of fonts used throughout the site, as their differences complement each other effortlessly.
Luxitalia's website is more image-centric than some of the others that make our list of favorite simple websites. Despite the solid introductory image, Luxitalia keeps it easy to navigate with its digestible menu and sparse homepage.
Luxitalia customized their cursor so the navigation stands out as you move around on the site. This element can help you tell your brand story or create a more memorable experience for visitors.
Talk about cohesive branding! Plastic's website tells a crystal clear story: If you are seeking a brand to transform a concept into a digital reality, this company is the one to hire. The organization does this by first establishing its expertise with copy wisely placed in the top right-hand corner. Once that copy disappears, the brand mission greets you.
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Sometimes, it's better to keep fonts simple. Plastic doesn't use a particularly remarkable one, but because it's black, it contrasts against the beige background and stands out.
Up next is Postevand. The brand draws visitor attention to its visually eye-catching brand photography by keeping the image front and center. I also love this brand's easy-to-read font and use of a grid-style website.
Parallax scrolling features make this site come alive and make simple photography and copy feel alive. I also like how the website has simple navigation and focuses its copy on the product's sustainability and environmental benefits.
Build in Amsterdam scores points for effectively splitting the screen with active (moving images) and stationary elements. The beige background and text are minimalistic, which balances the energy of the moving pictures on the left side of the home screen.
Your website can be simple and use a fun and funky menu. Build in Amsterdam proves this.
Check out Kyle Johnson's photography portfolio site, and you'll quickly understand why it's on our list of favorite simple website examples. Because portfolio sites offer photographers an opportunity to showcase their past work, this site is image-heavy and keeps the text sparse.
This site makes excellent use of white space. Though many images are displayed, they feel manageable and smooth, as they're correctly spaced.
Golde's ecommerce site demonstrates how simple websites can go above and beyond to tell the brand story.
When you scroll down, you are introduced to other products and recipes to try. The site features plenty of green, which feels on-brand for a superfood company, and showcases soft, abstract, calming, and visually appealing shapes.
I like Golde's aesthetically pleasing and strong font.
Immediately upon your arrival on the site, Ohm Studio explains what the company does. When you scroll, you are introduced to one of the brand's products with compelling product photography. The page features less than 30 words, as little copy is a recurring theme in these simple website examples.
Ohm Studio's website is on-brand and trendy while staying minimalistic. The site's bare-bones copy and emphasis on photography allow the products to shine.
This Philadelphia, PA-based coffee and bookshop presents a visually appealing yet simple website that captures visitors' attention effortlessly. When you arrive on the site, your focus is drawn to the black and white photograph demonstrating the shop's location. An overlay menu also floats down and reveals the address, hours of operation, and phone number.
This site focuses on functionality, proving you can provide an aesthetically appealing yet simple digital experience.
Since it's a physical store website, adding the opening and closing times and Google Maps is a nice touch.
Pink Moon's ecommerce website is simple yet effective. It maintains focus on the site's primary focus: The company's products. The menu is centrally displayed and easy to navigate, and as you scroll down on the site, it introduces relevant information in an intuitive cadence. This site's strength is its straightforwardness.
Unlike many other simple website examples, Pink Moon uses pops of color, allowing it to shine.
Just because a website is simple doesn't mean it lacks substance or design quality. As you've seen, your website should provide excellent user experience, have clear navigation, use white space to make content stand out, and follow a visual hierarchy that guides users' attention, among other things.
I'm sure you're now inspired and gearing up to start your simple website design.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in April 2024 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
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