3 Web Design Goals in Conflict

You Can Conquer Them with Compromise

If you are a creative entrepreneur who needs a website, pay attention to these three concerns: content, aesthetic appeal, and speed.
Harvey Ramer
Harvey Ramer
4 min read (834 words) Subscribe Now!

The three essential qualities of a successful website are aesthetic appeal, content, and speed. Without speed, no one will see your thoughtful written content. Without content, your fast website and beautiful designs are purposeless.

Aesthetic Appeal

Every successful website achieves its purpose by communicating its message with beauty and with a fast load time. Many beautifully designed websites never reach their customers because they abandon the site before it loads. Despite our love of multimedia, the web is still predominantly a text medium. The visual elements we often prize, images, videos, and beautiful web fonts, can produce wait times that defeat their purpose of dressing your website for success.

“Design is the intermediary between information and understanding.”

— Hans Hoffmann, Painter

We all want to impress others with the beauty of the things we create, so this impulse to prioritize aesthetics is understandable. But beauty only adds value when it enhances an object that fulfills a purpose. When beauty is the end goal, as in fine art, it still serves another goal: moving the emotions of its viewer. If you want your website to get the results you deserve, start with a clear purpose. Then achieve that purpose while making it pleasing to the eyes without unnecessary elements.

We expect a successful business to have a polished visual image, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. Your website should look like you care, have a clear visual hierarchy, and have visually distinct calls to action.

Answer this question: Do I pay more attention to the visual appeal of my website than its speed or written content?

Well-Written Content

When people look at a website I’ve created and comment about how beautiful it looks, I take it as a warning that perhaps the design obscures the message. It never hurts to simplify and clarify—to confirm the content is unobstructed.

Despite the evident value of color, images, and video, the first message anyone will get from your website is through the written word. When your website content helps visitors understand what you offer and who you are and provides a clear plan for their success, it serves you and your customers.

Like a self-conscious dinner guest who draws attention to himself, your website can call attention to itself. Instead, it should be a window into the world your business opens to its customers. By focusing on the transformation you provide, the obstacles your customers will face, and how you help them overcome and achieve their goals, your website opens a new possible world to its visitors.

“Even in social life, you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you’re making.”

— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

The key to creating an other-focused website is simple: talk to your customers and learn to understand their goals and challenges. Then, use their words to shape your message. Empathy is always the key to good communication. Understand your audience, your message, and your offer. Nothing will work without those things honed to a fine edge.

Answer this question: Do I know my customers well enough to use their words to describe my product, their challenges, and the benefits I provide?

Speed and Responsiveness

As of 2016, more than 50% of website traffic came through mobile devices,[1] and that trend has continued, reaching 58% in 2022.[2] Since mobile devices tend to load content more slowly than computers,[3] Google is encouraging website owners to optimize their website experience for those devices. Ignoring this change can damage your brand due to a poor user experience and may diminish your search engine results.[4] So we can draw a simple conclusion: the speed of your website is as important as its content and design.

“>50% of web traffic comes from mobile.”

— Think with Google

Talking to business owners about the speed of their websites can be challenging. It is something few non-technical people consider—unless they have to wait for someone else’s website to load. But by running a simple website test on PageSpeed Insights by Google, what seemed so abstract and complex becomes simple. If your website performance is 90 or above on mobile, you can consider it fast and focus on your content and design. But if it’s below 90, your website’s speed is holding you back.

Balancing speed, aesthetics, and content can be challenging. In order of priority, I believe your goals should be: content, speed and responsiveness, and aesthetic appeal.

Answer this question: When I test my website with PageSpeed Insights, does it score above 90 for speed on mobile devices?


  1. Think with Google: Marketing Strategies ↩︎

  2. Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet Market Share Worldwide Sept 2021 - Sept 2022 ↩︎

  3. Think with Google: “The average mobile webpage takes 15.3 seconds to load.” ↩︎

  4. Mobile-first indexing best practices ↩︎

Subscribe to Today with Purpose

Sign up for our complimentary newsletter and podcast, Today with Purpose, and embark on a journey to make a meaningful impact that truly reflects your unique strengths and values.

Today with Purpose Podcast

Today with Purpose Reader Comments

A Software Engineer Gets a New Start Each Week

“Every Monday is like a mini New Year, giving you the chance to start fresh with a clean slate. That‘s why the weekly emails are a blessing. You can choose to complain and hate Mondays, or you can be among the select few who embrace a new, fresh start. Today with Purpose provides a pep talk, wise principles, and a vision that can help you see that life and work are meaningful. I encourage everyone to read it and start their week off right with a vision and principles that don‘t conform to the world, but instead seek to serve others and better yourself!”

Bailey Lipscomb

A Writer and Coach Finds Simple, Actionable Advice

“I truly enjoy receiving Harvey‘s email messages. They are easy-to-read, but packed with helpful and encouraging information. I created a separate email folder to store them just so I can refer back to them more easily. His topics are very timely and seem to address issues I am currently experiencing, like self-doubt and problems completing what I start, or they address topics that can help me personally and professionally, such as ways to provide more impact at work. I like to keep Harvey‘s messages because they provide simple, actionable steps to implement, but can lead to a significant return. Referring to the messages weeks later provides good accountability to ensure I‘m following the advice.”

Greg Gerber, Writer & Coach at Forward from 50.

A Ministry Leader Enjoys a Few Quiet Moments

“Spending a few minutes reading a message from Harvey has become something that truly has been meaningful, thoughtful, and encouraging.”

— A Local Business and Ministry Leader.

A Coach and Author Sees a Message of Hope

“The value I find from Harvey‘s messages is an acknowledgment that many people feel dissatisfied, even with seemingly successful lives. His writing is such a reflection of him. Not a ‘get happy quick’ message but a message of empathy, compassion, and hope. He walks in his readers‘ shoes towards more purpose and impact. It is not quick and easy. But very possible.”

— Melissa Bloom, Coach and Author of The Path to Joy.

Service Area

At FlareMark, we specialize in SEO auditing and digital strategy advising services, designed to enhance your online visibility and impact. Our expert guidance supports businesses and nonprofits in Anna Maria Island, Bradenton, Ellenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Parrish, Sarasota, and surrounding areas within Manatee and Sarasota Counties, Florida, helping them thrive online. We make websites more discoverable and engaging for your target audience. Let us empower your mission with strategic digital solutions that drive traffic and foster growth. Visit us to learn how we can assist in your digital transformation.

Connect with FlareMark