Digital marketers and business owners alike can benefit from implementing strategies like prioritization and content-first design to fight back against content overload.
When it comes to business growth, how you present content plays a huge role in driving conversations and engaging your audience. An aesthetically pleasing design might catch attention initially, but it’s the content that communicates your message that keeps people coming back.
Content overload occurs when there’s simply too much information on a webpage. It could be an avalanche of text, overly complex visuals, or too many links and options. Visitors faced with clutter feel unsure where to focus and are more likely to disengage.
No matter how great your design is, the unfortunate truth is too much content appears cluttered and chaotic.
The McGuinness Media & Marketing team strives to prioritize content while designing. We’ve put together a guide for how we hit the balance between form and function.
Practical Strategies to Handle Content Overload
Prioritize Key Information
The first rule of reducing overload is to determine what’s genuinely important and cut the rest. Prioritization is key to staying on track with assignments and putting in your best work. You can’t include everything. By focusing on high-priority tasks, you can accomplish more in less time.
Ensuring that you focus on the most critical activities first maximizes productivity by allocating the most time and effort to your most important tasks.
Invest in Visual Storytelling
Not all content has to be written. Visual elements such as icons, charts, and explainer videos can deliver information while reducing cognitive load.
Infographics
Infographics can condense statistics or processes into visually engaging formats.
Imagery
Use conceptual icons and hero images to guide users’ focus.
Video
Incorporate video content sparingly to enhance rather than distract.
For example, consider replacing a long product description with a 30-second GIF highlighting core product features.
Engage with Your Audience
Although it seems like it may go without saying for digital marketers and business owners, meaningful connections are paramount to engagement and maintaining a loyal audience. The basic approaches to marketing communications may be more important than ever, according to a report by Forbes.
“Conversational marketing is another trend that is forcing marketers to go back to the pre-internet era fundamentals,” the report says. “It involves real-time, one-on-one connections between brands and customers. This approach is reminiscent of traditional sales tactics, where personalized communication was the key to closing sales and deals.”
People want to feel seen by the media they absorb. They choose it for a reason, so why not ask them where you can improve?
Surveys or session-recording tools can collect user behavior feedback to understand areas where information may feel overwhelming. Tailor your strategy based on real insights your internal team wouldn’t have otherwise.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Designing digital experiences can feel unattainable at first. You’re balancing word-heavy content, user intent, and brand messaging all while trying to create a clean, optimized layout. When content overload rears its messy head, even the most seasoned designers can feel overwhelmed.
Keep an eye out for missteps like visual balance and forgetting accessibility. While content matters most, neglecting visual balance can create an unappealing look that won’t grab people’s attention. Take the extra time and steps to ensure your message comes across in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Make sure your content is readable for all users. Use accessible font sizes, proper color contrasts, and clear text spacing for the visually impaired. Always consider what you are creating and for who. For example, if you are creating a billboard, your letters need to be large, and your background colors need to be bold enough to make your words stand out.
Lean On Content-First Design
Prioritizing content during the design process ensures that you’re delivering information authentically while supporting your business goals.
Your content should deliver value while being easy to digest, both visually and contextually. Before getting into the specifics of how to prioritize content, it’s important to understand why it’s worth focusing on content-first design over a more traditional design-first approach.Content-first design ensures the website or product is truly aligned with the needs of the users. For example, research by HubSpot shows that 38% of visitors stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive. Content-focused design eliminates distractions and ensures users find the information they came for.
The McGuinness team likes to utilize QR codes as an extension of information targeted to the people who would be interested in it. It’s information that doesn’t necessarily belong on the forefront, avoiding clutter, and maximizes consumer attention.
When you create content-first designs, you’re not simply sacrificing aesthetics for function. Instead, you’re blending well-aligned visual elements with content that converts. Here’s how to do it.
1. Define Your Goals and Audience
Every decision in design and content prioritization should stem from your goals and who you’re trying to engage. It may feel repetitive, but identifying your core demographic is crucial for creating and maintaining meaningful connections. Ask yourself questions like:
- What action do I want users to take (e.g., sign up, purchase, or download)?
- Who is my target audience, and what are their needs?
- What tone and messaging will resonate with them?
For example, a digital marketer creating a landing page for an email marketing tool might identify that their target audience values actionable tips, clear pricing, and testimonials. The content on this page would focus heavily on these elements while streamlining the design to emphasize the information.
2. Draft Your Content First
One frequent mistake many designers make is creating the layout first and fitting content into preset boxes later. Instead, draft the key pieces of content early in the process. This includes:
- A concise and impactful headline
- Subheadings organized by sections
- Supporting text such as bullet points, descriptions, or call-to-action prompts (CTAs)
This step ensures the content determines the layout, not the other way around.
At McGuinness, we practice creating an early draft written with approximate word counts determined by the designer. We then determine what we absolutely need to include, and what we can go without if it’s too much. The designer then references the draft while creating the content.
With the content defined, we focus on the best way to visually present it.
3. Assign Content Hierarchy
Not every piece of content is created equal. By assigning a clear hierarchy to your messages, you can guide the viewer’s eye and ensure the most important points are seen first. Consider the following:
- Primary Content should be the most visible, such as headlines or CTAs.
- Secondary Content supports the primary message, such as benefits or features.
- Tertiary Content is additional information, such as contact information, FAQs or links to deeper resources.
You can use design elements, like size, placement, and color contrasts, to enforce this hierarchy.
4. Design with Mobile Users in Mind
Mobile-first design approach is crucial to maintain a universal experience for consumers in 2025. More than 60% of overall web traffic comes from mobile devices, according to a report by BrowserStack. Small screens make content prioritization even more critical. Mobile-first design means:
- Placing vital content, like CTAs and key information, above the fold
- Using collapsible menus for less essential content while keeping the focus on relevant messaging
- Prioritizing scrolling over excessive clicking
For example, a well-designed mobile landing page for a service like Canva features bold headings, minimum text, and clear CTAs all easily accessible without zooming or unnecessary swiping.
5. Incorporate Visuals to Support Content
Visuals play an essential role in breaking up walls of text and making content more engaging. However, visuals should always support, not overshadow, the written message. Examples of effective visuals include images of real customers using your product, infographics or charts that summarize key points, and icons or illustrations that add context to steps or features.
Back to Basics
Avoiding content overload requires going back to the fundamental principles of digital marketing and content creation: focusing on the essentials, content-first design, and leading with transparency.
Too much information overwhelms users and reduces engagement. When people look at your website or design, you want the best of both worlds. You want your message to be both clearly received and through an interesting visual which stays with the audience.
An overloaded website or design leads to frustrated users and missed opportunities. By prioritizing clarity and focusing on delivering meaningful, impactful content in digestible formats, you can create designs that not only look great, but also achieve their business goals.
Take extra time to carefully plan your steps and make your key message obvious to anyone who sees your designs for the best engagement possible in 2025.
Follow the McGuinness Media & Marketing team on social @mcguinnessmedia for more insights from our award-winning team making BIG waves in the smallest state!