How Whitespace Brings Focus to Your eCommerce Website

Enhance your visual merchandising efforts by strategically using whitespace on your eCommerce website.

Jaques Cilliers - Writer for Fast Simon
By Jaques Cilliers
Kelly Hendrickse - Editor for Fast Simon
Edited by Kelly Hendrickse
Olivia Kashti - Writer and Fact-Checker for Fast Simon
Fact-check by Olivia Kashti

Updated November 14, 2023.

Whitespace in eCommerce merchandising brings focus to products or call-to-action buttons on your eCommerce website. So by using whitespace effectively, you'll be able to create a visually appealing experience that encourages customers to stay and engage with your products.

Using Whitespace to Pull Focus

Whitespace, also known as negative space, refers to the empty space between design elements and paragraphs on a web page.

Veer Away From Busy Spaces in Visual Merchandising

Ineffective use of whitespace in merchandising includes a cluttered page layout and no clear visual hierarchy. When too many design elements compete for your customers' attention, it can be challenging to get them to focus on your products.

Tip: Treating whitespace in tandem with other design elements, like margins, the site search bar's placement, and typography, can elevate your website's visual merchandising.

» Learn how understanding shoppers' intent can maximize e-commerce conversion



Steer Toward Whitespace in Visual Merchandising

According to research, whitespace can aid in readability and customers' perceptions of your brand. So, effective use of whitespace in visual merchandising allows you to frame or pull focus to product images, descriptions, and other website elements easily by building an apparent visual hierarchy that can guide and encourage conversions and further site exploration.

For example, Everten, a kitchenware store, leverages whitespace to highlight the seasonal focus of its products. During a sale, using the stark contrast between white, red, and black can effectively direct customers to the most important leads on their web page.

Red text against whitespace helps pull focus.


The whitespace here also acts as a framing tool to help product categories stand out so that customers can navigate the site intuitively. This framing creates a sense of balance in the overall web page design, which can create a harmonious brand perception that can drive customer loyalty.

Whitespace pulls focus and frames kitchenware categories.


» Check out this helpful list of e-commerce merchandising best strategies



Fast Focus With Whitespace

Whitespace can be a powerful tool for your e-commerce website by making it user-friendly and creating aesthetically pleasing content that's easy to digest. This visual merchandising technique can help you draw a customer's attention to specific products or call-to-action buttons.

Optimizing site navigation through a clear visual hierarchy, like on-site search bars bordered by whitespace, can help your website traffic translate into higher conversions and sales.