When a business sees an empty area on its website, the first instinct is often to fill it: another banner, another offer, another photo. Usually, the page gets worse.

White space, also called negative space, is the empty area between and around the elements on a page: margins, the gaps between paragraphs, the room around a headline or a button. It doesn't have to be white. It just has to be empty.

• Makes text easier to read. Comfortable line spacing and margins stop paragraphs blurring together
• Shows what matters. A button with room around it gets noticed; one squeezed between banners doesn't
• Groups things clearly. Items close together look related, so spacing does the job of extra borders and boxes
• Signals quality. Think of how premium brands present products: one thing at a time, with room to breathe

For hospitality websites, like the one we designed for a lounge bar, the atmosphere is what you're selling. Generous spacing around the photography and the menu lets the place speak for itself instead of competing with clutter.

• Cut the homepage down to the few things visitors most need
• Add space above headings so each section starts clearly
• Keep text lines to a comfortable length rather than stretching across the whole screen

Which section of your website feels most crowded, and what would you take out first?