How much information you display per square pixel is as relevant as what you say.

Share too little, and you risk underwhelming people. Share too much, and you may overwhelm leads and users. Balancing info density is how you meet people where they’re at.

Also, that’s how you guide them through the entire conversion process. It’s about offering just enough information to encourage action and move them from one step to the next.

But how little is too little and how much is too much?

To answer this question, we must talk about information density.

Definitions

What’s information density?

This term refers to the amount of information you display within a given space. Whether in website copy, sales decks, or onboarding docs, info density impacts how easily people process your messages.

Keep in mind: Information density is not about the number of words used per square pixel. It’s about the number of ideas and data conveyed within that space.

Information density ranges from low to high.

Low-information density

At its low end, info density involves a minimal amount of data relative to the space it occupies.

The message may seem clear and easy to digest. Yet it may lack key details, under-informing leads and users.

It’s basically minimalism for the sake of minimalism.

There are two types of low-information density:

• Granular: Lack of key info at the level of website segment, slide, doc subchapter, and more.
• Broad: Lack of key info at the level of landing page, overall website, slide deck, onboarding doc, and more.

❗ Risks:

When the space offers low-info density, leads and users may:

• Feel underwhelmed or annoyed, which is not good when you want to establish a connection.
• Be unable to grasp the full value of your software.
• Misunderstand your message because of lack of context or substance.
• Perceive your SaaS brand as ‘unreliable’ or ‘murky.’
• Delay their action to sign up or use your software because they lack key info.
• Disengage with your product as they don’t have the full picture.

High-information density

At its high end, info density involves a large amount of data packed into a small space.

The message may seem all over the place and difficult to digest. It may also include unnecessary details that dilute the main idea. In other words, it feels cluttered.

There are two types of high-information density:

• Granular: Cluttered website segments, slides, doc subchapters, and more.
• Broad: Cluttered landing pages, overall SaaS website, slide deck, user docs, and more.

This clutter may be caused by:

• Too many different CTAs on one page
• Too many ideas per square pixel
• Visuals—video, graphics, screenshots—overload
• Lack of a clear info hierarchy or prioritization
• Redundant or repetitive elements
• Mixing multiple messages within the same space
• Chunks of content with no clear segmentation
• And more

❗ Risks:

When confronted with high-info density, leads and users may:

• Feel overwhelmed, unable to keep up with the info volume.
• Struggle to identify your product value, which is diluted by too much data.
• Misunderstand your message, as there’s too much info to digest.
• Perceive your SaaS brand as ‘overcomplicated’ or ‘unfriendly.’
• Delay signing up or using your software because they need time to digest the info.
• Disengage because … it’s just too much and they’re already mentally fatigued.

Is there a middle ground? A way to avoid underwhelming or overwhelming leads and users?

Optimal information density

Balancing information density is a way to meet people at the stage they’re in:

• First-time website visitors who want a quick sneak peek.
• Curious visitors who want to learn a bit more about the product features.
• Leads comparing your product with other options.
• Prospects wanting specific software details during demo calls.
• Users interested in getting results with the platform as fast as possible.
• Paying customers wanting to explore advanced options.

There’s no standardized way to know how much (or how little) info is too much (or too little).

But each stage requires a thoughtful balance of detail—enough to inform but not overwhelm.

And there are ways to achieve an optimal info density. We’ll discuss them in the upcoming docs. I will add the links gradually once these docs are published.