Why Does Empty State Design Matter on Your Website?

Why does this screen deserve its own attention? A blank search result or an empty cart is often the first thing a visitor notices on your site. Therefore, the way you handle that moment shapes their first impression of your brand.

In this guide we cover which page types deserve priority and which elements a solid empty state needs. We also look at how a "no results found" screen can turn into an opportunity instead of a dead end. Finally, we cover empty carts, empty notifications, and empty favorites lists at a conceptual level.

We use the term empty state throughout this article, since that is the common industry label. Some teams also call it a blank state or a zero state. Whichever term your team prefers, the design principles behind it stay the same.

Why Shouldn't a Search Results Screen Stay Blank?

A visitor types a search term and nothing comes back. A completely blank screen then makes them feel lost on your site. This moment is a critical fork in the road, since it often decides whether that visitor leaves or keeps browsing. So, passing it off with a bare technical message quietly costs you a visitor you already had.

A well-built empty state steps in right here. For example, you can flag a likely typo and suggest a close match. You can also link to popular categories or frequently viewed pages instead. As a result, the visitor keeps exploring your site instead of leaving through the search box.

On top of that, this approach strengthens your overall interface consistency, not just one screen. Our piece on UX mistakes that kill sales covers this wider angle. It looks at how small interface choices add up over time.

For instance, a visitor on a service site may search for a town your team doesn't cover yet. Suggesting the nearest service area you do cover keeps them engaged. This small fix stops the visitor from closing the tab right away.

Why Isn't a Technical Error Message Enough?

A dry system message such as "No results" or "No data" doesn't tell a visitor what to do next. It states a fact but offers no direction. The visitor then has to figure out the next step alone, so many of them simply hit the back button at that point.

Nielsen Norman Group's research on empty state design notes something important here. This kind of message creates confusion about whether the system is even working. According to the article the organization published, a message becomes especially damaging once it is inaccurate. It also hurts trust when it later clashes with content that appears right after.

Because of that, favor an approach that explains the situation and offers a path forward. A bare error code simply can't do that job on its own. So what exactly should that approach include?

Instead of a cold error message, aim for a tone that treats the visitor as a person. That tone builds trust, not suspicion. On mobile screens in particular, keep this message short, since space is limited.

What Three Components Should a Good Empty State Include?

A good empty state design carries three components together. The first is a short message that explains the situation. A link or button that suggests a next step comes second. Last is a simple on-brand image or icon, and together these three turn a blank screen into something useful.

• Status message: tells the visitor why this area is currently empty.
• Guiding link or button: moves the visitor toward the next logical step.
• Simple image or icon: reflects your brand tone without heavy animation.

For example, an empty favorites list can read "You haven't saved any favorites yet." The link can point to a category page, and the icon can be a plain star. Also, keep the tone of these three elements aligned with your typography choices. A mismatched empty state message breaks the page's visual consistency.

None of these three elements works well on its own; they only make sense together. For instance, adding only an image without any guidance still leaves the visitor without a next step.

How Do You Write the Status Message?

The status message should stay short, honest, and direct. Instead of a generic line like "an error occurred," write a sentence that names the actual situation. For example, "We couldn't find a match for your search" reads far clearer than a bare line like "Error: 0 results."

While writing this message, keep the visitor's likely mood in mind. A visitor who just got zero search results may already feel frustrated. So, the message should sound helpful, not blaming.

For a deeper framework on writing this kind of copy, see our UX writing guide. There, we also cover how to phrase buttons and links.

So, keep your sentences short and skip unnecessary technical jargon when you write this message. Then, what link or button should complete it?

Why Do You Need a Link or Button for the Next Step?

A status message alone isn't enough. You also need to give the visitor a concrete action to take. Otherwise, the visitor understands the situation but still doesn't know what to do, and they leave the page.

This link or button should relate directly to the context. For example, an empty cart button can read "Browse popular products." An empty notification inbox, meanwhile, can link to notification settings or a help page. As a result, the visitor finds one click that moves them forward.

Nielsen Norman Group points out that this link should take the visitor straight to the feature they need. A generic homepage link rarely serves that purpose.

For example, an empty service list can show a button that links straight to a relevant category or a contact form. Then the visitor doesn't have to search for the next step alone.

What Role Does an On-Brand Image or Icon Play?

A simple image or icon keeps the empty screen from reading as a pure text warning. It adds breathing room and a touch of brand identity. Google's Material Design guidance notes that this image should stay neutral or carry a tone that fits the brand.

That said, the image shouldn't slow the page down with heavy animation or a long load time. The goal isn't to grab attention; it's to support the clarity of the message and the link.

This image should also match your page's layout logic. On a page built on a grid system, the empty state image should follow the same alignment rules. Otherwise the page looks disjointed.

When you pick this image, keep your brand colors and illustration style in mind too. An inconsistent image tells the visitor the page was thrown together in a hurry.

How Do You Turn a "No Results Found" Screen Into an Opportunity?

A "no results found" screen, once built correctly, turns into an opportunity. It keeps the visitor searching instead of pushing them off your site. For that to happen, the screen can't just state the situation; it also needs to offer a solution.

For example, if a visitor types a misspelled term, the system can suggest the correct one. This small fix lets the visitor reach a result without retyping the search. You can also list trending search terms or popular categories on the same screen.

This way, the visitor keeps browsing your site even at the moment their search technically failed. So how exactly does a typo suggestion work?

This approach matters most for sites selling seasonal products. When a visitor searches for an item that's currently out of stock, suggesting similar categories helps. As a result, the visitor doesn't walk away thinking their search was a total dead end.

Why Does a Search Term Typo Suggestion Matter?

Visitors don't always type a search term correctly. A single missing letter or a stray keystroke can turn an in-stock product into a "not found" result. Because of that, giving your search engine a simple spell-correction layer cuts down your empty-result rate.

For example, the system can suggest the closest matching products with a line like "Did you mean...?" This suggestion gives the visitor a one-click path to the right result. It also saves them from retyping the search.

This suggestion layer is part of your overall search setup. It works best alongside the rest of your on-site search box design.

Even a basic similarity check makes a difference here. For instance, tolerating a one or two letter difference catches most common typos.

What Logic Should You Follow for an Empty Cart?

Leaving a cart page to read just "Your cart is empty" wastes a chance to invite the visitor back into the store. This screen should include a clear link that sends the visitor back to browsing.

Also, you can show recently viewed items or popular categories here at a conceptual level. This makes it easier for the visitor to pick up shopping again. Of course, the exact click-through rate on these suggestions varies by site, so we won't quote a specific figure here.

It also helps to pair this topic with cart abandonment. In our piece on reducing cart abandonment, we share detailed steps for carts that got items added but never got completed.

You can also add a short note here pointing the visitor toward product categories or a current promotion. That way, an empty cart doesn't make the visitor lose the thread of shopping altogether.

How Does Showing Recommended Products Affect Conversion?

Showing recommended products on an empty cart page saves the visitor from starting a search from scratch. It can also raise the odds they keep shopping. That said, we won't claim an exact figure here, since visitor behavior differs from site to site.

Instead, we recommend testing this change on your own site. For example, you can compare your conversion rate before and after adding a suggestion block, using our conversion rate calculator.

This way, you base the decision on your own data instead of an assumption. That approach holds up better than quoting a made-up percentage.

When you run this test, change only one variable at a time. This gives you a clearer read on the result. So, could you apply the same change to an area like the notification inbox too?

What Should You Show in an Empty Notification Inbox?

Showing just an icon in an empty notification inbox doesn't tell the visitor what this space is actually for. A short explanation clarifies which kinds of notifications will show up here.

For example, a line like "No notifications yet; order updates and promotions will appear here" helps the visitor understand why they'd want to check back. You can also add a link to notification settings here.

This tone should stay consistent with the rest of your site. A notification inbox that echoes the support links in your footer design gives the visitor a sense of a unified site.

This explanation also helps the visitor decide whether to keep the feature turned on at all. A visitor who doesn't know what they'll see there often ignores the feature entirely.

How Should You Guide Users When Their Favorites List Is Empty?

When a favorites list is empty, remind the visitor what saving a favorite actually does for them. Otherwise, they may never notice the feature exists. A short line plus a link to browse categories is enough here.

For example, a line like "Save items you like here for quick access later" explains the point of the feature. As a result, the visitor can discover the favorites feature and start using it more often.

A plain star or heart icon is usually enough here, without an elaborate illustration. The goal is to clarify the function, not to pull focus away from it.

It also helps to remind the visitor where the favorites feature actually lives. A brief nudge back to the heart icon on product pages makes it easier for the visitor to rediscover the feature.

What Should You Do When Filtering Leaves No Products?

A visitor applies several filters and ends up with zero products. The screen's first job here is to show which filter emptied the results. This saves the visitor from switching filters off one by one just to test what happened.

Also, add a one-click option to clear a specific filter. This stops the visitor from starting the search over from scratch. We cover this in more depth in our piece on how product filtering affects ecommerce sales.

This kind of empty state lets the visitor loosen one filter and keep going. It doesn't send them all the way back to the start. As a result, the search flow doesn't break entirely.

It also helps to flag, in a small note, which filter affected the result the most. That way, the visitor sees right away which choice to loosen.

Which Page Types Should Prioritize Empty State Design?

Not every page needs empty state design with the same urgency. Some page types sit higher on the priority list. Search results, filter screens, notification inboxes, and favorites lists top that list.

• Search result pages: the point where a visitor is most likely to leave your site.
• Filter screens: a dead end the visitor creates with their own choices.
• Notification and message inboxes: an area that affects engagement and return visits.
• Favorites and wishlists: the first touchpoint for discovering the feature at all.

Pages outside these four types still benefit from empty state design. However, if your resources are limited, this list is the more practical place to start.

This priority order can shift a bit depending on your site type. For instance, a notification inbox matters less on a service site. Cart and filter screens, on the other hand, matter more on an ecommerce site.

What's the Difference Between an Empty State and a 404 Page?

An empty state describes a working page on your site that simply has no content to show. A 404 page, in contrast, describes a visitor landing on an address that never existed or was removed later. Both need guidance, but the trigger behind each one differs.

We cover how to design a 404 page in detail in our dedicated guide. The same core logic applies there too: explain the situation and point to a next step.

Because of that, treat both situations with the same design principle. Explanation plus guidance creates a consistent experience for the visitor either way.

Clarifying this distinction also makes conversations with your development team easier. Each situation calls for a different technical fix behind the scenes.

How Does Empty State Design Affect User Experience?

Empty state design steps in exactly when a visitor's flow on your site gets interrupted. It directly shapes how that interruption feels to them. A well-built empty state shrinks that interruption until it's barely noticeable.

As Nielsen Norman Group notes, this kind of design improves how learnable a system feels. It also helps visitors complete core tasks faster. So, an empty state isn't just a cosmetic detail; it's part of overall usability.

We won't frame this effect as a direct ranking factor. That said, a visitor staying longer and not bouncing right back does feed into user experience signals indirectly.

For that reason, plan empty state design alongside your other usability work. For example, add empty screens to the list the next time you run a usability audit.

What Are the Most Common Empty State Design Mistakes?

The most common mistake here is leaving the screen completely blank. A close second is showing nothing but a technical error code. A third common mistake is adding an explanatory message without any link or button at all.

• Leaving the screen fully blank: gives no sign of whether the system is even working.
• Showing only a technical error code: never tells the visitor what to do next.
• Using an overly elaborate illustration: off-brand visuals that slow the page down.
• Showing the message too early: flashing "no records" while content is still loading.

That last mistake matters especially. Nielsen Norman Group notes that an early "no records" message, shown while content is still processing, damages visitor trust in particular. So, make sure loading has actually finished before you show that message.

To avoid these mistakes, review every empty screen on your site one by one. The right logic on one page can easily get skipped on another.

Blank Screen vs. Designed Empty State Comparison

The table below sums up the core differences between leaving a screen blank and deliberately designing an empty state for it.

The difference in the table usually comes down to a few lines of text and one link. This shows empty state design doesn't demand a heavy engineering effort. Moreover, these small fixes also strengthen your site's overall consistency.

Apply this comparison to your own site by starting with the most-visited blank screens first. That gives you a practical and realistic starting point.

What Are the Steps to Prepare for Empty State Design?

To start on empty state design, first list which screens on your site can actually end up empty. Then, for each one, decide on a status message, a next-step link, and a simple image.

1. List every search, cart, notification, favorites, and filter screen on your site.
2. Write a short, honest status message for each screen.
3. Add a link or button that moves the visitor to the next step.
4. Pick a simple, on-brand image or icon.
5. Confirm you're not showing the message too early, before content finishes loading.

You can work through these steps yourself. Or, if you'd rather review your whole site's design as one piece, get support from our web design service. We treat empty states as part of the overall design system during that process.

In short, empty state design is a small detail with a cumulative effect. Instead of skipping it, start with a handful of screens. Then roll the same logic out across the rest of the site over time.

You don't have to finish this work in one pass. Start with the two or three most-visited screens and watch how visitors respond. Then roll the same logic out to the rest of the site step by step.