Picture this:
You're standing at the check-in desk, holiday excitement buzzing through your veins, when the attendant delivers the dreaded verdict.
"I'm afraid your baggage is 8 kilos over the limit."
Cue the walk of shame to the weighing area, where you drop to your knees, unzip your overstuffed suitcase, and begin the frantic purge.
Out comes the third pair of trainers you "might need." The backup hair dryer (because hotels don't have those, right?).
And there, oh no! There's your childhood teddy bear tumbling onto the terminal floor while a family of four looks on, barely containing their giggles.
Your face matches the colour of your passport cover as you hastily stuff your knickers back into the case, desperately trying to decide what stays and what goes.
Sound familiar?
The Airport Epiphany
Here's the thing about that mortifying moment: it's actually a gift in disguise.
Because as you stand there, sweating and sorting, you're being forced to answer a crucial question: What do I actually need?
And the answer is almost always: Far less than you packed!
The Hidden Benefits of Travelling Light
Those seasoned travellers gliding past you with nothing but a cabin bag? They're not just smug. They're free!
They've discovered what the rest of us learn the hard way:
- No baggage fees draining your holiday cocktail fund.
- No waiting at the carousel, watching that same purple suitcase go round for the fifth time (it's never yours).
- No panic when your checked bag decides to holiday in Bali while you're in Barcelona.
- More mobility: Stairs, cobblestones, and spontaneous train changes become adventures, not obstacles.
- Faster transitions from plane to taxi to hotel room in record time.
- Mental clarity. Fewer decisions about what to wear means more headspace for actual experiences.
The Truth About "Just In Case"
That inflatable neck pillow shaped like a unicorn? The portable steamer? The seven books you swear you'll read? You won't miss them. Not even a little bit.
Studies show that travellers use only 60% of what they pack. The rest is dead weight, literally and metaphorically carried around "just in case" of scenarios that rarely materialise.
Your Website Needs a Baggage Check Too
This same principle applies to your digital presence.
How many pages, features, forms, and "nice-to-haves" are you lugging around on your website?
How much clutter sits between your visitor and the action you actually want them to take?
The essentials are all you need:
- Clear value proposition
- Simple navigation
- Compelling content
- Obvious call-to-action
- Fast loading speed
Everything else? It's that teddy bear rolling across the airport floor. Well-intentioned but ultimately unnecessary.
Strip It Back to What Serves You
When you're forced to choose at that check-in desk, you get ruthlessly practical.
You keep the essentials. You ditch the "might needs."
And you know what? Your holiday doesn't suffer, it improves.
Your website works the same way.
Every element should earn its place by serving your visitor and supporting your goals. If it doesn't? It's excess baggage weighing down your performance, slowing your loading times, and confusing your message.
The Liberation of Less
Three weeks after your holiday, try to remember what you left behind at that airport. Can't recall? Exactly.
You're unlikely to miss what you discard, because if it truly served you, it would have made the cut in the first place.
So whether you're packing for paradise or building your online presence, ask yourself:
Is this essential, or am I just afraid of travelling light?
Because the best journeys and the best websites start with having the courage to leave the unnecessary behind.
Ready to audit your website's baggage?
Start by identifying your one essential message, your single most important call-to-action, and the clearest path to get visitors there.
Everything else is negotiable.
Bon voyage! And don't forget to send me a postcard. ☀️
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