Microsoft Excel is a great general-purpose spreadsheet program. Given how easy it is to use, mistakes are bound to occur while creating more complicated spreadsheets.

Some of the most common errors include complex relations, hidden information, incomprehensible calculations, or just plain mistakes. In order to create and maintain consistently good Microsoft Excel files, there are a couple of things you should always keep in mind.

How to Prepare a Good Spreadsheet?

The first thing you need to do is choose an organizational standard before you start developing your spreadsheet. If you work in a professional setting, this organizational standard will set the stage for all the users who will be using/working on your spreadsheet.

A shared standard improves your communication with the team and will save up on development time.

Creating a Microsoft Spreadsheet Planning

That said, it is crucial to create your spreadsheet with the future in mind. You need to be prepared, as you will surely come across instances that you weren't aware of when you started setting up the spreadsheet.

By keeping future changes in mind, you can make your worksheet more durable. This in turn means you waste less time having to create a replacement worksheet.

Related: How to Work With Worksheet Tabs in Microsoft Excel

Take Advantage of Multiple Worksheets

You might be surprised to know just how many professionals make this mistake! Microsoft Excel offers multiple worksheets, and it is important that you learn how to utilize them. You should start by putting different types of data on different worksheets.

For example, you can use the first couple of worksheets for the basic information; the following worksheets can be used for calculations, while the last sheet is often used for the results and graphs.

Microsoft Excel Worksheets

Of course, this also varies depending on the type of work you are doing and what you are most comfortable with. Keep in mind that having multiple tables per worksheet can cause a lot of problems when you try to sort them out, insert, or format cells.

When working with a team, having multiple worksheets dedicated to different parts of the work will make it easier for everyone to understand what is happening.

Organizing the Information Flow

The information should flow from the top left to the bottom right, and you should organize your worksheets to follow this structure. Your timeline should be consistent across all of your worksheets, since that will make it easier for everyone to understand how the spreadsheet works.

When you are managing the flow of the information, avoid criss-cross patterns, as they tend to distract the readers. On that note, you should also avoid any kinds of circular references.

Labeling Columns and Rows

Although having a simple spreadsheet without any labels might not be confusing to you (as the worksheet creator), other users might find it quite problematic.

This is why it is important that you start labeling your columns and rows with simple names. Make sure that you consistently use the same names for the same kinds of data.

Excel Labeling Rows and Columns

What to Avoid When Writing Formulas?

If your Excel spreadsheet has a lot of formulas, there are a couple of things you can do to make it look a lot more professional. First of all, avoid doing any repeated calculations and only calculate formulas once.

If you copy a formula, you increase the chances of having errors. Not to mention that if you change one formula, the duplicate that you made previously will not be changed. This can lead to a lot of confusing errors.

If you need to use the exact same formula again, it is better to refer back to the first instance where you had to use the formula.

In addition, you should always avoid using fixed numbers in formulas. Instead, what you should use for fixed values is separate input cells and employ the references to this cell when using it in calculations.

Additional Things You Should Avoid When Making Spreadsheets

One of the most important things to avoid when using Microsoft Excel is the option to Merge Cells. This is rarely a good idea, and more often than not, it is just used to improve the aesthetics. By merging your table cells, you will have a higher probability of experiencing problems with references and calculations.

One of the biggest risks is if you make a reference to a merged cell. When referencing a merged cell, all of the cells will be a part of your calculations, while only one of them is actually going to be correct.

Another thing you should avoid is hiding information, such as rows, columns, and even worksheets. This will just increase the chances of other users missing out on something important when they are working with/on the spreadsheet.

Save the Aesthetics for the End

Excel's styling options are extensive, enabling you to adjust the cell values to your preference in many ways. You can choose different borders, colors, themes, and other features.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a specific design of your spreadsheet, but usually, doing that will abstract information for the viewer.

Man Using Excel

If you are planning to style your spreadsheet, try and keep it consistent throughout the entire document. A consistent and simple style of formatting will help readers understand your spreadsheet a lot easier!

In addition, it is also important to create a legend and clarify your sources clearly. You can learn how to properly create a chart legend in Excel on the official Microsoft website.

Related: How to Add Sparklines in Excel

Learn How to Make Your Excel Document Look Professional

Creating and maintaining consistently good Excel files is not that difficult if you know the basic tips and tricks. There is nothing wrong with wanting to style your Excel document, but try to leave the styling/aesthetics for the end.

First, you should create a clear and concise spreadsheet, from start to finish. After that, you can add some fine-tuning to your Excel document, but try to keep it simple and consistent across all the worksheets!