5 Common Myths About Website Design

There are many weird myths about website design which you can find on the internet. Rest assured, it’s not entirely your fault if your website is not generating any sales.

In this digital age, you would probably have googled the “symptoms” of your underperforming website, rather than consult an actual “doctor”, and was horrified by what you have read on the internet.

Note that after all, you’re not a professional web designer – that’s why you hired or engaged one, right?

People tend to believe things they read on the internet. However, not all these information about website design are true!

Since you’re not an expert and have near zero knowledge or experience in this particular field, you end up believing the “experts” you find on the internet because of their seemingly logical reasoning and innumerable view counts.

Well, they are not entirely right.

Here are the top 5 common myths about website design that you should pay attention to. Bear in mind though – with the rate of technological advance, some tips and advice might be outdated in a couple of years.

Myth#1: A website design must have many animations to impress visitors

This was a very popular concept back in the early 2000s. Many business owners felt that animation effects were essential to make their websites look good. However, these effects only make customers go Ok, cool… But where can I find the things I need? 

The most important and essential thing that your customers need is to find what they are looking for, not simply be impressed by the awesome animations on your site. More focus should be directed at easy site navigation, assisting your customers to find what they are looking for, understanding how they think and process content, etc.

This not only satisfies your customers but also affects your page ranking in Google’s search engine. So, focus less on getting your animations fixed and shift your focus to what matters more.

Myth#2: A mobile site is not important.

With technology improving at such a staggering rate, the number of mobile site users is predicted to reach 2 billion by 2016! So think again, is having a mobile friendly site important?

Click here to read about the importance of online presence.

Myth#3: I can build a free website for my company.

No doubt, there are many places offering free website building for you. But think again, free?

Imagine providing a service for free, where would your income be coming from? There are many ways to monetize your free service – advertising, upgrading to unlock premium services, first-year-free promotions; domains that have no relation to your business.

Now think of receiving a free service with these add-ons, and you would realise that the “free website” you have procured is not exactly free at all.

Website design companies can post advertisements on your website and  do whatever they want, since the site technically doesn’t belong to you. Your website will have poor ranking, bad reputation, possible spam, viruses, etc and eventually, your “free website” will cost more than the money you thought you were saving at the start.

So why not spend a decent amount of money on professionals who not only create a website design for you, but also a website design that is equipped with good user interface/experience, good content organization, SEO friendly, and good Google rankings, etc? Focus on what is important and not what’s “free”.

Myth#4: You view your own website design as though you are a user yourself.

This is a very common problem with business owners and designers.

You try to think like your user and assume how they would react on your own website, and tweak your website design according to how you presume things should be.

This may sound like a must-do for testings on usability, functionality, user interface, and user experience; I’m not saying you are doing it wrong. In fact, putting yourself in the shoes of your website’s users is a necessary thing to do.

I am saying, however, that you should not be too focus on how you think your users will react and predict their decision-making path. It is too easy to assume that they use the same technology as we do. Remember, most successful sites are users-driven.

You need to focus and pick out your user’s needs, wants and fears. When these are addressed properly, your users can feel that you understand them and this would be the perfect opportunity to build a relationship with them. A happy customer would eventually lead to sales conversion.

This is a big and juicy tip: Whenever you’re writing a content for your website users, write as though it is a personal message to them and be sure to address their needs, wants, fears and common concerns. Include a compelling headline and communicate to them personally. Make sure your site address is what your users want to know before showing them what you want them to know.

Myth#5: Web design is an art

Many people believe that designing a web page is an art which becomes subjective and eventually not necessary. However, art is based on emotions and web design is more than that.

These days, web designers do more than aesthetic and functionality of the site, they do more studies on human reactions, user interface, user experience, research, and target audience. The designer, as a member of the marketing team, needs to know as much information of the website’s target audience as possible to cater to the needs and wants of the users.

Websites nowadays are largely user-driven, hence web designers implement changes to the site based on what users want.  So, tell me again, is web design a form of art?

No doubt, having a website for your business is a very sophisticated matter. There are many factors for consideration and careful planning to be done.

Do not worry if your website design is not ready or perfect when launching; bear in mind that there is never a perfect state for you to launch the site. It is essential to have analytical programs such as Google analytics to constantly improve your site based on the data collected.

Sounds like a lot of work to do – don’t know where to begin? That’s why running a business is never easy to begin with.

Want to know what you need in a good website? Watch our free video here!