5 web design myths debunked

5 web design myths debunked

Oct 17, 2022

Think you’ve got it sussed with web design for your small business? You might have, but also you might need to think again. It’s common to think that you can work with a branding and web designer, go through the process and at the end of it all have a shiny new website and ta-dah! That’s it… It’s all done and your website is FINISHED!! That’s why I’m here for you with my 5 web design myths debunked.

I’m here to tell you that if you want to build a business that’s actually going to grow, this and so many other things you might think you know about web design are actually, well, not strictly true.

Here are my 5 web design myths that I’m going to squish and debunk for you…

Myth 1: Once Your Website Is Online, you’ll automatically attract visitors

Yay! Congrats! You have a shiny new website, but honestly fellow small business owner; this is only the start of something beautiful…

A lot of business owners will be under the impression that as soon as their website hits the big wide world web, it’ll start attracting visitors. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is a lot more to it that that and just because you invested the time and money in getting your website ‘done’, it doesn’t mean it’s going to get flooded with visitors and you’ll be booked out just like that. If only that were the case.

The reality is that attracting visitors to your site takes time, skill and resources. You’ll need to get focused on driving traffic to your site. As you’ll be aware the online world is a big and crowded place. Your potential clients are simply not just going to stumble upon your site, even if it’s well designed and good looking.

Following the launch of your website, you’ll need to focus on things like Search Engine Optimization, content creation on social media to drive traffic to your site, guest blog posts and even paid ads.

Once you get started, you’ll be able to work out what marketing strategies work best for you and your business. Essentially, you’ll need to take action to get that traffic going to your site, not just sit back and wait for it to happen.

Myth 2: Once a site is built, it’s finished

Yeah, if only this one was true too. Do you want your business to grow? If you do, or if your business already has, then your website will need to grow too. You might have started out with a quite simple website that simply tell your visitors what you do and how to get in touch. This might have been years ago, but now your business has grown and chances are that site and the way it works no longer functions as it should to attract and to solve a problem for your ideal client.

You might also not have realised all the ways you can actually utilize your website to help you run your business in more efficient ways. Your website can be a one stop shop for a lot of your day to day business needs, marketing and organisation. Instead of manually booking your clients in for calls and endless back and forth emails trying to arrange a time, you can have a calendar booking system on your site. You can set up automatic invoicing through your website, it can help you with your email marketing, there really are endless possibilities depending on you and your business needs.

So, seeing your site as finished should never be the case. Your business will always be growing and changing and so should your site.

Myth 3: Web design is all about aesthetics

Wrong! Actually aesthetics, while they are important, should come second in web design. Second to the way your website works at what it needs to do. With all my web design clients, before I get going on how the website is going to look, we plan out the goals of the website. This means I have an in-depth call with my clients about what goals they have for their site. When website visitors land on their site, what do they want them to do? Drive them to a contact form to get in touch, sign up to their mailing list, buy a product or read a blog post or watch a video? There should be one main goal at any given time on a website as well as a number of sub goals.

The customer journey through a website should be mapped out according to the goals set out. What possible routes through your website will your website visitors take and when they land on a page or take an action, what do you want them to do next? Website visitors need to be told what to do, or they’ll very quickly get bored or distracted and end up quickly leaving your site to do something else.

Website should be designed strategically rather than based on what looks good. They should be planned out around attracting and converting your ideal clients.

Myth 4: You need to love your own website

Of course you need to like your website. But, you’ll also need to remember that your website is not designed and built for you. It’s designed and built for your ideal customers. The goals of your business are more important than personal preference and ultimately those goals are better met by a website that’s designed to lead customers on the right journey than one that you think looks nice. Hopefully these two things will become interchangeable.

So, whether you are DIYing your website, or you have a web designer doing it for you, make sure you remember that unless you are your ideal client, put yourself in their shoes when you are considering how your site works and what it looks like.

Myth 5: Content is not as important as design when it comes to websites

What do I mean by content for a website? Well, as a web designer there is only so much work I can do without content. To create a website I need plenty of content from a business owner. This includes images, copy or words for your site and basically, all the information you want the site to have.

The reality is that without content, a website really isn’t anything. Your website needs to be engaging to visitors, so it needs to have content. It needs to have great website copy that helps convert your visitors into paying clients or followers. It needs to have images to add to the look and feel and to showcase your products or services and show who you are. It needs to have video and blog posts to inform and educate your website visitors. I always explain to my clients before onboarding that working with a website designer is a collaborative process. It requires a lot of input from you; the business owner and without this content being provided by you, your website won’t come to much.

So, what do you think? Which of these myths were you under the impression was true? I hope I have managed to inform you on some of the things to consider when creating your website whether doing this by yourself or hiring a web designer. With web design it certainly is true that the more you out in the more you get out.

Find out more about how I work and the services I offer to female-led small businesses and why working me can help transform your business.

get in touch

About the designer...

Hi! I’m Katie. Helping busy business owners create bold online brands and stand-out, non-boring websites is my jam. I’m passionate about giving once-upon-a-time-website DIYers, ambitious entrepreneurs and founders back the time to focus on doing the things they love the most in their businesses, giving them clarity in their online presence and the confidence to grow big!

Through this blog and on social media I share my advice and best practices with business owners on how to build strong brands that will start attracting their dream customers and website that work by focusing on strategy and business goals.

When I’m not working with inspiring business owners or designing wedding cakes, you’ll probably find me dreaming of what my next meal will be, the best fruit garnishes for a gin and tonic or where we’ll travel to on our next adventure.

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