13 Myths that are stopping you from having a Website that works
It’s not unusual for people to get the wrong idea about having a website. There are many common myths surrounding website ownership, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
In this myth-busting article, I’ll shoot down those misconceptions and empower you with real website wisdom, so you can learn to make your website work for you.
Let the truth be revealed!
Your Designer (ahem!)
1) THE PAGE SHOULD FIT ON ONE SCREEN
Above the fold for a website refers to the content a viewer sees before they scroll down. For years, companies thought it was best practice to cram as much important content as they could into this part of their websites.
Their reasoning was that nobody scrolls, so any content below the fold is a lost cause. This used to be true, people were not used to scrolling, and the risk of having users leave the page without seeing the content was high.
But this has changed.
The arrival of smartphones and tablets completely changed the way users browse. Scrolling has become second nature and users are more curious and focused on doing their own research on a company before being ready to buy.
However, it is important to keep in mind that the user’s attention is much higher on the initial screens.
For this, it is highly recommendable to place important information above the fold. But this needs to be done strategically. Plan the journey you want your visitors to take when visiting your website. If you have a strategy, It is not necessary to pack all the important content above the fold.
You will be using the website elements to take them to the next step and move forward toward becoming your clients!
2) MY SITE ONLY NEEDS TO BE BEAUTIFUL
When it comes to design, very often customers expect something sophisticated.
Your website needs to look good and perform well. Looking good is only half the battle. If your website looks amazing but is slow to load, has no content, and isn’t mobile responsive, it will not be a useful tool for your business. Your website should be fast loading, filled with useful, relevant content (aligned to your purpose!), and beautiful!
Also, with a few exceptions, sites work best where the main focus is on content, not a pretty design!
And when I say the content I make a strong emphasis on the message. Who are you talking to, and what do you want to tell them? What do you want your visitors to do? What voice are you using to talk to them? If you are ready to answer to this questions, download the Website Strategy Workbook to take the first step.
Nothing should distract the user from the content, the best design is the one you don’t notice.
3) FIRST MAKE A WEBSITE, AND I’LL BE PREPARING CONTENT
In the developing world, there is a debate about this phase: Whether to design the site first and then write the copy (text) adapting it to the design, or to write the copy first and design around the copy.
It is the equivalent of which came first, the chicken or the eggs.
My approach is a mix of both of them. It is important that the website reflects what you have to say.
For this, it is important to write your copy first. It may not be the final result, we may need some tweaking later, but I find it the perfect place to start. Why? Because if you are building a website with a strategy and a purpose, this means that you have already done your pre-building work and you already have a strong idea of the needs of your business and what the structure of your site is going to be.
This will save you time and money!
4) I’M NOT READY TO INVEST SO MUCH IN PLANNING
Many customers are very surprised when they see the work behind site planning: “But other designers do not plan and make very beautiful sites, and it’s much cheaper.”
If that is the case, the sad truth is that if someone is skipping this phase, then they probably do not have an understanding of the seriousness of this stage.
To achieve success, it is necessary to determine a strategy first, and only start the website building using this strategy as a compass to keep the north.
If you skip the planning phase, it is highly possible that you will end up re-designing your website for an unnecessary number of times until you finally get lucky and “find” the one that works for you only by trial and error.
5) I WANT YOU TO DO LIKE THIS, LIKE THIS, AND LIKE THIS
Often, customers have a very good idea of what they want for their site. That is great! that gives your designer a starting ground on your preferences.
However, this may be hard to hear, but if you want the money you have put into your website to be worth it, you need to stop thinking about your personal preferences and start thinking about your customers.
For designers, it is always great to have an idea of what the personal preferences of their clients are. Their preferences are something to keep in mind when designing a website, but still, they are only a small part of the big amount of aspects that are part of building a website.
6) IT IS NECESSARY TO OFFER ALL OF MY SERVICES AND ALL OF THE VARIETIES
This is a massive problem- everyone wants to offer as much as possible on their websites.
The idea behind this is to showcase all the products and services in order to cover every case scenario and the personal preferences of their customers.
Of course, it is important to display your services, but it also is important to be selective in what you want to show.
Don’t overwhelm your visitors by offering a wide variety of options for the same service. You may lose customers if you do so. Be selective and simple.
Remember: When is about websites, less is more! Find out how to write an Intentional Services Page here!
7) THE most important thing on my website is the HOME PAGE
The Homepage of a website is important, but in many cases, users do not even see it. You should consider that not all of your visitors will get to your site by typing the main website address on their browsers: They may get to a specific page of a product or service through search engines or links that you have posted on your social media
Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention and carefully work on every single page of your website. You should not consider this as a cost, it is rather an investment that will definitely pay off.|
8) I can have a beautiful, fully-functioning website for under $1,000
The cost of a website can vary depending on various factors. The price range for website building is wide. It can vary from a few hundred to a five-digit number. Every website is unique and requires different components.
Sure, you can use one of those do-it-yourself website builder plans. You can visit these do-it-yourself website platforms and see beautiful example websites that they claim were created by non-designers, but this simply isn’t true. Most of the designs you see were created by professionals.
Hard truth is that if you want a website that serves a purpose for your business and that attracts soul mate clients who connect with your purpose, you will need to consult a professional web designer.
Remember, a website that brings results is a website in which every element has been displayed to serve a purpose: your business purpose.
9) My site will immediately be ranked on Google once it goes live
This is a myth. You must put in a lot of work to get ranked #1 on Google for any keyword, including your company name. You won’t just get ranked simply because you put a website on the Internet or because your name is unique.
If you want to rank on the first pages of Google, is highly possible that you will have to use the services of an SEO expert.
10) I only need it to look good on desktops
Nowadays, most people access the Internet via their cell phones. It is estimated that 72.5% of people will access the internet solely with their phones in 2025.
Your website should look good on a mobile device no matter what device your visitor is using. This means your website’s content/design/layout is going to change based on the screen size, orientation, and resolution of the viewer’s screen.
11) The more features I have the better my website is
Your website doesn’t need every feature available on the market today. Your website should include those features that will be consumed by your audience.
You need to know your audience before starting to build your website. You need to know who it is you are building the website for. This will then help you determine which features are best. If your audience is 45-65-year-old females, then you probably don’t need lots of hard-to-understand beautiful effects, instead, you will need an easy-to-understand clean design to display your services.
12) Creating a Website is a Huge Time Commitment
If you are building the website yourself, then yes…it may be a huge time commitment.
Why? you will probably need time for understanding how WordPress works, and then time to learn how to make your ideas become real. Also, if you haven’t dedicated time to strategically plan your website, big chances are that at some point you will need a redesign to adapt it to your business strategy.
Instead, if you hire a professional website designer, the time you save can be spent running your business.
In order to create a strategy and later the design, your web designer will ask you to answer some questions, you will also have to deliver your content, and you will surely have some homework to do. But when guided by a professional, this process will be easier and the final cost will be cheaper than having you spend months trying to create your website until you finally get it right.
13) The more content I have the better my website is
While content is king, more content is not always the answer. Create content that solves a problem or answers a question for your website visitors. Having a ton of content for the sake of having a ton of content, will do nothing but blur out your message.
Overwhelming your website visitors with content is likely to confuse and frustrate them, as well as all the search engines. Keep it simple, keep it clean.
Stay focused and targeted with your content. For this, before starting with any writing, it is important to make a plan!
