There are a lot of lies out there about Website Design.
In the Do-It-Yourself world we live in it seems that all you have to do is mention you are thinking about getting a new website and “experts” will surface from every corner of the globe. I cannot tell you how many times I myself have gotten unsolicited advice and they know I am web designer.
I find these conversations entertaining, especially when they start off with, “My sister’s boyfriend’s college roommate, told me all about building websites…” or my favorite “Psht… web design is easy! I just built mine on my iPhone!” But as entertaining as these conversations are, they also can create a lot of confusion and frustration. Especially for those who aren’t familiar with the world of website design. So today I thought I would share with you the top 8 lies I have come across in regards to web design.
Top 8 Lies about Web Design
1. Blogging is dead
Hmmmm… not true. Blogging in an incredibly useful tool for connecting with your dream customers. Through blogging you are able to share value, your expertise, and give your dream customers a little insight to who you are as a person in a risk free way. It is also great for SEO, as it adds new content to your website as well as creates an opportunity to drive more traffic to your website. And it also provides you incredible content you can use in social media.
These are just a few of the benefits, but relevancy matters! If you are sharing the best recipe for Spanish rice in the world, no one cares about your drive time to the farmers market to buy tomatoes. They want to know how to make the best Spanish rice in the world.
So blog away my friend when the mood strikes, just make sure what you are writing is relevant to your business and offers instant value to your dream customers.
2. You have to have a blog
Nope you don’t! While blogging is as stated above a super useful tool for many reasons, it is also not required. In fact, a website with no blog at all is going to support you and your business better than a website with a crappy blog that comes out each week, or a website that has the standard “3 posts to launch” blog that is never added to.
Consistency matters. So if you don’t have something of value to share on a consistent basis, don’t start a blog. It is that simple.
And since I can read your thoughts and know you are asking, “what is value?” Value comes in when you offer entertainment and/or quick actionable tips someone can implement right away. Want to know more check out these guest posts from my dear friend Betty Guest Post ~ Creating Content That Entertains and Guest Post ~ Creating Content That Educates.
3. Our design tools are so easy you can launch your website in hours!
If you ever come across this promise RUN as fast as you can! (unless it comes with a magic wand. Then call me and we will see what happens together!)
A website that truly supports your business takes thought, planning and strategy. Even the best strategic minds in the world are going to need more than a few hours, and that doesn’t even include the design time or testing your site. My friend, I am a whiz at building websites, and I can’t launch one in hours. In fact, I don’t know a web designer worth the money who can.
4. All you need is a smart phone to design a great website
Have you ever seen a website built on a smartphone? I have, and trust me it wasn’t pretty… not even on the smartphone. And while I love my iPhone dearly even I won’t build a website on a smart phone. (Okay once I tried because the website said it would be easy. It wasn’t easy!)
5. The more words the better!
This is just wrong, and probably a rule created by a my college philosophy professor who seemed to adopt this attitude with essay questions. Once again I am going to talk about relevancy and add in a sprinkle of good clear writing. You need to write enough to be clear about what you have to say, but not so much you put your readers to sleep or confuse them.
If copy is one of your struggles, no worries. You my friend are not alone. Writing is a struggle for a lot of people. And if you are looking for some help in this area shoot me a message! I will be happy to introduce you to my copy writer.
6. Put everything important above the fold
Please don’t. For the sake of all eyes that land on your website, please do not do this. Doing this is enough to make your website visitors dizzy and clicking the back button to go look at someone else.
I have come across websites that try to tell their life story, share their why, describe their services, offer up a freebie, while driving visitors to YouTube… all above the fold! Not a good strategy .
What you want to do above the fold is grab your dream customers attention, give them a quick and simple action step to take and make it easy for them to learn more.
7. White space is wasted space.
This is definitely not true. White space is the pause that allows your website visitors to digest and process what you have shared. It’s a small little place of comfort that makes your website easy on the eyes and the brain.
This doesn’t mean have massive amounts of white space, just don’t squish everything together!
8. Achieve overnight success with our designs!
Overnight success is one of those elusive things we love to believe in like unicorns or Hogwarts, but that we never really find. As James Clear shares in his book, Atomic Habits “Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.” As he continues to share, the world rarely sees the work behind the scenes, they simply see the dramatic event that got you noticed.
Most people who have achieved “overnight success” have had many failures and made lots of mistakes. Just ask someone who you believe has achieved “overnight success” and they will probably tell you it took 10 years or more, and in the end it wasn’t their website that achieved their success for them. Sure it was a tool that contributed, but they are the ones who created their success.
So there you have it…
Eight of the Web Design lies I have come across, and while there are lots more out there, I hope this list gives you a good indication of what is lying in wait for you when you are ready to dive into the web design world. And if you are looking for a guide to get you started, someone who will not lie to you, and deliver her absolute best at all times, I invite you to reach out and get in touch! I am always up for a little conversation and helping others find the best fit for them. (Even when it is not me!)