Setting up your own website is far from easy, no matter if you are a budding entrepreneur looking for their first taste of the online market, or a well-established company after a website makeover.

There are several widespread myths out there that only make things more difficult. This article will address the most common, and explain why they are misguided.

Myth: Building your website on your own will save you money

Setting up your own website will have a much cheaper up-front cost, but over the long term you will be missing out big time. A bespoke, professionally built website by an experienced developer will have a much more influential impact on visitors and provide an excellent return on investment in the long run – you will generate more revenue and less heart ache in compared to setting it up yourself.

– Creating the best possible website requires a good knowledge of the latest industry practices, and you can’t be expected to be fully conversant with them. Your time is better spent what you are good at: marketing and selling your product or brand.

– focusing on your business. Leave the technical bits to the specialist agencies.- A proficient development company will take the time to understand your business and market, and will know how to apply this to the digital world; implementing strategies to maximise your website’s effectiveness.

– Many web agencies will also offer comprehensive digital marketing solutions, assisting you with much more than just the development of your website such as Search Engine Optimisation, social media management and email marketing.

Myth: Not all websites need to be mobile responsive

With the prominence of handheld devices, it’s not likely that too many people believe this nowadays although there are those that do. With total desktop internet usage being surpassed by mobiles last year, it’s simply too important to ignore.

– Mobile users are often after a different experience from desktop users. Generally, they are want quick and easily accessible information. Mobile users also are more likely to impulse purchase, therefore mobile site designs should be modified from desktop to accommodate.

– A poor user experience will reflect badly on your overall brand image. Keep mobile users happy by providing a comfortable browsing experience.

– A non-responsive website will massively increase the bounce rate of mobile users (where they leave your website within seconds after opening it). A high bounce rate will have a negative impact on your search engine rankings.

Myth: Content writing is the easy part

A lot of people defer the content of their website, as they think it’s easy, and could even be palmed off onto an inexpensive content writer. This is a mistake as the content of a website is how your visitors will react. It should be planned out before a site is designed.

– Your content could change the way your website is designed. Providing content first will allow a web designer to adapt the website to best display the type and quantity of your content.

– Good content marketing requires excellent knowledge of your target audience as well as your competitors. It takes time to research and identify key features, overall values and pricing differences.

– Content on websites needs to be specifically optimised, taking into consideration keywords, how well written, promoting core values as well as clear call to actions. Finding the perfect balance can be difficult.

Myth: More features will lead to more customers

Quite a few people have the mind-set that more flashy features on a website makes it ‘better’, and will lead to more visits and purchases, however this can be far from true as it can often make a website confusing and overwhelming, causing frustration.

It should be said that there is nothing inherently wrong with additional features, however they should be analysed with your developer to ensure that they are beneficial your website rather than a hindrance.

– The more features, the less clarity. Unnecessary features will bog down your website which could cause visitors to simple leave, and perhaps visit a competitor’s instead!

– You could be investing in features that are redundant or unnecessary, which can damage your bottom line both from the cost of the features, and potentially less customers as they are put off.

– Simplicity is often best. Visitors will quickly be able to get a clear view of your business and what you do.

Myth: An attractive website alone is enough to generate traffic

While a great looking and well performing website are clearly very important in building a successful online presence, it is far from the whole picture. There are other areas that need to be prioritised to work in tandem with a good design.

Other factors that should be though about to maximise traffic to your website are as follows:

– Using the correct domain name

– Quality of the content

– Keyword research and integration

– Overall accessibility and ease of use

– Quality of the hosting provider

– Search Engine Optimisation

Myth: My website is finally finished! Time to take a break!

Unfortunately, one of the most common mistakes made is that after a website is completed it gets completely forgotten about and never updated again. Creating a website is a lot of work, but it’s just the first step into maintaining a healthy online presence!

You website needs to be constantly evaluated and updated. Make sure that your content is up to date and make adjustments based on feedback and data.

– Fresh content is good for search engine optimisation. Make sure that you latest products, prices and business information are all up to date. If possible keep an active blog on the website and link to it from your social media profiles. If your website looks abandoned, it will drop down rankings.

– Security is also important. Check that your hosting provider has security measures in place, back up your data and use strong passwords.

Alex Induchny

Director

Alex is the creative mind behind all the projects that run through the business. With over 8 years creative experience he is driven and passionate about everything!