Nowadays, many businesses without a solid website struggle more than those that do. Building a website can be intimidating, especially since there’s so much contradicting information about website “best-practices” out there. So, we want to walk you through the website myths you might have heard through the grapevine. Whether you are just starting to build a site or have been running one for years, these tips are sure to help you on your way to becoming a website wizard.
1. Build It and They Will Come
As much as we wish it worked like “The Field of Dreams” film, building a website and gaining immediate audience traffic do not automatically go hand in hand. While creating a fun and functional design and getting a website off the ground are great first steps, gaining engagement and actual traffic is another story. Unfortunately you have to be patient with your site. Improving website traffic takes constant monitoring, updating, adding new content (like informative and engaging blogs), and maintaining a consistent organic search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. It may sound like a lot of work, but if it’s done right, your website will hit it out of the ball park.
2. Desktop or Bust
Some people think making a website compatible with mobile is a waste of time. While that is a strong statement, it simply isn’t true. Having a desktop version of your site is the norm (and still necessary), but it’s not the only way to connect with our audience in our modern age, where making sure your website is mobile-friendly is an absolute. According to Google, over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Google predominantly uses the mobile version of a site’s content for indexing and ranking, which is the way it decides which websites appear on searches. So, not only is it NOT a waste of time to update and maintain a mobile-responsive site, it is a crucial step in building an effective website and ensuring your business’s online presence is easily searchable.
3. More = Better
There are times where more is better – like when you order a coffee and the barista messes up on the first one, so they give you a free one PLUS the one you originally ordered. Unlike coffee, having more on your website isn’t always better. It used to be several years ago, but Google changes their algorithm faster than Usain Bolt can keep up with, and things have changed. Nowadays, having too much information for a user to navigate can make it harder to find the information they want, make the load time for each page longer, and water down your overall message. Google rewards sites that provide a good page experience. That means creating content of value to the user and a page that is easy to navigate, not just adding as much content as you can fit. When deciding what to add to a web page, ask yourself:
- “How is this making it better?”
- “Is it making it easier for the user?”
- “What is the value of this?”
Your audience cares about the value your services bring, not how many buttons, features, and information you can squeeze onto your website. The more choices the user has, the harder it is to decide. Keep it simple and user-friendly! If they’re intrigued, they’ll contact you to learn more.
4. SEO is Overrated
To bring it back to our first point, implementing an SEO strategy (organic at minimum if not paid) is the ultimate way to make sure your website gets the attention it deserves. That may seem intimidating but it’s simpler than it sounds. If you are confused where to start, our previous SEO Checklist is a great starting point on how deep in the rabbit hole you dare dive. Generally, using tools like keyword and content development planning helps in staying relevant to your audience and increase traffic.
5. Go with the Flow
Going with the flow is great advice to someone in a tube on a lazy river, but the same can’t be said for website design. When you scroll through page after page of competitors’ websites, you will likely find them full of stock photos. While stock photos are great to get by and certainly have a time and place to benefit your brand, nothing can beat original, genuine photos of your business. Connect with your website visitors by showing them your personality, characteristics, and what makes you unique. So, whenever it’s possible, pick up your camera or hire a professional so you can have a library of high-quality, original photos to show your audience who you really are.
Your website is a great way to make a first impression, share a unique piece of your story with users, and show potential clients what value you offer. While this is only a fraction of some of the confusion, debunking these five website myths is a great place to start when evaluating how a website is perceived. If you want to see just how many more myths we can debunk and bring your website to stellar SEO status, contact the Tulip Tree team.
