Working for a web design agency, after a time you start to become aware of certain myths that persist around the industry. These can be myths held by clients or by designers themselves, but either way, they can create something of a false impression about the world of web design.
There are plenty more myths than those discussed below, but the three myths discussed in this post will hopefully illustrate the fact that when you’re working for a web design agency, you shouldn’t make too many assumptions.
Web pages can be finished
In some ways, webpages can be finished. A designer designs them, someone puts content on them, they go live, and they’re finished. However, unlike other content such as books and magazines, the web is not a static thing and as such, it is never truly finished completely.
For example, from time to time, it is likely that content will need to be updated. This could be because a business has changed its priorities or experienced some developments and the website copy needs to be updated as a result. It could be because the graphics or other content isn’t displaying properly with a new browser or web device and the page needs a tweak to make it fully compatible. The whole website could be undergoing an overhaul. So, even though a page might look finished, it’s important for us, the designer and the client, to remember that it’s not entirely complete.
Good traffic leads to customers
High traffic levels to a website are usually a good thing, and they can translate into more customers for a business. However, for traffic to turn into customers, the website in question needs to be very well-designed, well laid out, clear and generally of a very high quality. As well as the high quality site, there also needs to be some incentive for them to become customers, and this is just as dependent on the business as it is on the website.
Plus, you could have excellent traffic levels to your website, but if the design and content of the site is poor, this could end up doing more harm to the business in the long run. This is why it is so important to use a reputable web design agency for your website, and also why you need to have a quality business to back up the promise of the website.
The aesthetics are all that matter
Finally, there is something of a myth that pretty website = great website. Of course, this can be true. Graphics can be great. Everyone loves a website that is very aesthetically appealing, as long as it works properly that is. You could have a fantastic-looking website that’s a nightmare to use, with the navigation all over the place and pages that are slow to load.
Your site could look great, but if you’ve got spelling mistakes everywhere and poor content, the value will instantly be eroded. So make sure the website looks fantastic, but also make sure this is supported by high quality content and an easy to use system that won’t have users hitting the back button out of frustration.
