When it comes to website design, the business world is filled with myths, misunderstandings, and misconceptions. We know because we hear them all the time. In fact, when we think about some of the things entrepreneurs and executives say to us, we can’t help but wonder about the bad information they must be passing back and forth among each other every week.
Many professionals have picked up bad advice, old information, or tips that they are “pretty sure worked for someone’s business a few years ago.” In other words, a lot of it sounds credible but originates from murky sources.
In one sense, this is all entirely predictable. The world of online marketing is complex. Most business owners and decision-makers – who, by the way, are distracted with dozens or hundreds of other responsibilities – don’t have the time to learn the ins and outs of social algorithms or search engine strategies. They certainly don’t have the time to keep up with the latest digital marketing trends and ideas. And so, they hang on to what they have seen, heard, and experienced in the past.
Some of that information might be outdated. Some of it might never have been solid advice in the first place. It’s tough to know when you only have the benefit of your own knowledge and insights.
For example, suppose you do something on your social media accounts that’s all wrong. However, because you’ve also done something right in your business at the same time, you start seeing an increase in the number of new leads and customers coming your way. Might you not mistakenly think you’ve stumbled onto a great idea?
Or suppose you’re talking with a friend who works in a different industry than you do. They have followed a trendy digital advertising plan they saw advertised on YouTube. The person selling the plan, who worked in yet another entirely different area or industry than your friend, may have gotten big results. In the process, they could have convinced themselves that their way is the only way, or the best way. That’s the definition of selection bias, which leads us to trust experiences we shouldn’t… and waste time and money on losing ideas.
We could go through many more examples, of course, but the point of these short articles isn’t to tell you about all of the things you might have done wrong. Instead, it’s to expose a dozen of the biggest web design myths that are floating around out there in the business world. Even more importantly, our goal is to shine the truth on them and give you a template you can use to move your organization forward with the right web presence.
What does it mean to say that you have the “right” website or online marketing strategy? That’s going to be different for every company and situation, of course, but generally speaking it means more leads, increased sales, lower costs, higher visibility with your target market, and a steady move toward your bottom-line goals.
If that’s a good fit for what you’re looking for then you’re ready to leave aside the web design myths that are holding your colleagues and competitors back. Your website can do amazing things for your organization, but only if you let go of the misconceptions that keep you from being as profitable as you can be.
Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing these myths and the truths. Now that you know what our new article series is all about, let’s brush off the first and biggest myth you’ve probably heard. Here’s a hint: it’s about the nature of website design itself.