Five Common website design myths officially busted
Responses from small businesses have been both for and against using websites as part of their online strategy which is expected as each business is unique.
Although when talking to small business owners I did manage to find a few reoccurring myths for small business website design packages.
Myth 1# I don’t need a website I already have a Facebook page?
To kick things off let’s tackle a common myth that has begun circulating between cafes, florists and wedding planners. So what do these three businesses have in common?
They are all very visual when it comes to building their brand, which Facebook is fantastic for.
This leads to quite a few of these businesses becoming heavily reliant on social media for their digital clientele.
This works quite well for businesses for a while until one of two things begin to inevitably happen on their social profile.
- A negative review: Businesses can make the best coffee in Bendigo until that dreaded Sydney coffee connoisseur decides to stop by on the way back home from their country getaway. Unfortunately, due to the nature of social media, this one negative comment can build the wrong sort of hype for your business because more often than not that one review will be the one showcased at the top of your Facebook page becoming the new face of your business.
- Facebook pages don’t rank well: Don’t get me wrong there is some fantastic facebook pages our their ranking incredibly well although unfortunately, it is quite hard for a facebook page to outrank a website or a local directory such as True Local or One Flare (both worth checking out). This is where website design comes in handy for increasing your ranking for a keyword like plumbing services Bendigo for example.
Myth 2# A website isn’t worthwhile in a small country town?
Ok now let’s discuss a comment that hits a little close to home.
I have seen first-hand how small businesses struggle to deal with the slow trickle of customers through small country towns and they inevitably close down due to the stress of trading in these conditions.
In our case, the post office was just across the road a prime location to ship products for online customers.
So when people say that websites have no place for businesses in small country towns I couldn’t disagree more as in some towns a website may just be the businesses last hope.
Myth 3# Tradey’s don’t need a website, I have the Yellow Pages?
I have found that there are quite a few businesses out there that are still relatively reliant on the Yellow Pages when it comes to marketing their businesses.
The online Yellow Pages can be a fantastic resource although unfortunately it is rarely kept up to date and can be a nightmare when it comes to tracking down a Tradey in your local area.
My experiences with Yellow Pages have often sent me on a phone tag journey past a butcher shop owner and a baker before I finally tracked down the electrician I was looking for.
This was due to numerous changes in numbers and addresses and the online details failing to be kept up to date. As a frustrated Yellow Page user, I reckon I can officially declare this myth busted.
Myth 4# A website? Cant I put off building one until I absolutely have to?
Websites are like a fine wine or a good scotch they only get better with age and google couldn’t agree more.
The sooner your business jumps online, the better your site will perform in search engines and the more time it takes to build valuable links from local directories and search engines.
Putting off building a website also allows your competitors to be one step ahead, which may be the difference when it comes to ranking for that keyword that you are after.
Myth 5# Aren’t websites expensive and difficult to manage?
Looking back in time to the 80’s when the world wide web was relatively new my answer to this question would have definitely been yes.
Since then websites have come a long way and are now designed with an easy to use interface that makes updating and creating content for your website incredibly easy.
With web design platforms like WordPress, Wix, and SquareSpace we can definitely declare this myth officially busted.
That concludes our overview of some of the biggest website design myths that I have encountered around the traps.
If you have any questions I am always happy to have a chat or you can post your questions in the comments section below.
If you are looking for website costings and a few of the features that come with a website feel free to take a look at our organic SEO studio.
