For our latest blog about web design, we’re going mythbuster-style. Debunking 3 of the Major Myths out there about Web Design today! Enjoy
Conspiracy theories are everywhere.
• Did you know we didn’t land on the moon? Alfred Hitchcock actually filmed the landing in this remote studio at Area 51…
• Did you know JFK wasn’t shot by Lee Harvey Oswald? It was actually “Johnny Boy” Soprano, the father of Tony Soprano. It was the one “hit” he had to commit to be a “made man”…
• And the Earth isn’t round. It’s actually a shape only the Scientologists of the world know of — Trioxigon…
Essentially, a conspiracy theory is a myth. And many myths exist in the world of web design.
We are all consumers. Many of us consume information. And much of this information is about topics we find immediately interesting or necessary to our current situation. When a company/client decides it needs a new and/or updated web design, they instantly seek every video, podcast, and blog…so they can speak with a sense of expertise.
Beware though. If you were to ask 10 people the same question, you may very well receive 10 different answers.
That’s why I’ve decided to write a blog about the 3 web design myths which companies like JEG DESIGN INC deal with on a regular basis. Now, these may not be entirely true to you and your experiences. By all means, we invite any and all to submit comments about what they have seen and/or dealt with. These are three of the most common that Jon Gicewicz, owner and chief designer at J.E.G Design, deals with on an almost quotidian basis.
With that, let us begin with OUR list:
1) More Features = Better Design
More, more, more, more!
“Oh, I have an idea, can we put it on this page?”
“Oh, I noticed my competition has a shiny new blah, can I have that too?”
There is a reason why certain types of automobiles don’t have the features a truck has. It just can’t handle it. If you have an excessive amount of features, more than likely your site will slowdown. Drastically. This will create a horrific experience for the frontend user, causing them to bounce quicker than a check from Nicolas Cage.
Think of it this way, minimalism is a bit of a thing these days. Excess is obnoxious and causes way too many headaches. Do you really need 1200 DVD’s when a subscription to Netflix will do just fine?
Don’t think excessively. Think efficiently.
And don’t forget, when it comes to your website features, there are two you MUST have before you invest any mental real estate and/or finances on anything else:
• Mobile compatibility
• Security
You stick with that and everything else is cream cheese.
2) You Don’t Need Feedback, Just Surprise Your Viewers
I’m a big fan of the movie “Good Will Hunting”. The breakthrough film with the screenplay penned by two guys named Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Two guys who won the Academy Award for this original script catapulting their careers into Hollywood megastardom.
However, it took years for this script to finally get, as they say, “green lit” (made into a movie). Before this though, they received feedback from as many people as humanly possible. One being the late, great William Goldman. Two-time Academy Award winning screenwriter for “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All The Presidents Men”.
After reading their script, he told them it was spectacular, except, there was this whole thing about Will Hunting working for the F.B.I. A storyline, in hindsight, made no sense. Eventually Damon and Affleck cut it from the script and boom — it got made and so did their careers.
Would any of this ever have happened if they didn’t seek feedback?
Many of us, including myself are hyper-sensitive about feedback. It sucks being told that, well, you suck. Yet, this is how we improve.
If multiple people say your website is clunky, hard to use and just a pain in the ass. It’s not because they’re “stupid”, not your “intended audience”, or just don’t “get it”.
It’s because your site is clunky, hard to use and is a hemorrhoid for any and all who use it.
Get feedback. Get lots of feedback. Then, take it and make the necessary adjustments.
Get feedback from people who will be honest. Not family. Not friends. People who will be brutal. People who will do it because they’ve been there.
And God knows you’re going to need a “fresh pair of eyes”. After spending thousands of hours working/tweaking/analyzing — you may have the perspective of a person driving down the highway looking through a drinking straw.
3) Overnight Success Does Exist
I just made reference to a screenplay which was deemed by many to be an “overnight success”. When in reality the script went through rewrite, then received notes, another rewritte, then more notes and only then it went though even more rewrites and then more notes…For years!
“If you really look closely, overnight successes took a long time.” – Steve Jobs
This couldn’t be any truer for your website. Algorithms change almost daily (Google had 300, IN A YEAR!) New styles and designs are created in days. Fads fade and trends are born.
I recently read; think of your website as a magazine, not a book.
Don’t invest all this time in effort into one thing, then sit back, relax and hope sales come in.
Keep your content flowing, growing, and fresh. You’re building something, not buying lottery tickets and praying every night.
This is going to take time.
And never, EVER stop learning!
Conclusion
I come from the state of Vermont, home of Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain is also the home of the mythological lake monster, “Champ”. Now, while no one has seen “Champ” since, well…This video?!?
We believe what we want to believe. We then seek those who share our opinions hoping to then have our beliefs reinforced.
This couldn’t be any more counterproductive.
Stay simple. Be great at one thing, don’t try to be good at a bunch of stuff. There’s a line in pro football that goes, “When you have two quarterbacks, that means you don’t have a quarterback”. If you have a bunch of stuff you’re pretty good at means you don’t have anything you’re good at. Focus.
Seek people who disagree with you. I once heard; if you’re stupid surround yourself with smart people. And if you’re smart, surround yourself with smart people with different opinions then yours. My favorite writer wrote that. And it couldn’t be anymore true.
Lastly, you’re website isn’t a lottery ticket. Just because you have one doesn’t mean the money is going to pour in and you never have to work again. It’s the exact opposite. You’re lucky enough to have a website. Now, it’s time to get to work!.
And when you hit it rich, then you can go search for Bigfoot.
If you have any myths you feel need to be debunked, please share them in the comment section. And if there if you’re on the lookout for a web designer who is an expert at squashing these myths — contact Jon Gicewicz at JEG DESIGN INC and get schedule your free website estimate today!
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Written By Keith Hannigan
Keith has over a 11 years of copywriting experience and has been blogging for companies in the advertising, design, boating, and marketing industry. For examples of his work or to contact him with any questions, please email Keith at [email protected]