Popular Misconceptions about Web Design and Development
Popular Misconceptions about Web Design and Development Businesses are quickly realizing how important it is to have an online presence, and so the pressure to have a great website has increased. However, business owners often have preconceived notions about web design that are simply inaccurate. We hope to address these fallacies and clear up misunderstandings in this article.
Web Design Is Easy
This is one of the most common and harmful misconceptions floating around. It is clearly not "easy". It is true that anyone can build a very basic site, but not everyone can do it well. A beautiful website that looks effortless and is easy to use did not get that way without a great amount of hard work. Since responsive design has become a standard, building a website takes at least twice as long as it did when the site held a static width. Responsive websites use complicated programming to resize and reposition all of the page elements to fit any screen size. Changing the position of an element(s) in the header or navigation is far more complicated than just moving it a few pixels. It must be coded to render properly on many different screen sizes and devices to ensure the best user experience, aesthetics and usability. Each button and feature on a website takes hours of coding. Graphics take a lot of research, and many are made from scratch. You truly get what you pay for when it comes to web design and development. There will be many people and businesses that will boast low hourly pricing, but deliver poor quality websites that will do the opposite of what your goal is. In the end, if potential customers are passing over your products or services because of a low quality website, you just wasted all of that money.
Web Designers Should Respond Immediately to Every Single Request
One misunderstanding about web design is that web designers only work on one project at a time and are dedicated 24/7 to that single project. This is not true at Fencl Web Design. We have been making top-of-the-line websites for years, and have built a large client base. We have sites in and out of Florida because we strive for excellence and nothing less. Our developers will never ignore a request or a question from a client; however our developers have multiple projects they are working on at any given time. This does not mean we do not value you as a client. Sure, you can find someone who will throw together a mediocre site for you and possibly be exclusively communicating with you, but because of the dedication we have to our clients’ satisfaction we believe in hard work to perfect each and every site we build. Our developers and designers are here to deliver outstanding work, and it is not our goal to make our clients feel like we are ignoring them at any point.
Everyone Needs to be Involved in This Process
It is very important to keep everybody on the same page, but it is not beneficial to have every single person in your company involved in every meeting. This can be a tremendous waste of time, which skews the design and development workflow away from the professionals in an attempt to satisfy the clients personal design/development preface, which in most cases is not the preference of the users.
It really is better to have one or two dedicated point(s) of contact. The reason behind this is really simple: It is easier to revise a comp for one or two people, and to keep a strong design. When you start getting numerous people involved in the design process, there is much more arguing and confusion. This truly does slow down the whole process. The time spent debating and changing things around is lost business for you.
The Client Knows Best
Something important to note is that when you hire a professional web design company such as Fencl, you will be receiving the service from a team of experts. These are people who have literally spent thousands of hours in the internet sector, designing and developing leading edge website applications. Here are a few of the areas we know best:
- Current UI (User Interface) design and functionality techniques
- Research and development of UX (User Experience), which consists of tracking and analyzing users’ behavior when he or she is visiting a website (what is statistically proven to be effective, such as element placement, color scheme, and call-to-action) just to mention a few.
- On-page SEO best practice, which has been the force behind keeping our client’s website at top of the SERP (Search Engine Result Page).
- countless combined hours of positive experience in web design and development, which is performed by professionals who are extremely passionate about raising-the-bar in website design and development
The Site Is Finished, the Job Is Done
So many people think that their site will just automatically go viral at completion. The truth is, the web is constantly changing. New web browsers, computers, and mobile devices are being released very quickly. Websites need to be updated regularly to remain compliant with best practices and up-and-coming trends. Whether it is a new search engine algorithm or a new aesthetic trend, your site will most likely evolve many times over a few years. Your site will need to be maintained to make sure that it is working properly. Web designers are always checking for broken links, functionality, and user experience. Also, content and SEO standards are always changing, so if you want to keep ranking high, your site will need to be continually updated. When you hire a developer to build a site for you, you are essentially creating a living entity that requires nurturing and managing.
My Designers Need to Do Whatever I Tell Them to Do
Many business owners are used to calling the shots and managing the way others work. However, when it comes to a web developer, you need to understand that they have spent most of their lives learning the creative and technical aspects of web design. This is their job. Just like you have knowledge and experience in your field, so do web developers. You need to put your trust in their decisions and suggestions. Every element on a webpage was placed and styled that way for a reason; most times designers will have already tried many different layout and design options before finding the best solution. This is especially the case with responsive design. While you might feel an element would be better placed in a different position, you are not aware of the numerous other effects to a responsive layout that moving even one element can trigger. It’s best to trust your web designer’s judgment and understand you both have the same goal to produce the best possible website. Constructive feedback is certainly welcome, but micro-managing your design team is not a wise decision. Web designers and developers often choose this as their career because of the passion they have for web design. This is motivation to create something world class for not only their own personal satisfaction, but also because it is what is best for you and your business. Their job is to take your visions and turn that into a user experience on your website. They have techniques and knowledge to turn readers into buyers and to drive traffic, so it is in your best interest to trust their judgment.
My Site Shouldn’t Cost So Much to Build
One of the most vexing misconceptions about web design is that it should be cheap. As mentioned before, you can absolutely find someone to throw a site together for you at a lower cost. But, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. A site with impeccable functionality and aesthetics is the result of an experienced developer/designer. It is unfortunate that many people do not realize that the talent required to create a phenomenal website takes time and costs money. Designers and developers do so much more besides making the pages look good.
I Can Just Copy My Competitor’s Site
This is a big NO! If you steal text and/or photos, this can be copyright infringement which is a crime. This can make you look like you do not have the knowledge to create an original site that will accurately represent what you do. Your competitor's site can be used as an example for inspiration, but copying the exact functionality and design is bad practice. Would you rather have your website visitors view your site as a cheap knock off of your competitors’ or an original one-of-a-kind website tailored to make the best first impression? If you care about your online presence your clientele will understand that you care about them, which will keep them coming back for more.
The Web Developers Are Working Against Me
Creating a website is much like creating an obscure painting. Throughout the processes there is a disconnect between what is being done and the views expectation of what should be done. However, at the end, something spectacular has been created! This is much the same as the development of a website. During the development process of a website, it may be hard to look past things that don’t sit right with you, but at the end of the day you have professionals who know what they’re doing and are on the same side as you the client. Although, client feedback is great, leaving the overall layout and design of the website to the professionals and giving the site time to mature, ends up going on to our showcase list, while becoming a company’s main stream of generating and converting leads, while bridging the gap over their competitors.
