The Internet has been around a long time, which means websites are a well-known commodity to just about anyone. As with any other technology, there has been plenty of time for myths and misconceptions to be created about websites that can skew business owners’ opinions. Here we address some of the most common misconceptions and give you real information to work with.
It is easy to make a professional website
It is easy to make a free website that you can use for your hobby or group, but a professional website requires a professional programmer with years of experience and an understanding of the latest Internet technology.
Websites automatically generate traffic
Websites are exactly like brick and mortar locations; you need to advertise to generate foot traffic. Putting a website on the Internet is not enough to generate revenue.
All of my ideas should show up on my website
Even in the virtual world of websites, not everything is possible. Your web designer will do what they can to make your website just as you envisioned it, but sometimes concessions need to be made to get a functional and user-friendly website.
Once the site is made, the job is done
A website is never truly finished. There are constant updates to your company and product information, not to mention new tools that are added to your website to increase traffic and gather data.
I don’t need to develop a website because I can just copy one
For almost any website, you can find the source code and see how the website was made. But any professional website is going to have trademark and even copyright protections on its website content. Also, copying code from one site to make another is going to cause your site to incur Google penalties, which means no one will ever see your site in search results.
Web design is easy so it should be cheap
It takes years of training and experience to become a professional website designer. As with any other business service, if you want professional results you will pay for professional services.
My web content needs to appeal to me because it is my website
If you want people to visit your website and interact with your content, then your content needs to be everything your visitors want to see. Appealing to your own preferences is not going to grow your business.
Once my website is completed the updates should be free
Website designers charge one fee to build your site, and then a monthly fee to maintain it. It takes work and time to update your site and you always pay for the time of a professional web designer.
I can write my own content
Your website is going to need daily content updates that you do not have time to create. Website content writing also requires an experienced copywriter to be done properly. If you try to do your own content, you might wind up violating Google rules and having your website penalized for months.
I can just grab images from the Internet for my site
You must either own the copyrights for the images you use on your site, or have permission from the copyright owner to use those images. When you grab images from the Internet and use them, you are stealing someone’s property and creating a criminal situation.
The best approach to getting a good and professional website is to hire an experienced digital marketing firm. A professional will always get the best results for your business.