Top 6 Website Design Myths Debunked

Nikiwe Lucia Phala
6 min readMay 6, 2022

You probably already know not to believe everything you read on the internet, and the same can be said about the internet itself, not everything you hear about how websites should be built is correct. Regardless of whether you’re thinking about redesigning your existing website or looking into getting a professional website design for the first time, there is no denying the impact a well-designed website can make. Before we start, I have this one question: What is your priority when designing a website? Is it an attractive appearance? Or the cool effects?

Good website design can make a good first impression, but it can also leave a lasting effect.

To build a website that will not only be visually appealing but also effective, it’s important to invest in high-quality design. In order to create a website that will speak highly of your brand, it’s also important that you’re not falling for the common website design myths circulating around the Internet.

Myth 1: Home Page is the most important element

The homepage is like the entryway of a house; it welcomes people as they walk in. Therefore, designers spend more time and effort perfecting both visual design and content-much more than for any other page on the website. According to review24, The average user needs only 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about a website.

But is the homepage really that important? There was a time, not too long ago, when a company’s homepage was considered the key part of its website. This is no longer the case. In fact, homepage views are decreasing, and you’ll find that plenty of other pages is contributing far more value.

· 86% of visitors want to see the company’s products or services.

· 64% want to be able to contact the company.

· 52% want to check the “About us” section.

There’s one crucial reason for this — the homepage is just a step in the user journey, it’s not a final destination for users. To understand a current user’s behaviour -it’s worth investigating where users spend their time on your site. Use tools like Google Analytics to look at the total number of page views and also time spent on each page across your site. A good website design and content should keep the visitors on a page for between 2 and 3 minutes.

Myth 2: You Can Build a Good Website for Cheap

There are a lot of web design companies out there who would like to convince you that having your business website designed from a template- or worse yet, just filling in blanks on a piece of automated website software — is just as good as building one from scratch.

As tempting as offers might be, this could leave you with a generic website, limiting you to basic features that are not tailored to your business.

However, investing a little more money into a custom site gives you the freedom to create something that uniquely encompasses who you are, what you’re about, and what your customers need. It will make your website stand out from the crowd and give you a competitive edge over your competitors, which is very important in today’s saturated web environment.

Myth 3: Aesthetics Are More Important Than Function

Don’t confuse the importance of a well-designed website by concentrating more on the visual appeal of the site, than its functionality of it. Rather than focusing on looking like eye candy, what’s the point of a website if it does not lead to an increase in customers or purchases?

it’s more important to create a site that will fit the needs of those who are actually using it. Rather than solely looking the part, focus on designing the one that’s best qualified for the job. Aspects of user experience such as quality content, clear navigation readability, responsive design, and site speed are crucial for a successful site.

A functional, user-friendly, and informative website will help keep visitors on your site, helping to increase your chances of conversion.

Myth 4: Responsive Design Is Nice, But Not Necessary

The world as we know it is saturated with devices, all ranging in size from smartphones to desktops, and all accessing the Internet differently.

While there was once a time when the mobile-friendly design wasn’t necessary. However, Today! according to Statista, Mobile accounts for approximately half of the web traffic worldwide. Globally, 68.1% of all website visits in 2020 came from mobile devices. Desktops drove 28.9% of visits, while 3.1% of visitors came from tablets.

While many website users have been slow to adopt the responsive design, the stats prove that the adoption of responsive design is a no-brainer. Mobile-responsive is all about, ‘’experiencing’’ the same information from desktop to mobile regardless of the screen size.

Myth 5: Once a website is launched, You’re Done

it is just the beginning. Just as with any well-oiled machine, routine maintenance and updates will always be necessary for optimal site performance, website development is an ongoing process.

The digital world changes constantly with new advancements and evolving trends, so you’ll need to invest time into readjusting and reworking your site if you want to keep it from getting rusty. Take the time to regularly monitor analytics, plugins, security extensions and service updates to keep your website current and relevant.

Myth 6: Stock Photos Will Do the Trick

It’s no secret by now that using high-quality visuals helps you stand out amongst the rest and grab the interest of your audience in those vital few seconds. In terms of web design, images draw visitors’ attention for 5.94 seconds, and they spend about 5.59 seconds on written content.

While there might be an extensive variety of images to choose from, using stock photography will never look as good as using original and unique photos. You want to attract visitors to the individual characteristics that make your brand stand out. 65% of marketers believe using visual assets is essential for conveying a brand.

Rather than showing them generic images that they’ve likely seen before. It’s important to note, however, that poor-quality images (even if they are original and unique) will not provide you with a stunning website.

However, whenever possible, we encourage them to send us their own images.

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Nikiwe Lucia Phala

Hi, I’m Nikiwe, freelance writer, content creator and social media manager. I write blogs for educational purposes. Follow https://medium.com/@nikiweluciaphala