CREATING WEBSITES FROM SCRATCH - FACTS AND MYTHS
The coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown that was caused by it made us more prone to entering virtual reality with our computers or phones. Although we spend our time in cyberspace quite systematically and we seem to have quite a good knowledge about the Internet, when it comes to creating websites, many myths were created. The fake beliefs are strong even in the consciousness of young programmers and designers.
In this article, we debunk the 7 main myths about website development and thus bring you the facts about it.
MYTH 1: TO CREATE A WEB PAGE, YOU CAN JUST PURCHASE A NICE TEMPLATE ON WORDPRESS
WordPress is an absolute leader in the world in offering solutions that can help create websites. Using this CMS will ensure the best performance in designing and positioning your website. However, it is worth bearing in mind that ready-made templates offered by WordPress, which can provide an aesthetic appearance and can work as a basic website, will not guarantee good website functionality. Web development is more like developing a business plan. So, a good website should be useful and functional first of all. Ready website templates are characterized by low flexibility of the solutions used and they are not able to meet specific needs. Potential security holes and the difficulty in updating the content management system can also be problematic. However, these are very useful skeletons, which can be adapted with additional time within the limits predicted by their authors, and thereby constitute a good basis for learning how to create websites.
MYTH 2: THE MORE FUNCTIONS ON THE PAGE, THE MORE VIEWS
Many people believe that offering more functions and placing a large number of widgets on the website will positively affect the visibility of the website. However, it’s quite the opposite. The inclusion of unnecessary elements can significantly reduce the transparency of the site. Often, when we give our users too many options, instead of making their lives easier, we complicate them. Therefore, it is worth adding only those functions that fully meet the needs of users. However, it should be remembered that minimalist one-page websites are problematic when it comes to their positioning. The visibility of such a page will be very limited as it generates only one URL address and has no additional subpages that could be indexed by the search engine.
MYTH 3: ONLY THE HOME PAGE COUNTS
While it's true that the home page is one of the most visited pages on a site, that doesn't mean it's the most important. Many web designers and developers still spend most of their time on it, but it's important to be clear that well-designed subpages are just as much essential. Users do not reach us only through the home page, so each part of the website must have a complete design, planning, and functionality following what the user needs.
MYTH 4: IF A SITE HAS GOOD USE SERVICEABLENESS, IT DOESN'T NEED A GOOD DESIGN
We have already talked about the importance of website usability. It is true that without good functionality a website will not bring the expected results, but design and aesthetics are also essential elements that are responsible for making a good "first impression". If the website has a nice visual appearance, users are more relaxed. They find the website more reliable and easier to use. It should both please the eyes of users and provide information clearly and transparently. And while there are creators who completely disregard the importance of aesthetics, referring to unattractive but popular sites like Craigslist that haven't changed their design since 1995, it remains at the avant-garde margin of the Internet.
MYTH 5: NOT ALL WEBSITES HAVE TO RUN WELL ON MOBILE DEVICES
Today, most browsing and online purchases are done on mobile devices. According to the report of the National Debt Register, over 58% of respondents use smartphones to browse the web. Telephones are more often used only for calls and sending SMS / MMS messages. Therefore, the website design must be also optimized for displaying information on phones and tablets and is compatible with different browsers. If your website is not responding as it should on mobile devices, its position in search engines will decline.
MYTH 6: USERS SEE THE SITE AS YOU DO
This is almost impossible. By creating a website, you subconsciously become the owner of knowledge, information, and data that the user does not have. The fact that the mechanics and navigation on a given website are clear and logical to you, does not mean that it will be seen in the same way by an outsider. So you should view your site through the eyes of a stranger to find out if the site's structure and design are as good as you think. In the case of debunking this myth, one can boldly quote the designer, illustrator, and writer Frank Chimero - "People ignore projects that ignore people."
MYTH 7: AFTER BUILDING YOUR WEBSITE, IT'S TIME TO REST!
There is no such thing as a "completed" website. The created website should be constantly updated, analyzed in terms of operation and usability, the content and design should be optimized and adapted by the data obtained. The process of creating a website must be approached as a systematically changing process that requires supervision throughout the entire period of operation. The constantly changing preferences of users and customers should provoke the creator to be flexible and adapt the website to current trends.
PRACTICE MAKES A CHAMPION!
Web development requires a clear sequence of actions, and for a successful project, a flexible approach is always necessary while adapting to business demands. The creation process requires not only working hours but also knowledge and experience. Recognizing these 7 myths will help you avoid key mistakes when you decide to create a website. Remember that there are many more, but these are basic issues that should be considered before building a website from the ground up.