The 10 Biggest Website Development Myths

Ever sat in a meeting about revamping your company’s website? People have lots of thoughts about developing a new website — how easy or hard it is, how important content or design is, and so on. As a digital marketing agency that has developed B2B websites for over a decade, we’re here to talk about some of the biggest website development misconceptions we hear all the time, and whether they’re true or not. 

Myth #1: You Can Set It and Forget It 

Yesterday’s meme is tomorrow’s cringepost. The internet moves fast. Despite that, we still see loads of companies build a website and leave it untouched for years. Years! Your website should move at the same pace as your business and industry. If your competitors’ websites are modern, faster, and more useful to potential customers — they’ll assume the same about their products and services. 

It’s not just about the competition either. A website that continuously creates new, useful content will be rewarded by search engines — as we outlined in a previous blog post. Bots deployed by search engines like Google are always crawling the internet, evaluating content, and recalculating the latest content. That means you can attract more visitors, leads, and customers by focusing on continuous search engine optimization. 

Myth #2: Your Website, Once Secure, Will Continue to be Secure

Speaking of continuous optimization – let’s talk about website security. Website security is an arms race between the bad guys of the internet and everyone else. As more ways are invented to exploit websites, security measures need to be updated and added. 

According to Forbes, cyber-attacks are ever-increasing. In 2023 there was a 72% increase in data breaches compared to 2021, which held the previous record. Not only does it take a high level of vigilance to keep your website secure, but it also takes a high level of expertise. So, if you don’t have an expert in-house, you’ll need to consult a cybersecurity expert when developing your website. 

Myth #3: Mobile Optimization is Optional

Back in the day, you could develop a website and just sort of ignore mobile devices — not too many people were doing extensive browsing via their phones. Today, mobile optimization is a necessity. From 2015 to 2023, mobile internet traffic has grown from accounting for 31% of all internet to nearly 60%. 

It can be a challenge to engineer a website to perform similarly on mobile as desktop, but when most of your traffic could potentially be from mobile devices — it’s too valuable of an aspect to ignore. 

Myth #4: More “Stuff” is Better

When it comes to websites, less is more. With endless widgets, knick-knacks, and other doo-hickeys, you may feel compelled to cram as many features, information, and components into your website as possible. 

We understand this line of thinking. Companies want to keep people on their websites, so they must keep visitors engaged. At the same time, people are busy. If they’re visiting your website, it’s likely for a particular reason. When it’s easy for visitors to browse and find the content they want — they’re more likely to enjoy their experience and create a positive association with your company. 

Myth #5: Content is King 

Well-known computer guy Bill Gates once said, “Content is King.” As a content writer, I’m inclined to agree. But! It takes a complete website to truly rule the land of the internet. 

What we mean is great content is only important if everything around it works well. Engaging content on a page that loads slowly or barely works, filled with distracting design will never make it to the front page of Google. There are plenty of companies out there that ignore every aspect of their website, except for content — and it’s not pretty. 

Content may be why people visit your company’s website, but it’s more like a very important council member rather than a king. 

Myth #6: Design is Everything

The design of a website may be the aspect of a website that garners the most discussion, the most back-and-forth opinions, and takes the most time for all stakeholders to agree upon. Just like content, it’s undeniably a core ingredient of a website — but it’s just one ingredient. In order to create a website that really wows, you need a design that works with content and the backend of your website. 

Myth #7: Outsourcing Your Website Means Losing Control

At Hivehouse, one thing we like to do is focus on collaboration. Through website development, that means building a website that truly reflects your company and goals. After the website is up and running, it also means making sure that your company has full control of your website. 

It’s one of the reasons why many companies attempt to build a website on their own, along with some other reasons that we’ll get to in a second. They fear that by letting another company develop their website, they’ll be put behind paywalls or locked into undecipherable code. Believe us, we get it! 

We have talked with many companies that came to us frustrated and feeling as if they were trapped and had no control. It just depends on who you work with! Find a website development company that wants you to be happy, not just with the initial development, but the post-development process and ongoing support as well. 

Myth #8: Anyone Can Do It

Technically, just about anyone with an internet connection, WordPress account, and hosting service can build a website. Just like anyone with a microphone can technically become a rapper — but will anyone want to listen to that rapper or visit that website? 

Probably not. In order to build a successful website, you need to know what you’re doing and be an expert in different areas like design, content, cybersecurity, development, user experience, and on and on. 

Myth #9: It Takes Forever

Website development can take forever — if you let it. But if you adhere to a tight project schedule, understand your goals, and the process to reach them — website development can be accomplished on a tidy and efficient schedule. This is another reason to avoid the “anyone can do it” mentality. If it’s your first time building a website, it likely won’t be done in a timely or efficient manner. Trust an experienced web developer who utilizes a tested process, understands common pitfalls, and will keep things moving. 

Myth #10: You Have to Do Everything at Once

Have you seen the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once? That’s how some business owners imagine website development should be. Every single webpage you’ll ever need should be launched at the exact same time. 

We’ve built many websites that started as a few pages — the homepage, about, and services. Then, over the next year or so, added pages as their capacity allowed. This slow-roll strategy allows companies to be more thoughtful about their approach to each page and the overall construction of their website. 

Let Hivehouse Dispel Your Development Misconceptions

At Hivehouse Digital, we’re here to make web development a painless experience that results in a site that drives real business. If you’ve worked with a company that reinforced any of the myths above, we’d love to change your mind. Our experts are available to discuss your next website’s goals and how we can help you reach them.